![]() However, Duke has not yet figured out what should replace Horatio Alger's vision in the modern world. ![]() He does not accept the traditional version of the American Dream-that is, hard-earned capitalist success, which he believes to be a dated and undesirable goal. The American DreamĪs suggested by the text’s subtitle, Duke’s quest to understand the American Dream drives his decisions throughout his Las Vegas journey. Nevertheless, it is not always clear whether Duke’s perceptions at any given point are influenced by his drug use, which undermines his reliability as a narrator and gives the text a freewheeling, surreal quality. He seems to understand the line between reality and illusion, but he certainly believes that the content of his hallucinations can be significant and relevant to the world around him. Throughout the text, Duke frequently describes his drug-induced delusions and hallucinations in detail. These drugs alter the user’s perception of reality, and the two men see these substances as enabling the ultimate escape from a troubling world. Psychoactive Drugsĭuke and his attorney are heavy users of all kinds of drugs, but they demonstrate a preference for psychedelics such as LSD and mescaline. Duke’s pursuit of the ‘American Dream’ may be an attempt to fill this void. Written in 1971, Fear and Loathing is deeply ambivalent about what will replace the American counterculture. However, in his famous ‘wave speech,’ Duke argues that the decline of the counterculture was ultimately the fault of its creators they all became too complacent and failed to respond to obstacles like infighting and alienation from mainstream culture. ![]() Duke reminisces fondly about the period’s idealism, creativity, and his peers' eagerness to explore new ideas and ways of living. Thompson was an active voice in the 1960s counterculture, and his alter ego Raoul Duke appears to have been swept up in it as well. Overall, the text depicts a world in which institutional violence has ‘trickled down’ to the minds and daily lives of ordinary, well-meaning Americans. They consider murdering both Lucy and the hitchhiker, and Duke describes a famous case of a PCP user clawing his own eyes out. Even more disturbing are the men’s thoughts and discussions, as related by Duke. For example, Duke's attorney berates a car full of tourists on the Las Vegas Strip, and Duke pulls over in the desert and fires a gun into the air for no reason. However,over the course of the narrative, Duke and his attorney indulge in a great deal of violent behavior themselves. Ironically, Duke frequently discusses the literal and figurative brutality of the police and the capitalist system. ![]() Violence pervades Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. ![]()
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