Blog 1

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is an interesting book to revolve a project around because it doesn't seem to be riveting. The main character, Raoul Duke, is set to find the "American Dream" by going to Las Vegas with his attorney, Dr. Gunzo, to report on the Mint 400 Motorcycle Race. Raoul Duke is also given a boatload of money, which he spends on extremely addicting narcotics, such as mescaline, cocaine, ether, and LSD. Both Raoul and Dr. Gunzo habitually debauch themselves in these drugs, and the audience can't seem to read much without Duke speaking about the drugs, or being high on these drugs: the first sentence states, "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold" (pg. 3).  

Although the novel highlights drugs and drug usage, it also illuminates the duo's search for the "American Dream." At one point, Duke states, "...another total stranger gives me $300 raw cash for no reason at all... I tell you, my man, this is the American Dream in action! We'd be fools not to ride this strange torpedo all the way out to the end" (pg. 11). Throughout the novel, Hunter S. Thompson illustrates the cohorts false pursuit of the American Dream, as if to make fun of people who actually believe that they can achieve the American Dream.

Furthermore, the novel expounds the counter-cultural movement of the 1960's, and suggests the failure of this movement. Besides the whole novel being taken place in a "haze," the audience sometimes has trouble distinguishing "fact" and "fiction." On the very first page, Thompson states, "And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car" (pg. 3). The audience is first struck by the lurid imagery, but then finally realizing that the bats aren't real.

For my research, I am thinking about first researching into the actual effects of some of the drugs written about, and comparing the actual symptoms with how Thompson depicts the effects of the drugs to be. I would not be doing this to challenge his credibility, but rather to see the differences in what the ramifications are actually, and how Thompson represents them in the book - if they are very similar (or very different), it would be interesting to note. 

Moreover, I also would like the research the 1960's counter-cultural movement. This would be fascinating because I could find more allusions in the text to the movement that I don't see now (because I am not very educated in the movement). On the same note, I want to research the aftermath of the novel. While reading, I can tell that this book is somewhat "scandalous”, so reading about the literature criticism would be interesting.