Loathing In Las Vegas

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In the book, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, Hunter Thompson begins the book with an epigraph from Dr. Johnson stating, “He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.” With this quote it starts the book off with setting the book’s mood and explains through the book what a person’s willing to go to escape reality and the consequences from the burdens and their expectations. This essay will discuss how Raoul Duke and Doctor Gonzo express the epigraph through the consumption of numerous forms of drug use and absurd behavior, as well as several forms of Duke and Gonzo’s actions being an uprising against life and a solution to discarding the pain and other events happening due to the 1960’s countercultural movement. The …show more content…

The third thing to note is Duke and Gonzo’s excessive lifestyle that consists of avoiding the pain of being a man and living in a world where there are no rules. According to Thompson (1971), “My attorney leaned over to whisper that he was leaving. I will be down at the casino, he said. I know a hell of a lot better ways to waste my time than listening to this. He stood up, knocking his ashtray off the arm of his chair, and plunged down the aisle toward the door” (144). To illustrate, this action is condemned towards the characters Gonzo and Duke, because while they are in Las Vegas and they are on a mission to find the American Dream, there are rules implied for society to follow. As they go across Vegas to find the Dream, they have had numerous close encounters with the law and have been almost put in situations that would lead to them being put behind bars. Whether that is from impersonating another person, damage to property, fraud, or the possession of pharmaceuticals. As Thompson (1971) said, “Hell, just a minute ago you were asking me to kill you! And now you want to kill me! What I should do, goddamnit, is call the police!” …show more content…

Another example of how these three can be compared is that they symbolize a generations journey for freedom and peace which is expressed through respective mediums, music for Dylan and literature for Duke and Gonzo. Their work reflects the disenchantment with society and the pursuit of a more peaceful world. In conclusion, this exposition will talk about how Raoul Duke and Specialist Gonzo express the epigraph through the utilization of various shapes of medicate utilize and foolish behavior, as well as a few shapes of Duke and Gonzo’s activities being a rebellion against life and a arrangement to dispose of the torment and other occasions happening due to the 1960’s countercultural development. Raoul Duke and Doctor Gonzo's journey to the American Dream has become a trip to numb and avoid the pain of being a man while embracing their lifestyle that consists of no rules, attempting to escape the reality of life and getting the freedom that Vegas represents, and challenging society's social normalities and legal

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