Character Transformation in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Essay

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Explain how characters transition from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers

Raul Duke and the Attorney also known as the main characters of the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas transition from headstrong and quirky characters to something that appears to be shell-shocked soldiers.

The American Dream, a very common theme for every American, everyone wants to live it but few actually know what it is. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the American Dream put in action as Hunter S. Thompson puts to the test his standard practice of living in excess and acting strangely enough to evade detection, with the attitude of someone who belongs where he is. Hunter S. Thompson manages to create a journalistic discovery that outlines the changes of an American legend.

The characters transitioning from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers, these descriptions apply to both the characters, Raul Duke and his Samoan attorney who is never named, and the supporting characters, hotel bellhops and other static characters. Old elephants limp off to the hills to die; old Americans go out to the high way and drive themselves to death with huge cars(18). This shows a perfect blend of aggressive journalism gone awry combined with great American willpower and ingenuity and is a landmark in the world of counterculture writing.

At the beginning of the novel both Raul Duke and the attorney showed head strong and quirky qualities. As your attorney, thats how the attorney always presented himself in front of people shows a very positive and headstrong personality because he isnt afraid of showing who he is and it also represents how he loves his job since he always wanted to be referred as to the attorney. Another scene that shows both the attorney and Dr. Thompson upbeat personalities is their ride with the shark to Las Vegas. Off course they were high throughout the whole drive. That is also a reason why they felt so headstrong because it is believed that drugs made them feel more powerful. We are going to rip his lungs out! said the attorney during the ride to Las Vegas. Also them getting the shark was one of the moments that got them so pumped up. Then there is a change in personality were both characters resemble shell-shocked soldiers. I believe these changes of transition originate from the drugs and their effects and that provokes them to become bipolar. One of the scenes that show this transition is the Vietnam flash and the hotel scene while Dr. Thompson and the attorney are in the elevator and the attorney becomes overly aggressive. This transition happens after their usage of drugs and alcohol and it is influenced by Hunter S. Thompson and his persona.

The influence of Dr. Thompsons novel he has had on American culture is almost countless. Every American writer with any sense of politics and social morality reads and looks up to the good doctor. Fear and Loathing marks a turning point in his style. The strange and often twisted mindset of these people creates, for the average readers, what seems like an alternate reality, a world which they have never before witnessed. Duke and his attorney seem like characters in some perverse drama although they are in fact, actual people. This is the effect the sub culture that is the subject matter. The reader can identify with the ordinary people in the novel such as hitchhiker, these people do not understand the rhyme or reason of the actions taken by the end of the book the reader, at least, has gleaned some sort of comprehension of this secret and sometimes frightening world of drug people. You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug especially when its waving a razor-sharp knife un your eyes.

This transition from headstrong and quirky to shell-shocked soldiers all occurs from the use of drugs and its effects. Thus, Hunter S. Thompson created these characters and their personalities as a representation of himself even though they are realistic people.