Hunter S. Thompson

In 1971, author Hunter S. Thompson published his book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Not only was Thompson the author of this book, it was actually based on a real-life experience he took with his attorney, Oscar Zeta Acosta. Even though it was originally an assignment by Sports Illustrated to write a 250-word photograph caption on the Mint 400 motorcycle race held in Las Vegas, he ended up turning in 2,500 words, which eventually turned into the 1972 book, which first appeared in the 1971 issue of Rolling Stone. Throughout this book there were many different things I could have chosen to write about. I could have written about how the journey affected both characters, or how the journey could have turned out completely different if…

From those two readings I chose to write about the author of the story “Fear and Loathing in America” (1972) Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American author and a maverick journalist and also he is the creator of the gonzo journalism. In critique, John Hellman wrote “by conceiving his journalism as a form of fiction, Thompson has been able to shape actual events into meaningful works of literary art.” “fear and in los Vegas is an all – out display of gonzo journalism that remains Thompson best…

Hunter Thompson isn’t an ordinary writer but an exceptional author at that, his work is pure, intriguing and wild. Thompson’s life journey reflected on his work as a journalist and author which revolved around alcohol, drugs and firearms. Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in a middle class family, Thompson then has a troubled childhood once his father had died and left his family in poverty. He never got to finish high school because he was incarcerated two months for abetting…

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson chronicles Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo in their search for The American Dream. Duke is Thompson’s alter ego and Gonzo represents Thompson’s actual attorney, Oscar Zeta Acosta. The setting, Las Vegas, is very economically significant, especially in the early 1970s where its buzzing economy and money are the focal points of the non-stop city. Believing The American Dream has…

In the Novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson and his Lawyer, travel to Las Vegas to report the events of the Mint 400 motorcycle race about to take place in the Nevada desert. Operating under the pseudonyms, Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, these two men have a bigger mission. Their mission is to search for the “American Dream”. However, they do not find a typical dream, but more of a nightmare. Tales of hitchhikers, paranoia, flying bats, and reptile people would plague readers’…

Let me tell you a story about Evangelina Padilla-Vaccaro. Evangelina was diagnosed after birth with severe combined immunodeficiency; also known as “bubble baby” disease. Most children with this condition die within the first few years of life. Evangelina was cured as a part of a clinical trial run by Dr. Don Kohn and his team at UCLA, working with a UK-based company called Orchard Therapeutics. The treatment she underwent was called OTL-101, which involves taking the patient’s own blood stem…

Within the film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” we see a strong perception of a pseudo-psychedelic trip. In this particular scene Duke (Johnny Depp) has taken too much Adrenochrome, causing him to fall into a drug educed trip while Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) tries to get rid of Lucy over the phone. The stylistic choices of this movie depicts the hallucinogenic structure via camera movement, framing and composition, colour and the use of depth within the space. The overall tonal colour of…

Within the film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” we gain a strong perception of a pseudo-psychedelic trip. In this particular scene, Duke (Johnny Depp) has consumed more than enough Adrenochrome, causing him to fall into a drug induced trip, while Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) tries to get rid of Lucy. The stylistic choices made depicts the hallucinogenic structure of the film via camera movement, framing and composition, colour and by the use of depth within the scene. Adrenochrome is a drug…

Meta-fiction is a huge part of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, really the whole book is meta-fictional. Thompson is telling the story of a trip he took at a different time, with a lot of imagined details thrown in. In the text there are countless examples of different meta-fictions, but perhaps the most important one is the illustrations throughout the book. Again, pretty much every illustration is it’s own meta-fiction, but one in particular stands out in my mind, the one with the caption that…

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS QUESTION 1 Most of part 1 in the book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, took place in Las Vegas, California during 1971. Las Vegas is a very large and populated city where many events take place such as “The mint 400”, which is why Raoul Duke traveled all the way from Los Angeles to journalize the race. In order to get to Las Vegas Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, must journey through one of the hottest states in a red convertible. Although this is just one of the few tasks…