TKR Chapters 8-9

At this point in the story, I am not very found of Amir. He has done all the wrong things with the one person who has a never-ending respect and love for him. Amir always longs for Baba's attention and affection, but rarely ever receives it. It bothers me that he does not appreciate what he has in terms of Hassan's loyalty to him.

Theme #6 Reflection

When submitting the theme, I definitely thought I did an exceptional job. My grade reflects this however, I could have done better. The main area I lost points in was the second class FCA (relevant details) because I did not tell enough of a story or life experience to go along with the belief. Going over my theme after getting the grade clarifies why I didn't do better; I tried to tell a story I just didn't realize the lack of a substantial one. Going forward to the fourth marking period I am coming to the realization that I'm going to need to be very focused. In the last quarter of my high school career I am more distracted than I have ever been before. This is the last stretch in this part of my life therefore I'm excited to move on but I clearly need to be more focused if I can already feel myself straying off track...

Final Blog Post 2- Gonzo Journalism

Gonzo Journalism was popularized by Hunter S. Thompson in the 1970's. This approach moves away from polished newspaper-type articles; style is heavily favored over accuracy, and the reporter is generally included in these first-person narratives. Profanity is common; humor, sarcasm, and personal experiences are utilized to create a "gritty" realistic persona. The Boston Globe editor, Bill Cardoso, first coined this term when referring to Thompson's article: The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved. Cardoso explained that "gonzo" was a South Boston Irish slang term for the last man standing after an all night drinking competition. Thompson based his style off of William Faulkner's (an American writer) idea of fiction being the best facts. He often used satirical angles to make his point as well as including alcohol and drug references to make the story more interesting and controversial.

Final Blog Post 1- The Wave Speech

"Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Five years later? Six? It seems like a lifetime, or at least a Main Era—the kind of peak that never comes again. San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run ...but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant ... history is hard to know, because of all the hired b******t, but even without being sure of "history" it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time—and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened."

An excerpt from the famous "wave speech" in chapter 8 exemplifies the reality of experience. This passage is believed to be Hunter S. Thompson's favorite piece of his writing. He has read it during multiple interviews and other things of the sort. It also rationalizes the main characters' extensive and unorganized stay in Las Vegas. The feeling he describes here, I think everyone experiences it at one point or another in their lifetime; looking back, it's an incredible feeling to know that you were there.  No matter the time and place. Whether it be Las Vegas, San Francisco, Philadelphia, or any other place-- to know you were part of something that will never happen again. It is interesting to understand something that some people never will.

Week 2- IR Blog Post

Why do they act like that? What do these drugs do to you?

Ether:

The anesthetic effects of diethyl ether are what makes it appealing as a recreational drug, however, it is normally mixed with ethanol. The recreational use of this drug dates back to the 19th century during one of Western society's temperance movements. At that time it was unacceptable for women to drink alcohol during social gatherings, therefore ether containing drugs were sometimes used instead. 

"This is the main advantage of ether: it makes you behave like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel...total loss of all basic motor skills: Blurred vision, no balance, numb tongue-severance of all connection between the body and the brain. Which is interesting, because the brain continues to function more or less normally...you can actually watch yourself behaving in the terrible way, but you can't control it."

 

 LSD:

Lab studies suggest that this hallucinogenic acts on certain groups of serotonin receptors which in turn effect the cerebral cortex and the locus ceruleus (most prominently). The cortex is involved with mood, cognition, and perception, while the locus ceruleus controls important external stimuli. Basically, individuals are effected by this drug because it changes their mood, way they perceive things, and the way they react to outside forces. These experiences can be positive or negative depending on surrounding, which is why we see Raoul react badly on many occasions from the LSD he takes. 

"But nobody can handle that other trip- the possibility that any freak with $1.98 can walk into the Circus-Circus and suddenly appear in the sky over downtown Las Vegas twelve times the size of God, howling anything that comes into his head. No, this is not a good town for psychedelic drugs. Reality itself is too twisted."

IR Blog Post 3

One of the main motifs in the story is the American Dream. Many may disagree if they have only basic knowledge of the novel. Someone may ask,  how could a story full of drugs, hallucinations, and destruction even come close to being about the "American Dream" ? In Thompson's book, Las Vegas is symbolic of the true ugliness of American mainstream. Raoul even states at the beginning that their trip will be a "gross, physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country." The drugs they use, in a sense, allow them to see the flaws in such a traditionally "fantastic" place. Raoul and Dr. Gonzo essentially go out of their way to destruct clear-cut examples of excess-- all while coming to the subconscious realization that the American Dream does not really exist.

IR Blog Post 2

 The Mint 400 Desert Race is one of a kind. This off road race originally included just motorcycles but later expanded to four-wheel vehicles as well. The track consists of 4 laps of 100 miles through the Mojave Desert. The idea for this all started back in 1968 when the public relations director of the Las Vegas Mint Hotel came up with the race in order to attract visitors and increase business for the area.

Many aspects of the Mint 400 made it a very difficult race... one of the main obstacles being the location. In the desert, dust and high winds often mean little to no visibility, therefore, just finishing the race meant bragging rights to the contestants. The dust and wind problem also affected the people who were watching; multiple tents were always around to shelter the spectators and press members.

In 1988, the race was put on hold in order to revitalize the Las Vegas strip. The Mint Hotel was sold and the management group broke up as well, leaving the race on hold for over 20 years. Finally in 2008, the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts put the race back in action. Below is a video that gives a good idea of the intensity of the Mint 400.

IR Blog Post 1

During a time where drugs and the counterculture were the center of life for most, Raoul Duke, a journalist, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo definitely symbolize the epitome of adventure and experimentation in the 1970's. These two gentleman set off on a road trip to write about the 400 Mint Desert Race. In the preface, Hunter S. Thompson quotes Samuel Jackson, "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Raoul initially comes off to the reader, as making a beast of himself. The collection of drugs hidden in the trunk of his car, listed at the start of the story, are enough to give one the idea that the counterculture was a big part of Raoul's life. This leads us to believe that he is truly making himself a beast, someone completely different than himself, to escape the pain of being a man. 

The pain that comes along with being a human cannot be compared between individuals. No matter what kind of pain or hurt someone feels, there is always a reason behind their hurt. For someone to go out of their way to make a "beast" of themselves, just to escape pain, in my opinion, must have been traumatized in some shape or form. I am interested to find out what kind of experiences Raoul had before the starting point of the novel.

Theme 4 Reflection

I did not do as bad as I thought I was going to do on the Invisible Man's literary analysis. I struggled with this theme mostly because I did not enjoy the book, and often found myself mystified by the meaning of it all. The thesis of my paper was something I did well; in terms of FCA's, my thesis is definitely an opportunity area for writing. Next time, it would be in my best interest to analyze more as opposed to retelling.