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.