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Part 2, Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
American Culture and Counterculture
The American Dream
Drugs and American Society
News and Journalism
Violence
Summary
Analysis
Hours later, Duke arrives in Vegas and goes to the airport to get rid of the Great Red Shark. He must pick Gonzo up anyway, and he figures the rental lot at the airport is the last place anyone will look for the car. As Duke waits for Gonzo, he drinks Bloody Marys for two hours “for the V-8 nutritional content,” then decides to go to the car rental counter to trade the Chevy for the Cadillac. “This goddamn Chevy has caused me a lot of trouble,” Duke tells the car agency man. People have been looking down on him, Duke says, “especially in gas stations, when [he] has to get out and open the hood manually.”
Duke’s implication that people look down on him because he must “manually” open the hood of the car suggests that American society is classist and interested only in how much money someone has. The Cadillac cost more money than the Chevy and is the epitome of American luxury and wealth, and no one will look down on Duke while he’s driving it. Also, Duke has replaced actual food with Bloody Marys, which speaks to the extent of his drug-fueled binge.
Themes
The Cadillac is completely automatic. Everything opens or goes up and down with just the touch of a button, and the dashboard is covered with “esoteric lights and dials” that Duke doesn’t understand. “There is no doubt in [his] mind” that the Cadillac is “a superior automobile,” so Duke pays with a canceled credit card and heads back to the Strip. There has been no sign of Gonzo, so he figures he will check into the Flamingo and wait.
This passage further depicts the Cadillac as the embodiment of luxury and wealth. The automatic features and dashboard displays ensure that the owner has to do less work. Duke doesn’t know how to work the bells and whistles, but this doesn’t matter—the Cadillac serves as a reflection of wealth, and functional use comes second.
Themes
When Duke arrives at the Flamingo, the place is crawling with cops. He gets in line at the front desk behind “a Police Chief from some small town in Michigan” and his “Agnew-style wife.” The couple has arrived late, and even though they have already paid for their room, their reservation has been sent to another hotel across town. The Police Chief is livid, and he stands screaming at the desk attendant. Duke stands uncomfortably behind them for several minutes, and then decides to cut in line.
Duke’s mention of the cop’s “Agnew-style wife” is a reference to Spiro Agnew, vice president of the U.S. under Nixon. Agnew was forced to resign in disgrace due to suspicion of bribery and tax evasion, and with this reference, Duke implies that the Midwestern police officer is likewise corrupt, untrustworthy, and fueled by money and greed.
Themes
“Say,” Duke says to the hotel desk clerk. “I hate to interrupt, but I have a reservation and I wonder if maybe I could just sort of slide through and get out of your way.” Duke is a mess; his clothes are ripped, and he hasn’t shaved in days, but the bellhop approaches and takes his bag. “The rest is out there in that white Cadillac convertible,” Duke says, motioning to the car outside. “Don’t worry about a thing, sir. Just enjoy your stay,” the clerk says, handing him a key. The Michigan cop and his wife stand and watch as Duke heads to his room.
Duke looks like a homeless person, but the Cadillac outside suggests that he has money and influence, so the hotel staff immediately jump to serve him. The police officer has already paid for his room, but it’s implied that he is probably only middle-class at best, and as such, Duke warrants more attention than he does. This exchange highlights the connection between money and power in American society.
Themes
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