Duke suggests that the American Dream is inherently capitalist, and when he finds out his magazine is sending him to Vegas he responds excitedly, “Free Enterprise. Duke’s outrageous and at times ridiculous experiences in pursuit of the American Dream imply that traditional notions of this popular ideal are antiquated and, for many, limited and even unobtainable, and it is through these experiences that Thompson argues the need for a new understanding of the American Dream.ĭuke makes repeated references to Horatio Alger, an American writer from the 1800s whose rags-to-riches stories are often cited as examples of the American Dream, and these references reflect Duke’s own understanding of the concept. Duke ultimately concludes that the American Dream is dead at worst, and at best, exists only in a Vegas casino. Duke’s understanding of the American Dream assumes that anyone, with a little luck and “true grit,” can succeed and prosper in America, and when he is assigned a story in Las Vegas, he figures it is the perfect opportunity to put “the American Dream in action.” During their time in Vegas, Duke and his attorney “burn the locals, abuse the tourists, terrify the help,” and the elusive American Dream threatens to evade them, not to mention those they abuse along the way. Gonzo, as they travel from Los Angeles, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, in a drug-fueled search for the American Dream.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas focuses on Raoul Duke, a California journalist, and his attorney, Dr.

Fear and loathing in las vegas poster