Fear and Loathing on the Pequod

[Vautrin]

At first glance Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Moby Dick seem to have nothing in common. I never really made any connection myself until recently. I think there are some interesting parallels to be made.

(Spoiler Alert)

The two protagonists of each novel both set out to seek adventure at the expense of their employers. Whaling was the way to go during Melville's time, journalism for Raoul Duke (Thompson). You got the sense that Ismael and Duke both valued their professions, but were more concerned with filling some void in their lives, which they seem to make reference to through out the books.

The symbolism of the whale has been discussed extensively by many people. Briefly, what Moby Dick embodies is the elusive ideal man chases but can never catch. In Fear and Loathing that elusive ideal is none other than the American Dream, which Thompson makes reference to repeatedly, that is, whenever he's not describing the potency of whatever drug he's on at the time.

It's also interesting to note the kind of people the two protagonist willingly surround themselves with. The Pequod was staffed by cannibals, drunks, deviants, thugs, and other mysterious, even sinister people. Sound like Vegas to anyone? Perhaps the best way to dissect the human condition is to focus on the outsiders, those on the fringe of society.

Another theme found in both novels is that of obsession. Ahab's "monomaniacal" mindset regarding the white whale reminds me of Dr. Gonzo's obsession with experiencing the ultimate feeling. Not just a high, but a nirvana brought upon by just the right amount of drugs, alcohol and music. It is so important to him he even wishes to commit suicide once he finds it. In a sense Ahab too committed suicide to end his search and to finally be at peace.

Lastly, in the second to last chapter, Duke describes his car rental, after he drops it off totaled, as "the death of the whale."

This might all be a stretch, but I like stretching. It's good for blood circulation.

[Sancho]

Vautrin,

That was freaking awesome! I'm tripping, man. Now I'm picturing a copy of Moby Dick illustrated by Ralph Steadman.

[NiMROD]

I think those are some great parallels. I always thought of it as a Don Quixote situation, except the twist is that Quixote and Sancho Panza are surrounded by the "Fifth Reich." Raoul and Dr. Gonzo's drug episodes also resemble Quixote's fanciful moments.

Chivalry and the American dream are equal illusions.

[PeterL]

I think that's a wonderful parallel Write it well and see if a magazine will publish it

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Definitely not to take away from your analyses at all, which is quite intriguing, but you can read Moby Dick into almost any story. Many characters are going on any adventure, many are seeking something, etc.

Still, you should definitely work on this and submit it for publishing, and maybe even delete it off of here just in case.

[Sancho]

I liked all three of those books. I’ve always leaned towards hero-takes-a-journey stories, and I think we may be onto something here: means of transportation. I mean, even in my avatar the Don and Sanch’ are in a traveling mode. I believe the man from La Mancha is riding the noble steed, Rosinante, and Sancho, his beloved burro, Dapple. As already mentioned, Ishmael and Ahab sailed the seas on the Pequod. And of course Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo cruised the Mojave in a 1971, fire-engine red, convertible, Chevy Impala with a big-block V8 Turbo 454 named The Shark – yeah baby.

[Vautrin]

Vautrin,

That was freaking awesome! I'm tripping, man. Now I'm picturing a copy of Moby Dick illustrated by Ralph Steadman.

That would actually be kinda cool. For something like that, I'd remove all the Cetology chapters and have Steadman work with the rest. It would be interesting to see his depiction of Queequeg and the other harpooners. They seem to be more up his alley. The final scene should be amazing as well.

[Vautrin]

I think those are some great parallels. I always thought of it as a Don Quixote situation, except the twist is that Quixote and Sancho Panza are surrounded by the "Fifth Reich." Raoul and Dr. Gonzo's drug episodes also resemble Quixote's fanciful moments.

Chivalry and the American dream are equal illusions.

The connection to Don Quixote is a strong one. I can certainly see many of the same themes running through each novel. Then again Don Quixote probably inspired more books and films than we can ever really know (whether authors knew it or not.) The same can be said about Moby Dick.

One of the major difficulties in making the Fear and Loathing/ Don Quixote connection, however, is that the premise of DQ is Alonso Quixano no longer wanting to escape realty through his books on chivalry, but instead actually going out and living it. Duke, on the other hand, has lived in the "real world" and is always looking for an escape via drugs/alcohol.

Having said that, your connection still might hold water since Quixano later in his journeys cannot face reality and invents adventures such as the windmill being a beast that he must slay, thus reverting back to his old escapism habits.

[NiMROD]

Good points Vautrin. Especially where my connection falters, because Quixote is trying to break the fantasy by living it unlike Duke.

Having said that and considering your following statement on Quixote and the windmill, doesn't it seem that perhaps Quixote living what he reads is the true birth of Thompson's Gonzo journalism?

That might be a little thin, but it's fun to contemplate. :)

[Arrowni]

Quixote is not an escapist, he just doesn't live in the world where everybody else lives.

[Vautrin]

Good points Vautrin. Especially where my connection falters, because Quixote is trying to break the fantasy by living it unlike Duke.

Having said that and considering your following statement on Quixote and the windmill, doesn't it seem that perhaps Quixote living what he reads is the true birth of Thompson's Gonzo journalism?

That might be a little thin, but it's fun to contemplate. :)

Gonzo journalism is about exaggerating the facts of a story for added effect as well as increasing its entertainment value.

Alonso Quixano saw things that weren't there out of a need to satisfy his imagination. Alonso's lies were more self delusional and intended to make his life seem more exciting to himself. Duke's excitement came from running amok and drug use. His lies as a reporter, however, were intended to emphasize a point he wanted to make about society, the American Dream, excess, etc.

Although, I can still see how these two can be similar when considering HST's real life. Thompson had been known to wildly exaggerate his drug and alcohol use by people who knew him personally. He probably created the lifestyle he wrote about since he knew he could never live it in reality. Alonso too realized he was too old and inexperienced to be a real knight.

Ishmael, we can argue, was also guilty of exaggerating his role on the ship, the importance of the whaling industry (as he was always defending it) as well as the major events that occurred throughout the book.

[NiMROD]

I think I have some misconceptions about what gonzo journalism is. I always thought it removed the notions of being objective and maintaining distance. That rather than be purely observational, one must in essence live the story, or as intimately near the story as possible. Which to me sounds a lot like Quixote.

I don't mean to hijack this either. I think the Moby Dick parallels are spot on.