Re. Vegas, list trouble etc.

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Interesting point, John, about the Kennedy coins echoing the Nixon notes.  And coming up soon, Doc's going to encounter Thomas Jefferson's image emblazoned on a plastic nickel.  What would come after Nixon?  Reagan's image on a bouncing check?  Obama's image on a multi-billion-dollar check to the banking industry?  It does suggest that the American Dream (encompassing the Hippie dream) was still-born in the days of the Founding Fathers:  the government always in cahoots with the private sector [from the Pursuit of Happiness (AKA Property) right on up to the United States of Goldman-Sachs].

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: John Carvill <johncarvill at gmail.com>

>
>> What happens in Vegas in IV?
>
>A question which deserves a thorough analysis. At the very least, the
>symbolism of that machine spitting out a wave of Kennedy coins is
>pretty dense. And suggests comparison with the Nixon bank notes, eh?


>Certainly an interesting question. String flavours of Fear & Loathing
>in Las Vegas throughout Inherent Vice. In a sense, both books address
>the same central question: "How did the Dream die?" Whether you view
>that Dream as referring to the Hippie Dream, or the American Dream, or
>both, depends on your political outlook. My guess is that Pynchon,
>like HST, sees the former as an incarnation of the latter.