Raoul Duke
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Raoul Duke was the pseudonym used by Hunter S. Thompson for the fictional character based on him in his autobiographical novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Fear and Loathing was originally written under the name Raoul Duke and Thompson periodically used the pen name for some of his later articles.
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[edit] Thompson's alter ego
Duke is the main character and narrator of many of Thompson's stories, novels, and articles, often taking part of events in Thompson's life in Thompson's place. He is portrayed as an eccentric, deeply cynical hedonist with a myriad of drug addictions and a bottomless contempt for conservative American values. He is in a near-perpetual state of intoxication on whatever drugs happen to be available, ranging from marijuana and LSD to ether, mescaline, cocaine and even human adrenaline. He usually obtains and consumes these substances in the company of his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, a half-crazed Samoan, whose drug-induced frenzies give even Duke pause. Thompson based Gonzo on his friend, the late Chicano, civil rights lawyer Oscar Zeta Acosta. Thompson made Dr. Gonzo Samoan to hide the fact that he was based on Acosta.
Duke is first mentioned by Thompson in his 1966 book Hell's Angels, where he is described as an outlaw with "that extra 'something,'" meaning that although he breaks the law he does so in a way that is not offensive to society, but that, in fact, makes him more acceptable.
Duke is often characterized as being somewhat of an author surrogate, a source of quotes and opinions that Thompson would not necessarily be able to get away with himself, and actions that Thompson didn't want to admit he had committed himself. His name, according to Thompson in interviews, was inspired by Raúl Castro (brother of Fidel Castro) and John Wayne's nickname "The Duke," and probably originated as a pseudonym used to check into hotels, as in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Duke was also used so that Thompson could talk about himself - after a diving accident Thompson had to spend some time in a decompression chamber, and wrote a letter signed 'Raoul Duke' in which the pseudonym described the insanity of Thompson's condition in the chamber - holding up scrawled notes to the single glass window and ordering a television set to watch coverage of the Watergate hearings. The letter appeared in Rolling Stone in August 1973.
In The Great Shark Hunt (a large selection of articles written by Thompson) Raoul Duke's name is the one that appears on several essays that were published in newspapers and magazines, including the "Police Chief," an article published by Scanlan's Monthly (June 1970) in which Duke is apparently an ex-police chief raging at the inadequate amount of real "weaponry" used by the police and advertised in the (presumably invented) Police Chief magazine. It was signed "Raoul Duke (Master of Weaponry)".
In Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, Thompson describes Raoul Duke as a sports writer friend, one of the few journalists who can truly write objectively instead of just talking about it. In the same section, Thompson calls journalistic objectivity "a pompous contradiction in terms", and warns the reader not to look for it under his byline.
[edit] Other alter-egos
These characters include:
- F.X. Leach, a redneck poet who lives in a trailer park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Featured in Fear and Loathing in Elko[1] and Death of a Poet. Quotes from poems of his are often featured as epigraphs in Thompson's nonfictional works.
- Paul Kemp, a disenchanted globetrotting newspaperman. Born in St. Louis, he lived in New York City, but was stationed variously around Europe with different publications. He then moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico to work on the English-language San Juan Daily News. Featured in The Rum Diary, set to be played by Johnny Depp in the upcoming film adaption.
- Welburn Kemp in the unpublished Prince Jellyfish, described by The Guardian in Thompson's obituary: "[A] boy from Louisville, going to the big city and struggling against the dunces to make his way."[2]
[edit] In other media
- In the film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Duke was played by Johnny Depp.
- In the comic strip Doonesbury, the character of Uncle Duke, is based on and named after (in part, or possibly in whole) the Fear and Loathing character.
- Rolling Stone magazine lists "Raoul Duke (Sports)" under their Contributing Editors credits in each edition of their magazine.
- In the romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, during the costume-themed prom, two students are seen dressed as the Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo characters from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
[edit] References
- ^ Fear and Loathing in Elko, Rolling Stone, 01-22-1992 (No. 622, pp. 22-31, 54-56).
- ^ Homberger, Eric. Hunter S Thompson obituary, Guardian Unlimited, 02-22-2005.
