The Cum Diary Essay
How does Hunter S. Thompson present the culture of Puerto Rico as well as American Culture in his book The Rum Diary?
Hunter S. Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary tells the story of Paul Kemp, a journalist working in Puerto Rico in the only English language newspaper in town. The book mainly documents his experiences with the violent locals, and possibly even more violent and alcoholic colleagues, as well as painting a realistic picture of the Puerto Rico of the 1950’s.
The excerpt begins with an immediate reminder of the setting of the novel. The “sand road” is not the only description of the driving conditions in Puerto Rico that the author gives throughout the novel, but is still important in stressing to the reader the impoverished …show more content…
This gives us the impression that Chenault is in a way voyeuristic, and introduces an air of mystery surrounding Chenault, as this is indecent behaviour, especially from a woman in the 1950’s, which is generally considered a more prudish time in history. These aspects of Chenault’s personality are explored further later in the novel, and are in some ways resolved, as Yeamon reveals to Kemp that his initial attraction to Chenault was all because he could see that she was a “whore”. Yeamon’s personality is further explored next, in how he addresses Chenault. He speaks to her with certainty and control, and demands that she no longer sunbathes on the beach. Whilst he may have actual concerns about her being raped, it is also likely that he is trying to assert his authority as the man of the relationship. This is typical of relationships in the past, and reveals that Yeamon was the typical 1950’s boyfriend, dominating his spouse and her life. Another trait of Yeamon’s which is revealed here is his racism towards the locals. He seems to consider them as savages, who don’t have the restraint to refrain from raping his girlfriend, and describes them as “poor bastards” and seems as though he believes he holds superiority over
Hunter S. Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary tells the story of Paul Kemp, a journalist working in Puerto Rico in the only English language newspaper in town. The book mainly documents his experiences with the violent locals, and possibly even more violent and alcoholic colleagues, as well as painting a realistic picture of the Puerto Rico of the 1950’s.
The excerpt begins with an immediate reminder of the setting of the novel. The “sand road” is not the only description of the driving conditions in Puerto Rico that the author gives throughout the novel, but is still important in stressing to the reader the impoverished …show more content…
This gives us the impression that Chenault is in a way voyeuristic, and introduces an air of mystery surrounding Chenault, as this is indecent behaviour, especially from a woman in the 1950’s, which is generally considered a more prudish time in history. These aspects of Chenault’s personality are explored further later in the novel, and are in some ways resolved, as Yeamon reveals to Kemp that his initial attraction to Chenault was all because he could see that she was a “whore”. Yeamon’s personality is further explored next, in how he addresses Chenault. He speaks to her with certainty and control, and demands that she no longer sunbathes on the beach. Whilst he may have actual concerns about her being raped, it is also likely that he is trying to assert his authority as the man of the relationship. This is typical of relationships in the past, and reveals that Yeamon was the typical 1950’s boyfriend, dominating his spouse and her life. Another trait of Yeamon’s which is revealed here is his racism towards the locals. He seems to consider them as savages, who don’t have the restraint to refrain from raping his girlfriend, and describes them as “poor bastards” and seems as though he believes he holds superiority over