Agents of Irony. An Approach to the American Liberal in Hunter S. Thompson’s "Fear and Loathing: on the Campaign Trail ’72".

Bamberg, Univ., Mag.-Arb., 2012

The American people have been losing faith in their political representatives and approval rates for Congress remain at a historic low. Scientific research provides empirical evidence for the symptoms of disassociation with the representative system. Yet my thesis investigates the roots of America’s dysfunctional polity from a literary perspective by analyzing Hunter S. Thompson’s coverage of the 1972 presidential election. It locates the origin of America’s political dysfunction in the hyper-political sixties that curiously resulted in disenchantment with the political establishment. Whereas, so far, critical studies have labelled Thompson’s writing as satire, my approach aims to illustrate the author’s use of irony that enables this politically engaged writer to acknowledge his growing frustration on the campaign trail, and, effectively, establish solidarity with the disenchanted members of society. Thereby, the use of irony fosters the readers’ understanding for the subject of the text, namely the complex election process and its protagonists.