American Dream in 1960s–70s Counterculture Literature

Introduction: Counterculture and the American Dream

In the United States, freedom of speech and the ability to challenge accepted truths and to criticize the status quo have been part of the national identity since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since then, the country has undergone many changes, particularly in the ways that social norms shape how the nation and its people are understood. One of the most important components of the national identity is the concept of the American Dream — the idea that anyone willing to work hard can transcend the social class into which they were born and climb toward success. From those born to the humblest of families to the wealthiest person in the country, anyone could become whatever their heart desired as long as they were willing to work for it.

Throughout American history, each successive generation has developed new ideas about how the country should be run — ideas that often conflict with the views of their predecessors. In the 1960s and 1970s, the gap between the attitudes of the older generation and those of younger Americans became especially pronounced and, to a great degree, volatile. Two works from this period — Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America and Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — illustrate the different viewpoints that young people of the era held regarding the fate of the United States and the perceived limitation or cessation of the American Dream.

Flower children and other members of the 1960s counterculture were encouraged to "drop in and tune out" — that is, to stop participating in the status quo, such as the workforce and formal education, and instead to pursue altered states of consciousness and a drug-induced search for meaning. This new attitude created a class of people with limited dependence on traditional work and little appreciation for the work ethic. More important to these people was the concept of identity and what it meant to be an individual and an American (Braunstein 157). Those who remained interested in economic growth and opportunity examined the American Dream in contrast to the counterculture movement. The traditional values associated with the American Dream were counter to this new quest for identity, and a complete reevaluation of Americanism was to follow.

Overview of the Two Works

Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America is a collection of short stories dealing with one man's perception of the United States based on his experiences in early-1960s California — both through interactions with other Americans and through encounters with the natural landscape. In the book, the expression "trout fishing in America" carries many meanings. It can refer to a person defined by what they do, a place where trout fishing can occur, or simply someone who fishes for enjoyment. Each of these meanings defines the term differently and is used to describe an action or a segment of the American population. Trout fishing, in Brautigan's construction, is another name for the use of available resources. Those who take advantage of the resources available to them as Americans can be said to be participating in trout fishing, while those who choose not to engage are missing out on something that could provide both metaphorical and literal nourishment.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is an autobiographical novel based on real events, in which author Hunter S. Thompson recounts a journey he and a friend took across the American landscape in search of the truth behind the American Dream — to determine whether it still existed in the United States, or whether it ever had at all. They ultimately concluded that the American Dream was indeed real and that it still existed, but that it is seldom actually achieved. Thompson argued that it is increasingly difficult to find people who truly understand the American Dream as it was originally intended. Instead, he observed, people have redefined it as something to which they are simply entitled by virtue of being American.

Trout Fishing as Allegory for American Industry

Early in Trout Fishing in America, Brautigan describes the first time he became aware of the sport and its many dimensions of meaning. An old man he encountered taught him about trout fishing, and in his reflection, Brautigan attempts to articulate the true meaning of the activity but finds himself unable to do so precisely. He writes:

Silver is not a good adjective to describe what I felt when he told me about trout fishing. I'd like to get it right. Maybe trout steel. Steel made from trout. The clear snow-filled river acting as foundry and heat. Imagine Pittsburgh. A steel that comes from trout, used to make buildings, trains and tunnels (Brautigan 3).

At first glance this passage seems puzzling — how can a fish be transformed into a profitable metal? Beneath the literal word choice, however, lies a deeper meaning about the nature of the United States and the purpose of its natural resources. Trout is fished from the lakes and rivers of the country. This fish can either be sold for profit or eaten by the person who caught it. In either case, someone must go out onto the water, exert effort, and invest labor in order to gain something from the venture. Any enterprise works the same way, whether it involves fishing, agriculture, or industry. The only way a person can achieve success is to put themselves in a position where success becomes possible.

Conclusion

In their respective novels, Brautigan and Thompson each portray their vision of what the American Dream truly means. Richard Brautigan believed that the labels applied to Americans make us equal by birth — each person is granted the same title and thus the same privileges simply by being American. Hunter S. Thompson also believed in the importance of labels and the significance of the titles each person is granted. Where the two men diverge is in how they understand the path to achieving the Dream. Brautigan conceived of it as a promise of possibility: if a person goes out into the river and fishes diligently for metaphorical trout, that person can become an example of the American Dream. Thompson believed that the process — the quest — is itself the most meaningful expression of American identity.

Both visions are products of the counterculture movement and its insistence on reevaluating the assumptions underlying American society. By returning to first principles — asking what it means to be American, what the Dream actually promises, and what it demands in return — both Brautigan and Thompson contributed to a profound and lasting reexamination of national identity during one of the most turbulent periods in American history.

Works Cited

Braunstein, P. Imagine Nation: The American Counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. New York, NY: Routledge, 2002. Print.

Brautigan, Richard. Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America; The Pill vs. The Springhill Mine Disaster; And, In Watermelon Sugar. Boston: Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence, 1989. Print.

Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream. New York, NY: Vintage, 1998. Print.