Insights into Las Vegas Culture and Society Through Whitehead's Exploration

The Noble Hustle Colson Whitehead SPORTS|ETHICS|LIT 10.05.16

Opening Question Why does Whitehead include a lengthy section about a cross-country trip he takes with Dan and Darren in Wretch Like Me (ch. 4)?

One of Whiteheads goals is to give us an understanding of the importance of Las Vegas to American culture.

What does Las Vegas mean to you?

What Las Vegas Can Mean Push it some more. We go to casinos to tell the everyday world that we will not submit. There are rules and codes and institutions, yes, but for a few hours in this temple of pure chaos, of random cars and inscrutable dice, we are in control of our fates. My little gambles were a way of pretending that no one was the boss of me (107).

Ray Yost

Two Visions of Las Vegas Forget Hollywood images of Las Vegas glamor, the city at base is nothing but a desert Disneyland. As a small, small world of mild, middle- aged debauchery, Vegas simply replaces Minnie and Mickey with overbright, neon marquees, monolithic hotel/casinos, besequinned Ziegfeldesque entertainers, quickly marrying them in rococo wedding chapels. former Lets s Go! writer Whitehead s changes: The magic formula of mild, middle-aged debauchery offer everything but the gambling cheaply, and if you gild it, they will come was hit upon by Bugsy Siegel in the 1940s. Das Kapital is worshipped here, and sacrifices from all major credit cards are accepted (109).

Two Visions of Las Vegas Previous writer: But remember that casinos function on the basis of most tourists leaving considerably closer to the poverty line than when they arrived; don t bring more than you re prepared to lose cheerfully. Whitehead: But always remember: in the long run, chances are you re going to lose money. Don t bring more than you re prepared to lose cheerfully (110). In offering this subtle change, Whitehead suggests that Las Vegas is not unique, is not just an escape, a Disneyland in the desert. Las Vegas is just like everywhere else. In doing so, he offers a correction to classical understandings of Marxism.

Classical Marxism How we experience the world Social Institutions: Religion Education Family Work Media Sports Descriptive Marx: The base determines the superstructure Superstructure Prescriptive Marx: We must overthrow the bourgeoisie (the people who own the means of production) and create a socialist utopia run by the proletariat. It s all about the base! Meghan Trainor-Marx Land Labor Base Capital(ism) It s the economy, stupid : Factors of Production Type of Economy Base determines the superstructure

New understanding of determination Contemporary Marxism How we experience the world affects the material base of the economy. Superstructure Dialectical Relationship Land Labor Base Capital(ism) The economy exerts pressure on or sets limits on the superstructure.

What happens if everything is like Las Vegas? What if all-in high stakes No Limit Hold Em is the perfect metaphor for understanding contemporary life?

But Whitehead offers a correction We waited for cards, and then we played them.