Hell’s Angels is a factual account of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang just as they were gaining fame in the 1960’s. Thompson rode with the gang for several years as he put together the book and became friends with many of the members. He describes them as violent, lawless men who are increasingly conflicted between the benefits of their growing fame and the non-conformist nature which makes them who they are.
Though the gang had existed long beforehand, the Hell’s Angels came to national prominence in the 60’s after a group of Angels allegedly gang-raped two young women. What followed for the Angels was a media circus which left the Angels bewildered and unsure of what should come next. Thompson describes how the Angels, previously a band of outlaws who only concerned themselves with drinking, fighting, and riding, “…developed a prima-donna complex, demanding cash contributions…in return for photos and interviews,”(39). It almost appears as if the gang was turning its back on all of its old values.
However, Thompson also stresses that these men were not only the tough, violent men people commonly envision when they think of a Hell’s Angel. Many of these men had steady jobs and supported families; they joined a motorcycle gang just as a higher-class person might join the Masons or the Kiwanis. One member, Tommy, was, “blond, clean-shaven, with a wife and two children, making $180 a week as a construction worker,”(10). Plainly, these were not men with a grudge against humanity, as is commonly believed, but men who just want to live normal lives on the weekdays and have fun and ride their motorcycles with their friends in their free time. That is why the Angels were so ready to cash in on their newfound fame, even if it meant selling out their image. They want success, just like any normal person does.
The book is going to move more towards a first-hand account of Thompson’s travels in the coming chapters, I think. It will be interesting to see how his unique outlook on life affects his relations with the gang.
1 comment:
When reading the first paragraph I already judged the motorcycle gang. The name Hell’s Angels sound so dark and even intimating. I cannot believe that they were just normal people that just wanted to get away for the weekends. Fame really does make people to strange thing. The popularity I think made them go overbroad. What made Thompson so interested in the Hell’s Angels? Did he expect that he was going to learn from these guys? I look forward to see how Thompson grows from these travels.
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