Essay Questions

Burroughs explores the concept of addiction and its effects on individual life in Naked Lunch. Using illustrations from the novel support this statement.

Drug addiction is a theme that runs deep in William Burroughs Naked Lunch. From the protagonist and the other supporting characters, the theme is dotted through the pages. As Lee, the main character and the novel-writer's alter ego, runs away from police officers, he is always concerned about his next fix of the drugs that he is addicted to. In so doing, the narrator also describes the occurrences in the lives of the other addicts. The narratives surrounding the protagonist’s life bring to light the use of hard drugs, including opioids and heroin. Throughout the novel, the writer expresses the ugly side of addiction, including the painful cravings, withdrawal, and the hallucinations that most of the addicted people suffer. The addicts indulge themselves in rather unpleasant and desperate scenarios in order to get their next fix of drugs.

William Burroughs explores the theme of authoritarianism in Naked Lunch. Show how this theme is brought out in the novel.

Naked Lunch forms William Burroughs's annotation on political and social establishments that discourage despotism. Through the utilization of an alternate territory, Annexia, the writer is able to express his particular disregard for tyrannies. Burroughs employs a critical approach, clearly bringing out his disregard for totalitarianism in the way in which he employs extreme realities in the adventures of the protagonist of the story—Lee. Dr. Benway becomes the epitome of this theme as he uses brutal and vicious techniques of maintaining order. Being a representative of Freeland’s government, his use of these methods indicates the deep-rooted nature of despotism in the novel, particularly in his government. The writer is not supportive of the controlling nature of these governments on their people.