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Motif
Explanation and Analysis—Alcoholism:
Throughout The Beautiful and Damned, alcoholism is a motif that emphasizes the moral and physical deterioration of Anthony Patch. As the novel progresses, he drinks with increasing frequency. Even toward the end of the novel, when he has very little money, he prioritizes the purchase of alcohol. Not only does this affect his speech, behavior, and relationship with Gloria, but it also makes him irresponsible and unhealthy. In Chapter 8, the narrator describes Anthony's declining health:
Except when Anthony was drinking, his range of sensation had become less than that of a healthy old man and when prohibition came in July he found that, among those who could afford it, there was more drinking than ever before. One’s host now brought out a bottle upon the slightest pretext. The tendency to display liquor was a manifestation of the same instinct that led a man to deck his wife with jewels. To have liquor was a boast, almost a badge of respectability.
Anthony's "range of sensation" has decreased considerably, which means that he cannot feel deeply unless he gets drunk. He remains numb to social, emotional, and intellectual experiences unless they are lubricated by alcohol. This need for continuous drunkenness evokes the novel's party scenes, in which people become more vibrant and emotive when champagne (or some other drink) appears.
It is also important to note that despite the laws against the sale of alcohol during Prohibition, people continue to drink. This passage makes evident the rise of alcohol as a status symbol. Not only does it lubricate social experiences, but it also represents the ability to move money and alcohol despite the new legal challenges to its distribution. The new laws only encourage Anthony to drink more, despite the fact that his health has declined so much that he is less hearty than an old man. Throughout the novel, the motif of alcoholism recurs to remind readers of Anthony's instability and irresponsibility.
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