The abuse of substances such as alcohol and other harmful drugs (perhaps even a vicious combination consisting of a number of many possible constituents) is a aspect of life that simply arises from the manifestation of the human. nature itself – an incredibly profound and complex calamity that arises from this vague, but familiar, source. It is a many-edged sword and desire for its victims, and if carried to excess, it will function as an inescapable common denominator for the division of an addict's life and priorities. There is a certain idea, often espoused by former drug addicts, "that you can reach much higher heights without drugs than with them." However, throughout history there have been countless numbers of people, groups and cultures who have used drugs and alcohol as a means of "fuel"/self-propulsion, in similar proportions to those it takes for an average American family to drive a car. for a year, and otherwise it would have left no such great scar on the withered skin of history. Hunter Thompson once noted, in trying to understand the meaning of the famous Hell's Angels mystique, that there is a fine line between survival and disaster - a fair definition of luck as well: The Edge... There is no has no honest way to explain because the only people who really know where it is are those who have been there. The rest – the living – are the ones who pushed their control as far as they thought they could handle it, then backed off, slowed down, or did whatever they had to do to choose between Now and Later. But the advantage is still there. Or maybe it's true. The association of motorcycles with LSD is not an act of publicity. They are both a means to an end, a place of challenge...... middle of paper ... entertainment, income, etc. Any theme that is universally prevalent in the real world is undoubtedly an appropriate theme in literature. Works Cited “Drugs and Alcohol Quotes from the Glass Menagerie.” Online. Accessed: June 5, 2010. “Theme of drugs and alcohol in the glass menagerie.” Online. Accessed: June 5, 2010. “Quotes about drugs and alcohol in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Online. Accessed June 5, 2010. Thompson, Hunter S. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. New York, NY: Random House, 1966. Williams, TN. The Glass Menagerie. Bedford's compact introduction to literature. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin, 2003.