Trimalchio from Chicago: Flashing Lights and The Great Kanye in West Egg

Abstract

There is an axiom that says all books are about other books. This proposition is supported by the fact that the archetypes found in the earliest of recorded literature continue to (re)appear in contemporary literature. Following the supposition that music lyrics, when read through a literary lens, also fall into the contemporary literature category, it is safe to posit that many of the archetypes of classical literature appear in contemporary music. Further, it can be assumed that there exist many songs, as there exist many poems (and other artworks in other forms), “about” classical literature, intentionally or otherwise, that can be used as a tool to make the canonized works more accessible to many students if we open our eyes to the existent possibilities. The popularity (and co-optation in many instances) of hip-hop culture in pop culture places rap music lyrics at the forefront of youthful preoccupation. The storied career of Kanye West places him in great company with moguls such as Jay-Z and Sean Combs not only as a hip-hop tastemaker, but also as a cultural icon with the ability to affect other areas of art and “everyday” living. West has been responsible, almost single-handedly, for cultural movements (progressions, even) in hip-hop and popular culture over the span of his career.

Trimalchio is a character who is known for throwing lavish parties in the early Latin work of fiction, The Satyricon, by Gaius Petronius. Jay Gatsby is compared to Trimalchio early in chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby. Trimalchio and Trimalchio in West Egg were also proposed titles for The Great Gatsby.