# Alcohol and Excess in The Plastic Age

> Theme guide for The Plastic Age by Percy Marks.

Drinking is a pervasive element of campus life, symbolizing both rebellion and escapism, with characters using alcohol to recapture youthful thrills or cope with emotional turmoil.

## Where it surfaces

- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/ix): Though not explicitly about alcohol, the smoker rally features excessive smoking, a form of indulgence and excess typical of college life at the time.
- [The Big Game and the Serenade](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/x): Alumni and undergraduates get drunk to celebrate the moon before the game, reflecting the culture of excess surrounding the big event.
- [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/xix): The dance is marked by widespread drunkenness among both men and women, with Hugh repulsed by the whisky breaths, vomiting, and 'crying jag,' highlighting the theme of alcohol-fueled debauchery.
- [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/xx): Hugh's drinking escalates due to Vinton's constant offers of Scotch, and the fraternity's failure to ban liquor highlights the pervasiveness of excess.
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/xxi): Hugh's daily drinking from Vinton and his growing acceptance of vices like smoking and gambling.
- [Prom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/chapters/xxii): Heavy drinking at the Prom and fraternity events leads to drunkenness, loss of control, and a near-sexual encounter, highlighting the destructive side of college party culture.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/themes/alcohol_and_excess
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_plastic_age_se/themes