Neuromancer

        Throughout the Neuromancer a common theme we see is drugs. In the beginning there is no question as to if Case was addicted to drugs or not. Rivera is constantly in need of drugs in order to function. And Molly uses drugs to push through pain.
         While reading this book I couldn't help but wonder if the idea of drugs went beyond the most surface level sense--people simply taking drugs-- to more of a symbol. I think that they people in the Neuromancer also represent drugs.
         My hint to this was Molly. During the story the way Case treats Molly seems a lot like a drug to me. He feels like he needs her, really enjoys her presence, and she gives him a few small gifts like the ninja star (the same was drugs could give you the "small gift" of a high). But in the end she leaves him and hurts him. This also explains how quickly he grew fond of Molly, much like how Case would grow to love a drug quickly he grew to like Molly.
       When Case first encounters Molly he was addicted to drugs and trying to find something that would make him feel. She acted as a new drug, something he could care about. Though they started out as just friends with benefits it seemed to grow more romantic. This is just like how you could start off using a drug just for fun, but then grow to need and and depend on it. When Molly left was right when he decided to start a new life and ditch drugs.
       The name Molly also hints towards a drug since Molly is also the street name for a very pure form of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA (basically super concentrated Ecstasy). In the 1980's there was a spike in the use of Molly and it became very popular to people to take at parties. Sine the Neuromancer was released in 1984, right in the middle of the spike, Molly could have been named after the drug.
         I think that Molly is the Neuromancer is a symbol for the drug culture at the time: appears nice and strong, but in the end it will hurt you and leave you.