Hubert Selby, Jr. - short biography
Hubert Selby, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928. In 1944, at the age of fifteen he joined the US marines. After a few months on harbor duties, he sailed to join the closing stages of World War 2. Two years later, in Germany, he was taken off ship suffering from tuberculosis. The doctors said he could not live more than two months, both lungs were totally shot. He got back to the US and spent the next four years in hospital. That was the time he started reading. By the time he got out of the hospital, he had ten ribs removed, one lung collapsed and a piece of the other one removed.
A couple of years later, he had to go to the hospital again. The doctors were telling him again that he is going to die, that he should just go home and sit quietly and he would soon be dead. His response to this statement was, "Fuck you, no one tells me what to do!" After that he realized that someday he was going to die. He knew two things were going to happen before he died. Number one, he would regret his entire life. Number two, he would want to live his life over again. And he would die. That absolutely terrified him to think he would live his entire life, look at it and say, "Jeez, I blew it. I blew the whole thing." So he got a typewriter and started writing. "This didn't make me a writer, but provided the incentive to discover that I am a writer." So, during this time of bad health, he returned to Brooklyn, started to drink and take drugs and wrote his first book Last Exit to Brooklyn which he finished after six years and was published in the US in 1964.
[...]
Table of Contents
- Hubert Selby, Jr. - short biography
- The American City and Last Exit to Brooklyn
- The American City in the 1940s and 1950s
- The Setting of Last Exit to Brooklyn
- Last Exit to Brooklyn - the narratives
- Another Day Another Dollar
- The Queen is Dead
- And Baby Makes Three
- Tralala
- Strike
- Landsend the coda
- Mottoes
- Reflections on Last Exit to Brooklyn
- The "loss of control"
- Morality
- The city portrait
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to provide an analysis of Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn, exploring its depiction of urban life in post-war America. The paper examines the novel's social commentary and its portrayal of poverty, alienation, and despair among the working class.
- Depiction of urban decay and social disintegration in post-war Brooklyn.
- Exploration of poverty, alienation, and the breakdown of social structures.
- Analysis of the characters' struggles with addiction, violence, and despair.
- Examination of Selby Jr.'s unconventional writing style and its impact.
- The novel's moral and social commentary on the state of American society.
Chapter Summaries
Hubert Selby, Jr. - short biography: This chapter provides a brief biography of Hubert Selby Jr., highlighting key life events that shaped his writing, including his experiences in the military, his battle with tuberculosis, and the subsequent development of his writing career. It emphasizes the profound impact of his health struggles on his decision to write and the themes that would come to dominate his work.
The American City and Last Exit to Brooklyn: This section examines the socio-economic context of post-war America, particularly focusing on the 1940s and 1950s. It explores the stark contrast between the outwardly prosperous image of America and the widespread poverty and social issues hidden beneath the surface. The chapter specifically details the rise of suburbanization, the increasing segregation of the poor, and the deterioration of inner cities, leading to increased crime and social unrest. This contextualization sets the stage for understanding the backdrop against which Last Exit to Brooklyn is set.
Last Exit to Brooklyn - the narratives: This chapter provides an overview of the narratives within the book. It describes the settings and overarching themes present in each of the stories. It briefly introduces the main characters and the types of issues presented in each story. It also notes the chronological order and how the stories build upon one another in terms of themes and setting.
Reflections on Last Exit to Brooklyn: This section delves into critical interpretations of Last Exit to Brooklyn, addressing various aspects such as the author's use of "loss of control," the exploration of morality, and the novel's depiction of the urban landscape. It summarizes the interpretations of critics concerning Selby's unconventional writing style and their debates around morality in the context of the book.
Keywords
Post-war America, urban decay, poverty, alienation, working class, addiction, violence, despair, unconventional writing style, social commentary, Hubert Selby Jr., Last Exit to Brooklyn, moral ambiguity.
Frequently Asked Questions: Last Exit to Brooklyn - A Comprehensive Analysis
What is the purpose of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of an academic analysis of Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What topics are covered in the analysis of Last Exit to Brooklyn?
The analysis explores various aspects of the novel, including its depiction of urban life in post-war America, social commentary, portrayal of poverty, alienation, and despair among the working class, the author's unconventional writing style, and the novel's moral and social implications. Specific themes include urban decay, social disintegration, addiction, violence, and the breakdown of social structures.
What is included in the Table of Contents?
The table of contents covers a short biography of Hubert Selby Jr., an examination of the American city and its relation to the novel's setting, a summary of each narrative within Last Exit to Brooklyn (including "Another Day Another Dollar," "The Queen is Dead," "And Baby Makes Three," "Tralala," "Strike," and "Landsend"), and reflections on the novel's themes, including "loss of control," morality, and the city portrait.
What are the key themes explored in the analysis?
Key themes include the depiction of urban decay and social disintegration in post-war Brooklyn; exploration of poverty, alienation, and the breakdown of social structures; analysis of characters' struggles with addiction, violence, and despair; examination of Selby Jr.'s unconventional writing style; and the novel's moral and social commentary on the state of American society.
What are the chapter summaries?
The chapter summaries provide brief overviews of each section of the analysis. They cover Selby Jr.'s biography, highlighting influential life events; the socio-economic context of post-war America and its relevance to the novel's setting; a detailed overview of the individual narratives within Last Exit to Brooklyn; and critical interpretations of the novel's themes and writing style.
What keywords are associated with this analysis?
Keywords include: Post-war America, urban decay, poverty, alienation, working class, addiction, violence, despair, unconventional writing style, social commentary, Hubert Selby Jr., Last Exit to Brooklyn, moral ambiguity.
What is the intended audience for this document?
This document is intended for academic use, supporting the structured analysis of themes within Last Exit to Brooklyn.
- Quote paper
- Gritt Hönighaus (Author), 2000, Zu: Hubert Selby, Jr. - Last Exit to Brooklyn, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/3431
