Brito 1

Lucy Brito
1/28/2016
Writing 37
Rough Draft
Word Count: 2332
Set in Stone

Last Exit to Brooklyn, is a series of six short stories written by Hubert Selby Jr.,
portrayed from a naturalistic point of view. The authors naturalistic purpose was to depict the
world for the evil it is by showing people and things for what they actually are. Among those six
stories, three particular short stories stand out Another day Another Dollar, The Queen is
Dead, and Tralala all which have similar themes. They all revolve around the main characters
who have lost control of their inner lives because of the lack of power, exploitation of drugs, sex,
violence, and the influence of outside forces. The author Hubert Selby Jr. designed the novel to
be an idea that environment determines a characters actions. The idea that the environment
determines is meant as a way to say that the characters portrayed lack control because the world
they coexisted in didnt provide them with the opportunities and privileges to better themselves.
Instead, it was a revolving cycle impossible to break away from. The novel targets middle and
upper class individuals in particular to allow them to step away from their comfort zone and see
the life of those neglected, the lower class. Readers neglect Selbys rigid story telling because it
is something one is not accustomed to reading. The detailed imagery gives the reader a precise
visual image of not only what each character goes through in their everyday life, but also the
inclination that Brooklyn is dangerous. Hubert Selby has stated himself the people in his story
are not fictional. He is writing about real people. Why it is so shocking to believe there is evil
and violence if it surrounds us? The answer is simple: it is within all of us. Evil is within all of us

Brito 2

it is to the extent you are raised and taught to stay away from temptations and learn to cope with
it. While merely others dont have that ability.
The book starts off with its first chapter, Another day Another Dollar which takes place
in a diner in the Greeks, a section of the Brooklyn slums. The main characters in the novel
Vinnie, Freddy, and Harry are young, prideful, and out of control. It is displayed in a naturalistic
manner because these characters are unemployed and have no one to turn to. With boredom and
no sense of direction this poverished unwanted community have no one to govern them but a
corrupted police force who doesnt do their job either. The characters lack vision in their actions
because they are built in the idea to not display vulnerability but instead to turn towards violence
in order to show their dominance. Showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness, something they
pride themselves in hiding.???? They arent wronged for their actions by those in control - the
authority. Selby emphasizes this through the usage of dark imagery when one of the main
characters picks a fight with a soldier over name calling. and Freddy kicked him in the
temple and the yellow bastard eyes rolled back and his head splashed and thumped to the ground
and someone yelled the cops You need pg numbers The author establishes a pessimistic tone
with the depictions of hoodlums nearly killing a soldier who protects our country. Freddys
disability to feel compassion or restraint ultimately shows how he has no self-control. The
message Selby to convey is that these are the real actions of people who cant be tamed because
theyve lost vision of right from wrong. This illustrates a perfect picture of America targeting the
police. Rephrase Freddy didnt get punished for a first degree murder, a crime punishable with
the death penalty. Fate is fixed at birth by ones opportunities, upbringings such as financial status
and family. It is what determines who a person might grow up to be or do. Yes there is a chance it
could be different but it is very unlikely to fight the odds that have been given to you. In The

Brito 3

Naturalistic- Inner City Novel in America Chapter 5: The Game of Mum as Theme and
Narrative Technique in Hubert Selbys Last Exit to Brooklyn by Giles, the book is a good
example on explaining naturalism the assertion that the author is trying to use allows him to
reach readers outside working class slums, he hoped to rouse designation and have the privileged
in suburbia face reality in the inner city. (Giles X) Freddy and the boys never had control of
their lives because it what was never predetermined for them to have control. They dont have
opportunities to better themselves. The author uses his writing as an outlet to understand and
help people step into the less fortunate shoes of others. Selby depicts these individuals as
savages. Referencing the beginning of each chapter of his short stories he begins it with a
biblical allusion. Ecclesiastes 3:19 speaks about humans and animals being of equal. They both
share the same fate. Humanity is not perfect: everyone falls short of being perfect beings who
innately crave power and success. The verse compares humans with beasts because humans are
sinful creatures in need of a savior. The savior in Another day Another Dollar would be a force
of government who can control their citizens. Despite of efforts being made to become selfless
and faultless, humans fail every day and fall short of becoming perfect. Make connection to
biblical allusion to your theme of naturalism
In another chapter of the book, The Queen is Dead, tells of the story of transvestite
Georgette who although confidentially accepts herself she is not accepted by her family,
Rephrase sentence is awkward especially her brother who beats her for dressing up as a woman.
Naturalism purpose in this chapter was to emphasize how changes have been made to accept
LGBT communities. How does LGBT connect to your theme In the nineteenth midcentury
being gay was not accepted but rather looked down upon. Selby does an effective job portraying
the way humans are. Humans are judgmental, unaccepting, and unsupportive to change,

Brito 4

specifically in the era where being gay was not accepted. Drugs were a symbol of escape from
reality. When being a victim of harassment, Vinnie and Harry two male characters in the novel
threw a knife at Georgettes leg. Georgette had no option but to go home dressed as a woman she
knew her brother was home and wasnt ready to suffer the consequences. Selby emphasizes as
She limped toward the door and stopped in the vestibule, put a handful of Bennies in her
mouth, chewed than swallowed them. (Selby 35) Constantly worried about her Bennies a drug
used for hallucinations if taken a large dose, being taken away, it is obvious that the drugs
became a necessity in Georgettes life. It is the closest form of stability she could obtain. As soon
as she would take the Bennie, she would go into a state of mind where nothing mattered. The
only thing that mattered was Vinnie the man she loved. Georgette had no control of herself. Her
addiction went from wanting to take drugs, to needing to take them. The New York Times
Beyond Revulsion by Eliot Fremont Smith is convinced that the characters in the novel never
had control of their lives, Reactions to this of pity or anger become irrelevant; the feelings do go
numb- not from horror, but from hopelessness. Georgette knows she wont be accepted by
neither her brother nor her mother. She doesnt pity herself or get angry for the way she is
treated. Instead, it is as if she has become immune to being treated harshly. Georgette lost the
ability to feel. She wants to feel emotions again and believes her savior is Vinnie. By having sex
with Vinnie, she will be able to feel intimacy and acceptance - a feeling foreign to her. Georgette
knows she will never be able to change the perspective of people so she becomes hopeless that
she will ever be able to feel accepted. Hence, she results to numbing herself internally through
the usage of drugs, Bennies. The University of Illinois by Donald Pizer published a paper, "Late
Nineteenth Century American Literary Naturalism: A Re-Introduction" asserting naturalism is
The fate of any specific individual was determined beyond his or control. This is represented

Brito 5

in Georgettes case because she could not control how people viewed the idea of being gay, none
the less transgender. As new generations came to play, being gay became more and more
accepted to the point where marriage between two different genders and gender swap is a
possibility. Georgette didnt have those alternatives as it was out of her control. Huber Selby
tried to improve the way people sought being gay through a biblical allusion. Genesis 1:27
translates the idea god created the female out of a male. It is an example of naturalism by
showing how Georgette views her true self to be. She feels as if she is the incorrect gender meant
to be female.
In possibly the books most controversial chapter, Tralala the main character Tralala
since the age of 15 has been screwing around with guys with the notion that it is better than
having a real job. Tralala doesnt seem to have any support from her family from the conclusion
she sleeps with a man each night and no evidence of going home. The author is using naturalism
to give an example of how one individual can fall into her position narrating the process by
which conditions in mid-century New York make Tralalas fate common among others. Selby
says Tralala doesnt have the ability to control her life even when given the opportunity to bring
some stability in her life. It isnt because she doesnt want to but more because it is determined
for her to continue living the lifestyle she lives in. When Harry, an Army officer she intended to
rob his richest from, came into her life asking her to come live with him, Tralalas greed was her
downfall. An example is She ripped the envelope apart and turned the letter over. Not a centif
you do feel as I hope you do im writing my address at the bottom. (Selby 104) Her actions were
apathetic. She didnt have any control to realize someone remotely could have loved her. Instead
of processing the idea of moving in with Harry, her mind focused on money. Harry had bought
Tralala some sweaters and dresses as a symbol of compassion. The underlying meaning behind

Brito 6

the clothes Harry bought Tralala, was that she only had a couple changes of clothes in which she
continued to wear over the years even when they turned old and worn out. Tralala didnt have
parents and if she did have parents, they may have had an influence on her life to give her
structure. The biblical allusion incorporated in Tralala is Song of Solomon 3: 2,3. It is about a
woman roaming the streets looking for her soulmate but didnt find one and continues to ask
everyone around her if they have seen her soulmate. Tralala isnt looking for her soulmate but for
somebody to awaken her inside - not just physically but spiritually. The feeling of having money
will give her desires of feeling important for once since money is a symbol of wealth and
position is an example of naturalism because a greedy person will never be satisfied. It is the
reason why she sought men who had money and a great position Tralala believed money would
bring her happiness. Nevertheless, when given the opportunity to live with the officer, she was
not fulfilled. On the contrary the short story could be a mere example of Satire. The ending of the
story ended in a scene where 40-50 guys screwed her in one single night, Tralala lying naked
covered with blood urine and semen and a small blot forming on the seat between her legs as
blood seeped (Selby 114) The hyperbole in the death scene can be seen fictional. A large
crowd of 40-50 would be noticeable how is it no one cared to put a stop to it. The satire supports
the depiction of naturalism by criticizing the actions of society not putting a stop to an explicit
scene where children were witnesses.
Ultimately, Hubert Selby Jr Last Exit to Brooklynchoose to underline or italize is
written in a naturalistic point of view to mirror how life is for those unfortunate. They never will
have control because of the lack of power, exploitation of drugs, sex, violence, and outside forces
dont allow them to break the cycle. They lack vision and look for outside forces to make a
change. Naturalism is the ability to depict the real world and real actions of people for what they

Brito 7

are. It is set in stone for these individuals to be the way they are because they were unfortunate to
be raised into an era where breaking away from a cycle is impossible to do.

Brito 8

Works Cited
"Bible Interpretation." Unity. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2016. <http://www.unity.org/resources/bibleinterpretation>.
Giles. "The Game of Mum as Theme and Narrative Technique in Hubert Selbys Last Exit to
Brooklyn." The Naturalistic Inner-City Novel in America. Print.
Hicks, Heather J., and James R. Giles. "The Naturalistic Inner-City Novel in America:
Encounters with the Fat Man." American Literature 68.3 (1996): 648. Web.
Katz, Joseph, and Donald Pizer. "Twentieth-Century American Literary Naturalism: An
Introduction." American Literature 56.2 (1984): 285. Web.
"Naturalism - Examples and Definition of Naturalism." Literary Devices. 2015. Web. 31 Jan.
2016.
Selby, Hubert. Last Exit to Brooklyn. NY, NY: Grove, 1964. Print.
Smith, Eliot Fremont. "Beyond Revulsion." The New York Times, (8 Nov. 1964). Web.
<file:///C:/Users/Downloads/Last_Exit_NYT_Review_1964 (2).pdf>.
*Work cited isnt properly cited