Hubert Selby Jr.s fiction is often characterized by its somber and bleak depictions of tragic characters plagued by depression, social exclusion or hostile surroundings. Trying to understand Selbys work through these darker aspects alone, however, can result in rather limited perspectives on the texts, as there are also some more hopeful themes and aspects to be found in his work. The main goal of this work is to point out the more optimistic other side of Selbys work in order to contrast it with its darker half, so that a deeper understanding of his work may be revealed.

Lester George Hekking studied at the University of Amsterdam and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in English language and culture. The focus of his studies lie on modern American literature.