What is the theme in Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby?

Repressing one's feelings is the main theme in the book. Throughout the book, Selby suggests that if people like Vinnie are not reacting against the restrictions placed on them by society, they are letting society repress them. This is particularly evident in the character of Harry Black. Harry has conformed to society's expectations by marrying, having a child, and working a 9 to 5 job in a factory. On the outside, he is your typical blue-collar heterosexual man, yet he holds a secret. Harry is a repressed homosexual and this knowledge causes him great misery. He tries to hide it by becoming an important trade union member and for a while it while it works. Yet in the end, it is this position and during a lengthy strike that allows him to experience the New York gay scene. However, when he loses his power and goes to his normal routine, his misery returns twofold. It is in this mood that he sexually abuses a young boy.