A study of Emile Durkheim's concept of anomie in Hubert Selby's novel requiem for a dream

Abstract

Emile Durkheim introduced the concept of anomie in the field of sociology for the first time. According to Durkheim anomie is equal with normlessness or detachment from social standards and values in society. Hubert Selby in his novel Requiem for a Dream depicts the theme of addiction which influences the life of four characters as a demonstration of the results of keeping distance from the norms. This paper intends to examine the relationship between anomic situation with disintegration and fall of idealism in Selby's novel from Durkheim's point of view.