Farrell, << FAIR uhl, >> James T. (1904-1979), was an American writer best known for his novels about lower middle-class life in a decaying neighborhood of a large city. Farrell followed the theory of naturalism in his early works, believing that people are influenced overwhelmingly by their environment (see Naturalism). Farrell’s best-known work is the Studs Lonigan trilogy which consists of Young Lonigan (1932), The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan (1934), and Judgment Day (1935). These controversial novels are written largely in the language of Lonigan, the title character, a young tough. They explore the impact of urban industrial life on a boy growing up in a poor Chicago neighborhood.
James Thomas Farrell was born in Chicago on Feb. 27, 1904, and raised there. Following the Lonigan series, he wrote five novels featuring Danny O’Neill, a stronger and more sensitive hero than Lonigan. The O’Neill stories show Farrell’s newly found faith in the ability of people to deal with their circumstances. He died on Aug. 22, 1979.
