ðə lˈʊɹ ʌvðə lˈoʊlˈaɪf fɔːɹ ðoʊz ɪn ɪstˈæblɪʃt sˈoʊʃəl stɹˈɑːɾə hˈæzbiːn ɐ pəɹˈɛnɪəl fˈiːtʃɚɹ ʌv wˈɛstɚn hˈɪstɚɹi: ɪt kæn biː tɹˈeɪst fɹʌmðə nəɹˈoʊniən ɚɹˈɪstəkɹˌæt dᵻskɹˈaɪbd baɪ dʒˈuːviːnəl æz ˈoʊnli æt hˈoʊm ɪn stˈeɪbəlz ænd tˈævɚnz"juːl fˈaɪnd hˌɪm nˌɪɹ ɐ ɡˈæŋstɚ, tʃˈiːk baɪ dʒˈaʊl, mˈɪŋɡəlɪŋ wɪð lˈæskɑːɹz, θˈiːvz ænd kˈɑːnvɪkts ɔnðə ɹˈʌn"θɹuː ðɪ ᵻlˈɪzɐbˌɛθən ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn kənˈaɪkˈætʃɪŋ, ˌʌp tə wˈɪljəm bˈɜːɹoʊz əbsˈɛʃən wɪððə hˈoʊboʊ, bˈʌm, ɔːɹ ˈɜːbən ˈaʊtlɔː, ænd θɹuː tə ðɪ ˈæntaɪhˈiəɹoʊz ʌv sˈaɪbɚpˌʌŋk.
The lure of the low-life for those in established social strata has been a perennial feature of western history: it can be traced from the Neronian aristocrat described by Juvenal as only at home in stables and taverns–"you'll find him near a gangster, cheek by jowl, mingling with lascars, thieves and convicts on the run"–through the Elizabethan interest in cony-catching, up to William Burroughs' obsession with the hobo, bum, or urban outlaw, and through to the anti-heroes of Cyberpunk.