The Hairy Ape Flashcards
(16 cards)
Author and date
Eugene O’Neill 1922
Yank
The play’s protagonist. Yank works as a Fireman on a Transatlantic Ocean Liner. The play follows his quest to find a sense of belonging in modern, industrial society. Yank, whose real name is Bob Smith, was born in New York City and was brought up in a lower class family. Yank is a burly, sometimes menacing figure who has difficulty with thought. He is known to take the physical position of Rodin’s “The Thinker” when processing information or dealing with a problem.
Mildred Douglas
The frail, impetuous twenty-year-old daughter of the owner of Nazareth Steel. Mildred has enjoyed the advantage of all of life’s monetary privileges and has no real knowledge of work or hardship. In an attempt to understand the poorer classes she does service project and studied sociology in college. Mildred’s reaction to Yank causes his class awareness.
Paddy
An old and wise Irishman who works with Yank as a fireman aboard the Ocean Liner. Paddy, known for drunkenness, thinks the firemen are forced to do slave labor. Paddy reminisces about his days working on a Clipper ship where men were free.
Mildred’s Aunt
A stuffy, fat, middle-aged aristocratic woman who is intensely critical of Mildred’s involvement in social work. Mildred’s Aunt has no taste for “deformity” and thinks Mildred makes the poor only feel poorer with her presence.
Long
A fireman aboard the Ocean Liner who preaches Marxism. Long takes Yank to New York City to prove to Yank that all members of the upper class are the same.
The Secretary
Works at the I.W.W. office in New York City. He comes to believe that Yank works for the government and throws him out on the street.
Gentleman
A member of the upper class. He calls the police because Yank causes him to miss a bus.
Second Engineer
Escorts Mildred Douglas into the stokehole of the Ocean Liner. The Second Engineer warns Mildred that her white dress be ruined, but she ignores him.
The Guard
Works at the prison where Yank is held after causing the Gentleman to miss his bus. The Guard shoots water at Yank when he bends the bars of his cell back.
Theme: Human Regression by Industrialization
The play critiques how industrialization dehumanizes workers, reducing them to machine-like laborers with no individuality or intellect. The firemen, especially Yank, are depicted as Neanderthal-like, symbolizing a regression in human evolution. As work becomes more mechanical, so do the workers—O’Neill shows how physical labor under modern industry leads to spiritual and mental decline. Yank’s journey—from a proud stoker to a man caged with an actual ape—symbolizes this regression fully.
Theme: The Frustration of Class
The Hairy Ape explores how rigid class structures trap both the working class and the wealthy. Mildred, though wealthy, feels hollow and disconnected from real experience, while Yank feels brutalized and excluded by society. Both characters express dissatisfaction with their place in the class system. The play reveals how class defines identity, opportunity, and belonging—creating frustration, alienation, and ultimately, powerlessness.
Motif: Belonging
Belonging is a central motif tied to identity, power, and self-worth. Yank believes that those who are useful—like the firemen—”belong,” while the upper class are just “baggage.” After Mildred recoils from him, Yank is cast into a crisis, seeking a place where he belongs in a world that rejects him. His tragic journey ends at the zoo, where he finds kinship only with an ape, emphasizing his total alienation.
Motif: Thought
Thought becomes a painful and alien concept for Yank after his encounter with Mildred. Initially, he mocks thinking as useless, but later he tries desperately to “tink” his way through his confusion and humiliation. His physical strength is no longer enough—he now needs mental clarity to face a society that no longer makes sense. His inability to think deeply underscores his regression and helplessness in a world built on intellect and class privilege.
Symbol: Rodin’s The Thinker
Yank’s imitation of The Thinker symbolizes his struggle with thought and identity. Though he strikes the pose of a thinker, he cannot process or articulate his confusion after being rejected by society. Each time he takes this pose, it marks a moment where physical strength fails him and mental clarity is needed—but remains out of reach. The ape later mimicking this pose deepens the irony, suggesting Yank’s regression to an instinctual, animal state.
Symbol: Apes
Apes symbolize primitive humanity, free from the complexities of class, industry, and intellectual life. Yank is constantly associated with apes—by himself, others, and even the media—suggesting his dehumanization and evolutionary regression. The real ape in Scene Eight mirrors Yank’s condition: isolated, confused, and reduced to mere survival. In the end, the ape becomes Yank’s only “equal,” underlining his complete alienation from human society.
