The Hairy Ape (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Eugene O’Neill
- First Published: 1922
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Expressionism
- Time of Work: The 1900’s
- Setting: At sea and on land
- Genres: Drama, Expressionist literature
- Subjects: Twentieth century, Alienation, Class consciousness, Human race, Lower classes, Ships, Isolation
- Locales: New York, NY, Oceans
Characters Discussed
Robert Smith, known as Yank, the chief coal stoker on a ship bound for Europe. A Neanderthal type with a strong back and hairy, powerful arms, Yank is a man of apparent personal confidence who sees himself as doing the real work of the world, in contrast with the ineffectual, wealthy tourists who travel above deck in first class. He is an honest laborer, proud of his vitality and usefulness in the world of industry, sure that he “belongs” in a way the idle rich never could. His pride is crushed, however, when Mildred Douglas, an empty-headed society...
[The entire page is 818 words long]
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