The Hairy Ape (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Eugene O’Neill
- First Published: 1922
- Type of Work: Drama
- Type of Plot: Expressionism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: At sea and on land
- Principal Characters: Robert Smith (Yank), Paddy, Long, Mildred Douglas
- Genres: Drama, Expressionist literature
- Subjects: Twentieth century, Alienation, Class consciousness, Human race, Lower classes, Ships, Isolation
- Locales: New York, NY, Oceans
The Story:
Below the decks of an ocean liner one hour out from its New York port, the firemen who powered the ship by stoking coal drank, cursed, and sang, creating a defiant uproar like beasts in a cage. The strongest and most respected of the group was Robert Smith, known as Yank, who took pride in his strength and in the ability of the crew to produce the speed of the engines. They belonged; they were men; they were steel. Yank’s shipmate Paddy, a wizened old Irishman, yearned for the days of the graceful clipper ships that plowed the Atlantic silently, when men were in...
[The entire page is 2002 words long]
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