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heathergomez
heathergomez
Student
College - Sophomore

Who plays the role of Mildred's "foil" in "The Hairy Ape"?

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Posted by heathergomez on Wednesday September 3, 2008 at 2:16 AM and tagged with characters, foil, literary device, mildred, plot, the hairy ape.


Answers:

  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    Yank  is the perfect foil to Mildred:

    1. Gender: Mildred is the only female who confronts Yank: sc4.

    2. Physical description: Yank is like a neanderthal man, he is the 'hairy ape' of the play, he is strong and powerful and he is "in de pink!" sc1.  Mildred  is "slender, delicate and anemic" sc2.  Yank is always covered in coal dust, whereas "Mildred is dressed all in white." sc2.

    3. Social class: Mildred represents the rich capitalist class. Her father is the president of Nazreth Steel. Yank represents the proletariat.

    4. Personal belief: Mildred: I'm a waste product in the Bessemer  process...I inherit the acquired trait of the by-product, wealth, but none of the energy, none of the strength of the steel that made it. sc2. Yank: I'm steam and oil for de engines... And I'm what makes iron into steel!...And I'm steel-steel-steel! I'm de muscles in steel, de punch behind it! Sc1.

    5. Their opinions of one another: Mildred: Oh the filthy beast sc3. Yank: She's on'y baggage. sc4.

    5. Their roles: Yank is the second engineer who is responsible for keeping  the furnace of the steam ship burning. Mildred is flippantly interested in social service-"to discover how the other half lives." sc2.  In sc3, when she confronts Yank, he 'recognises' who he really is. She is the "natural born ghoul" sc2 who kindles the desire for revenge, "I'll fix her" sc4 which ends in tragedy for him.

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    Posted by lit24 on Wednesday September 3, 2008 at 7:43 AM

  2. debrafye
    debrafye Student

    who plays the role of mildred's "foil" in the hairy ape?

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    Posted by debrafye on Wednesday March 25, 2009 at 6:13 AM