payment page
Study Tools
Overview
The Hairy Ape is a play by American playwright Eugene O’Neill that was first performed in 1922
. The play is a scathing critique of the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and capitalism. It tells the story of Yank, a brutish stoker on a transatlantic ocean liner, who feels alienated from both the upper-class passengers and the laborers in the ship’s engine room. After a chance encounter with Mildred, the daughter of a steel magnate, Yank becomes obsessed with the idea that he is not truly human and embarks on a quest to find his place in the world.Read the free full text, the full play summary, an in-depth character analysis of Yank, and explanations of important quotes in The Hairy Ape.
