Describe the Class Conflict in “The Hairy Ape.”

Answer

Describe the class conflicts in “The Hairy Ape.” [NU: 2018, 20]

Eugene O’Neill’s (1888-1953) “The Hairy Ape” (1922) is an expressionist play. It shows the conflict between the rich and the poor. The working men live in the stokehole. They sweat, burn, and feed the engines. The rich live in light and luxury. Yank, the stoker, meets Mildred Douglas, her aunt, the Fifth Avenue crowd, and the I.W.W. office. His tragedy comes from class conflict.

The Stokehole- The Working Class: In the firemen’s forecastle, the men drink and sing. They are dirty and half-naked. Paddy remembers the old sailing days. Long speaks of socialism. But Yank laughs at them. He says proudly, 

“I’m part of de engines!” 

He believes the working class runs the ship and the world. Here we see the pride of the labor class. Yet, the dirty room, the sweat, and the animal-like life show how far the workers are from the rich. The stage already sets the class conflict.

Mildred Douglas- The Rich/Upper Class: Scene Two and Scene Three show the real clash. Mildred Douglas is the daughter of a steel magnate. She wears a white dress. She wants to see poor workers. But when she sees Yank in the stokehole, she cries, 

“Oh, the filthy beast!” 

Then she faints. This insult breaks Yank’s pride. It shows the rich class hates the poor. Mildred’s aunt also speaks against mixing with the poor. The white dress of Mildred is the symbol of luxury. The black soot on Yank is the symbol of labor. This is the heart of the class conflict.

Fifth Avenue- Rich and Poor Face to Face: In Scene Five, Yank goes to Fifth Avenue, New York. He sees rich men and women coming out of church. They are clean, polished, and silent. Yank is dirty, loud, and angry. Long speaks of politics. But Yank only wants revenge. He shouts at them. He even punches a gentleman. The rich are shocked. Soon, the police arrest