"THE HAIRY APE" By EUGENE O'NEILL. Audiobook, full length
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Full-length audiobook for free | Classics collection / best-sellers and more. Full text, easy to read.
"The Hairy Ape" is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill, first premiered in 1922. The play is a expressionist work that explores the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and class stratification. The protagonist, Yank, is a brutish, lower-class laborer who works in the stokehole of a steamship. He is proud of his strength and believes in the importance of his role in powering the ship.
The story begins with Yank's confidence in his place in the world being shattered when Mildred Douglas, a wealthy young woman, visits the ship's engine room out of curiosity. Mildred is repulsed by Yank's appearance and refers to him as a "hairy ape." This insult deeply affects Yank and sparks a journey of self-discovery as he grapples with questions of identity, class, and his role in society.
Yank, feeling alienated and rejected, sets out to find where he belongs. His search leads him to various locations, including a labor union meeting and a high-society party, but he remains an outsider in both worlds. The play's expressionist style emphasizes Yank's internal turmoil and the dehumanizing impact of industrialization on the working class.
As Yank's frustration and alienation intensify, the play builds toward a tragic and symbolic climax. Yank eventually confronts a real ape in the zoo, and the encounter serves as a powerful metaphor for his own dehumanization. The play ends with Yank in a state of despair and isolation, highlighting the destructive consequences of social and economic inequality.
Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape" is a powerful critique of industrial society and the dehumanizing effects of class division. Through Yank's journey, O'Neill explores themes of identity, alienation, and the impact of societal forces on the individual. The play remains a significant work in American theater, known for its bold use of expressionist techniques and its poignant commentary on the human condition in the face of industrialization.
More: The Hairy Ape, Eugene O'Neill, Audiobook
Full length, Play, Drama
Modern drama, American drama, Social critique
Class struggle, Labor, Race
Immigration, Symbolism, Motifs
Character studies, Literary analysis, Critical interpretation
Theater, Performing arts, Cultural studies
American literature, Modern American literature
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