The Hairy Ape Analysis

In Eugene O’Neill’s story, The Hairy Ape introduces a number of characters such as Robert Smith (Yank), Paddy and Mildred Douglas who come from all walks of life but are all in figurative cages and sometimes literal ones. Some cages they choose to place ourselves in such as addiction, social status and need to sacrifice their freedom to get what they feel each one feels they need in life. While many feel these cages are the fault of others and there is no escape, the opposite is usually true. Yank, Paddy and Mildred each suffer different consequences from their social class cages. The emotional pain from feeling like they have not worth in society to feeling disconnected from the rest of the world, to living in hell and finding any way to cope
The men could see the sun, breathe fresh air and seemed to live to travel by stars at night. It is the ultimate sense of freedom for Paddy. Symbols that even in modern times represent hope, joy and freedom. The cages of living in the past and not moving forward and accepting the future can take a toll on anyone. Paddy could have worked on a fishing boat if he wanted to live this kind of lifestyle. But with times changing with the Industrial Revolution, the more efficient coal powered ships needed able bodies to shovel coal instead of talented seamen. “We’d be sailing out, bound down round the Horn maybe. We’d be making sail in the dawn, with a fair breeze, singing a chanty song wid no care to it” (O’Neill
When he talks, people listen and when he wants a beer someone passes it to him. This simple man that is forced to face that what he once loved and lived for wasn’t a thing of pride but really a physical cage and that he wasn’t a free man but a simple slave that didn’t know anything. His pride and anger are his cages which we get to see while he tries to find his place in life. In his rage and wounded pride he tries to find Mildred so he can get his revenge but only ends up behind bars caged for attacking a gentleman. Often when someone feels hurt or frustrated they often create an external way to manifest his in order to feel better and resolve the situation. This only led to punished for his anger. “She done me doit! She done me doit, didn’t she? I’ll git square wit her? Ill get her some way!”(O’Neill