The Hairy Ape is a 1922 expressionist play by American playwright Eugene O'Neill.It is about a beastly, unthinking laborer known as Yank, the protagonist of the play, as he searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the rich. The Hairy Ape Summary. Romeo stands in the shadows beneath Juliet's bedroom window. Willy's confidence is the result of Linda's encouragement during Scene 1 and Biff's appointment with Oliver. It's an exploration of society and how it treats those they see as uncivilized. They replay and rehash the Mildred scene and mock Yank, the "filthy beast." MILDRED DOUGLAS and her aunt are discovered reclining in deck chairs. This lesson is a summary of Eugene O'Neill's 'The Hairy Ape'. She despairs over the feud between the two families and the problems the feud presents. The final scene of the play takes place at the Zoo, where the metaphorical steel cages are again real. SCENE—Two days out.A section of the promenade deck. Paddy tells Yank Mildred looked at him like he was a big "hairy ape." We see for the first time the direct conditions of the firemen in the stokehole: stripped to the waist, they labor strenuously to feed the furnace with coal in an atmosphere full of menacing shadow and light. Buy Study Guide. Buy Study Guide. Tone and Tighten Recommended for you About The Hairy Ape The Hairy Ape Summary Willy's world begins crashing down around him during Scene 2. The sailors from the first scene shovel coal into the engines in a distinct, even rhythm. Summary Scene Three. The Hairy Ape study guide contains a biography of Eugene O'Neill, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. See a complete list of the characters in The Hairy Ape and in-depth analyses of Yank, Mildred Douglas, and Paddy. Complete summary of Eugene O’Neill's The Hairy Ape. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Hairy Ape and what it means. The Hairy Ape opens in the overheated stokehold of a steamer, ocean-bound from New York. The play opens in a ship's forecastle, the quarters for the crew located in the forward part of the boat. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Summary Scene One. Infuriated, Yank lunges toward the door to find Mildred, but is restrained by the other Firemen. The treatment of this scene, or of any other scene in the play, should by no means be naturalistic. Complete summary of Eugene O’Neill's The Hairy Ape. The Hairy Ape tells the story of the fall of Yank, a proud and powerful stoker working aboard a steamship. Summary and Analysis Act II: Scene 2 Summary. Technical Elements Creative Team History Sources Summary The story of a 'Yank', who works as a fire stoker, trying to find where he belongs in society. A summary of Scenes Two–Three in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of The Hairy Ape. Willy does not like to deal with Howard because his boss fails to appreciate him; however, Willy is confident that Howard will accept his request to work in New York. At first Yank feels secure as he stokes the engines of an ocean liner, and is highly confident in his physical power over the ship's engines. A summary of Scene One in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. The lines of bunks, the uprights supporting them, cross each other: like the steel framework of a cage. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of The Hairy Ape. This scene is set on the deck of the ship, in the sunshine. The firemen of the large ocean-going ship are all happily drinking, although there is discernible tension, indicating that the men are capable of violence at a moment's notice.