A special Reference to Pride, Identity and Belonging in Eugene O'Neill’s play “The Hairy Ape”

Abstract

The present article views O’Neill’s early play, The Hairy Ape , with a special reference to Pride , identity and the feeling of belonging. Eugene O’Neill, was an American author particularly, known for his plays. All his plays are based on social evils that were prevalent at that time in America. This play is based on the issue that how industrialization and technological progress effects worker. This paper also highlights the issue that how after the coming of machine human values are degraded and After this huge industrialization human being lost his feeling of identity belonging and pride. This study also touches the aspects that how yank lost his sense of belonging when he meets with Mildred Douglas who is the representative of the affluent section of society. This paper is also a study of rich v/s poor and apart from that it’s also illustrate the aspect that how capitalism system exploits individuals self. It is also based on the aspect of low wages and unemployment that is the common problem of today’s youth in 21th century. So, this play is representation of insane society of today. It’s only the society who gives man the sense of meaning of life. So, we can say that this word is class and community and everyone need this. Man’s identity in this universe is a question which needs a satisfactory answer. In The Hairy Ape O’Neil discusses the issues of man’s identity and pride and how this society is responsible for the alienation of a person. Yank is not only one representative of disrupted American Society but there are other so many yanks whose life is seems to them meaningless. So, we can say that this earth is place where rich people use poor people like machines.