Full Play Summary of The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill
Learn Further ▾ Background Plot Summary Themes Quotes Character Analysis Symbolism Motifs Q&As As Modern Tragedy As Expressionist Play As Social Satire Alienation & identity Scene One: The firemen, workers who shovel coal into the engine of a Transatlantic Ocean Liner, are gathered in the forecastle of the ship. They are drinking and joking an hour out of New York City with seven more days aboard. The men are burly and muscular. Yank, the fiercest among them, sits quietly in the foreground. Whenever Yank speaks, the men immediately hush. Yank asks for a beer and the men promptly give him one. As they drink, Yank maintains control as the leader of the group. They joke about thinking, with Yank repeatedly telling them to be quiet because he is trying to "tink." The men mockingly echo him, then erupt into a chorus of "Drink, don't think!" A drunken tenor sings about his lass at home, which infuriates Yank. He orders the tenor to be quiet. Long, quite drunk, makes a Mar…