In Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape, the character Yank is used to represent the repression of the human spirit and the degradation of the working class. Throughout the play, Yank's sense of belonging defines both his character and his state of mind. Yank seems to describe power as belonging, and although he claims to belong to many groups it is due to his own lack of intelligence that he inevitably finds himself isolated and powerless once again. Although powerless, Yank usually acts violently against his surroundings in an attempt to prove himself. In this constant cycle we see the tragedy of Yank's character and what he represents; he cannot belong because he is not intelligent, and he is unintelligent because he belongs to the working class and therefore is not part of it. In this way O'Neill manages to criticize the inescapable and oppressive nature of the American social hierarchy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The opening of The Hairy Ape is the only instance where Yank has a sense of belonging. However, he ignores the fact that through this sense of belonging as a firefighter he is constrained both physically and figuratively. Not only is Yank literally cramped under the most exclusive passenger decks, but his work resembles a machine more than a man. Yank even seems proud to admit that he is "smoke, express trains, steamers, and factory whistles" (O'Neill 1057). Yet at the same time, Yank dismisses the idea of ​​belonging to a clipper ship as the equivalent of death. Although the clipper is presented as representing an organic community that emphasizes teamwork and human relationships, Yank takes comfort in the fact that the Ocean Liner would not move without him, implying his role as a cog in the machine of the ship and company itself. Like a cog in a machine, Yank is unable to escape his position in society. It is only through Mildred's appearance that Yank seems to realize everything he is not. Seeing an individual at a higher social level than himself, Yank finally realizes that there is more to life than the oppressive lower decks of his ship. Yet even then Yank is unable to rationalize his anger towards Mildred, as he assumes the position of Rodin's "Thinker" but remains incapable of thinking rationally. After his sense of belonging was tested, he was left powerless to reflect and act on the situation. Yank ultimately decided to leave the ship and his sense of belonging not because it oppressed him, but to seek out and challenge Mildred and her threat to the ship. her power that she represented. While on 5th Avenue, Yank becomes increasingly aware of his class as he realizes how different he is from those around him. As his sense of belonging diminishes, Yank attempts to assert his power over the residents of 5th Avenue. “I belong, that's me! See that building he's building up there? See the steel work? Steel, it's me! You guys live there and think you're somebody. But I'm here too, see!" (1074). However, Yank's sense of belonging is shattered when the upper-class citizens choose to ignore his rants and even his physical presence altogether, classifying him instead as a other unintelligent commoner. Ironically, their emotionless reaction is reminiscent of a machine, just as Yank was aboard the Ocean Liner. This serves O'Neill's purpose in criticizing the social standard of the time; there is reason for the implementation of separate social classes After taking.