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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Scene One
Explanation and Analysis—The Masses:
Throughout the text, there is a background fixation on representing certain groups of people as a large, uniform, and indistinguishable mass. Aside from Yank, Paddy, and Long, the working men are not singled out from the crowd, simply speaking as one set of uniform "voices," all with the same tone. This manifestation of the motif, in particular, calls on a common fear of upper-class eugenicists at the turn of the 20th century: the increased proliferation of a "degenerate" working class that would eventually "pollute" the genetic "stock" of an entire country's population. Needless to say, this was a problematic and bigoted view.
In the following passage from Scene 1, the working men all chant together, quite literally unthinkingly:
Drink, don’t think! Drink, don’t think! Drink, don’t think! [A whole chorus of voices has taken up this refrain, stamping on the floor, pounding on the benches with fists]
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Eugenics:
O'Neill's writing often plays with the motif of eugenic science and the related concept of "breeding" people for their desirable social or physical traits. This outdated and problematic scientific idea makes its way into both the dialogue and scene direction in The Hairy Ape, as in the following excerpt from the beginning of Scene 1:
Unlock with LitCharts A+All the civilized white races are represented, but except for the slight differentiation in color of hair, skin, eyes, all these men are alike.
Explanation and Analysis—Bestial Men:
The Hairy Ape—as might be assumed by its title—has much to say regarding the relationship between human and animal. In particular, monkeys, apes, and pigs are used throughout the text as motif to solidify the connection between a particular "type" of man and the more "animalistic" qualities of humanity.
In Scene 1, the "voices"—which represent the men working on the freighter—call out, addressing a man named "Jenkins":
Unlock with LitCharts A+Jenkins—the First—he’s a rotten swine—
Scene Two
Explanation and Analysis—Eugenics:
O'Neill's writing often plays with the motif of eugenic science and the related concept of "breeding" people for their desirable social or physical traits. This outdated and problematic scientific idea makes its way into both the dialogue and scene direction in The Hairy Ape, as in the following excerpt from the beginning of Scene 1:
Unlock with LitCharts A+All the civilized white races are represented, but except for the slight differentiation in color of hair, skin, eyes, all these men are alike.
Scene Five
Explanation and Analysis—Infrastructure and Class:
Throughout The Hairy Ape, physical infrastructure (like the ship itself or the buildings in New York City) replicates the structure of socioeconomic class, with wealthier people being physically as well as financially "above" and separate from the working class. In the following excerpt from the beginning of Scene 5, O'Neill describes these physical barriers in concrete terms in a stage note, describing a tantalizing shop window in New York City:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Here the adornments of extreme wealth are tantalizingly displayed. The jeweler’s window is gaudy with glittering diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, etc., fashioned in ornate tiaras, crowns, necklaces, collars, etc. The general effect is of a background of magnificence cheapened and made grotesque by commercialism, a background in tawdry disharmony with the clear light and sunshine on the street itself.
Related Themes:
