The Hairy Ape is one that contrasts human’s and animals and feeds on the building blocks of identity. The ideas of Super Ego, ID, and ego are evident and the main character deals with moral standards, reality, and primal instinct. He moves from human to animal, as in Once Upon A Time’s Little Red Riding Hood. In this story, Red is the wolf and her moral compass shifts from reason to primal instinct, as seen in the Hairy Ape.
We also experience a blend of fantasy and reality when Yank dies in a gorilla’s cage from an “ape” throwing him in the cage. This could be possible reality, or it could be a projection of self on to the animal ape scene at the zoo from earlier in the play. This is mirrored in the Little Red Riding Hood when a blurred line of reality and fantasy takes place when she morphs from human to wolf-or perhaps she, like Yank, projects her human self upon a wolf.
Comments
BENJAMIN DERONDE
ANGELIQUE JEFFREY
DEANDRE TAYLOR
Questions
Why use the ape as the animal of choice?
Is it because we are believed to have evolved from apes according to Darwinism?
What was the use of Mildred?
Stark Drama Tales 
I’m very late to the party here but I think that the use of the ape is perfect. Humans are genetically similar to apes, and I think O’Neill’s use of apes really shows the dehumanization of Yank and his men. It’s like so familiar yet so different with what we associate with human beings.
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