Fifth Avenue People from the church avoid him He shouts he pushes but they reject him This proves the gap between the rich and the poor The theme of class division is very strong Industrialization and Dehumanization Another theme is industrialization The ship s stokehole is full of coal smoke and heat Paddy remembers old sailing days when ships moved with the wind He says there was freedom Now everything is machine and iron Yank proudly cries I m part of de engines He feels like the ship s power But soon he learns the truth Industrial society uses workers only as tools In the prison Yank tries to bend the iron bars He looks like an animal in a cage This shows machines make men less human The play proves that the industry dehumanizes workers Identity Crisis and Alienation The play is also about identity Yank begins with pride He feels he belongs to the ship But Mildred s insult makes him doubt He tries to find his place But he fails in every scene The I W W workers reject him A policeman ignores him Yank Say where do I go from here Policeman Go to hell Finally in the Zoo he thinks the gorilla is his brother He dies in its arms This shows total alienation He belongs nowhere not to the rich not to the poor not even to himself Existentialism and the Search for Meaning Another theme is existentialism Yank keeps asking questions In the beginning he feels certain But after Mildred s words he is lost His pride breaks He wants meaning But every place rejects him At last in the gorilla s cage he cries Christ where do I get off at Where do I fit in This is a cry of existential pain He cannot find purpose His strength is wasted His death shows the emptiness of life O Neill asks the big question of modern tragedy what is man s true place Illusion of Power A final theme is the illusion of power At first Yank looks like a leader Other firemen fear him He feels like the master of the ship He says I m de end I m de start I start somep n and de woild moves But this power is false When he goes to the city he is powerless The police handcuffed him The I W W throws him out Even the gorilla destroys him The man who felt like the engine of the world ends as a broken body in a cage The play shows that strength without wisdom leads only to defeat The Hairy Ape is full of powerful themes It shows class conflict between workers and rich people like Mildred It shows how industry makes men less human It shows alienation loss of identity and the search for meaning Yank meets Paddy Long Mildred the police the I W W and finally the gorilla Every step proves a theme of modern life Eugene O Neill makes the play a tragic mirror of society and a warning for mankind