JOURNAL ARTICLE

"It Takes a Man to Work in Hell": The Hairy Ape and The Self-Destructive Paradox of White Working-Class Masculinity.

  • Published In: Modernism/Modernity, 2024, v. 31, n. 1. P. 129 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Cook, Jesse 3 of 3

Abstract

Adding to scholarship that addresses Eugene O'Neill's expressionist play, The Hairy Ape (1922), as an exposition of class inequality, labor exploitation, and masculine identity, I examine the critique inherent in Yank's articulation of white working-class masculinity. More than a mere victim of these systems, I argue that Yank also upholds and ennobles the drudgery of industrial capitalism as a means of reclaiming labor authority as a superior white worker. The play articulates how working-class pride in the hardships of work reinforces and valorizes systemic problems that perpetuate such dangerous and oppressive working conditions while simultaneously foreclosing opportunities for labor solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Modernism/Modernity. 2024/01, Vol. 31, Issue 1, p129
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1071-6068
  • DOI:10.1353/mod.2024.a935448
  • Accession Number:179343074
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Modernism/Modernity is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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