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WHAT IS IRONY?
The use of words, with humorous or satirical intention, so that the meaning is the direct opposite of what is actually stated. Irony implies also the simulated adoption of another’s point of view for the purpose of ridicule and sarcasm.
TYPES OF IRONIES
There are many types of ironies used in the field of drama. They are: (i) Verbal or ‘rhetorical’ irony occurs when a statement is made that is obviously contradicted by the tone of voice or the context, (ii) ‘Dramatic irony’ is based on the audience’s awareness of factors affecting a character that the character is unaware of. (iii) ‘Tragic irony’ is dramatic irony involving a factor in the tragic fate of the protagonist, (iv) ‘Situational Irony’ or ‘Irony of Situation’ occurs when expectations aroused by a situation are reversed, (v) ‘Comic Irony’ or ‘Irony of Fate’ is tragic irony in which the catastrophe is the result of the irony of chance, fate, or God.
IRONY IN THE HAIRY APE
In The Hany Ape irony is used as a strategy and a principle of structure. It is an indispensable part of the play and helps in producing the desired dramatic effects. Irony is used as an organic dramatic frame-work in The Hairy Ape.
TITLE
O’Neill has subtitled the grim tragedy of Yank as “A comedy of Ancient and Modem Man”. Clearly, the subtitle brings down level of the tragedy to the level of a comedy in this play. This shows the ironical nature of the subtitle. O’Neill calls the play a comedy which exclusively deals with the tragedy of Yank’s life.
There is also the use of irony in the phrase “Of Ancient and Modern Man”. There is a striking resemblance between the ancient gorilla and the Modern Man. Yank behaves like an animal and is dehumanized beyond limits. It points to the continuity of the qualities of the human nature. The last scene depicting the real ape not only stresses the basic identity of man and animal but also the vital animal like qualities of modem man.
VERBAL OR RHETORIC IRONY
Verbal or rhetorical ironies are integral part of the structure of The Hairy Ape. They significantly sustain the interest of the readers in the action of the play. They are also the potential source of fun and humor in it.
ALL PERVASIVE IRONY
Irony is all-pervasive in the entire structure of The Hairy Ape. In the first three scenes Yank's intense sense of belonging, his energy and contentment in the stokehole of the ship is first contrasted with the lifeless bars and bunks, and later with his rootless stokers, Paddy and Long. They are dehumanized in this smoke-filled poisonous and suffocating atmosphere.
VERBAL OR RHETORICAL IRONY
‘Verbal’ or ‘rhetorical’ irony occurs when a statement is made that is obviously contradicted by the tone of voice or the context. The Hairy Ape is lull of verbal or rhetorical! ironies to lighter the tragic tone of the play. Mildred’s Aunt calls her (Mildred’s) ‘groping sincerity’ a pose to doubt her social service credentials. She knows she cannot be sincere to anybody for serving her selfish interests. She repeatedly calls her a ‘poser’ who befools others by hiding her deceptive nature. Mildred mockingly calls her Aunt a ‘cold pork pudding’ to defame and humiliate her. The voices burst into laughter to hear that an uneducated stoker like wants to ‘tink’ (think) before seeking revenge on Mildred for calling him a ‘filthy beast’.
IRONIC CHARACTERS’ CONTRASTS
Paddy is all rooted in the past and is never tired of glorifying it. He hates the present for its hostile attitude towards the petty stokers. He praises the past in which there was a harmonious relation between Nature, man and civilization. He blames the modem capitalists for destabilizing the life of the sailors and disturbing the traditional harmony for serving their selfish ends. Ironically, the loss of harmony makes him observe no significant difference between man and caged apes. Long, on the other hand, emerges as the persistent critic of the damned capitalist class. He is vehemently opposed to the present economic system. Unlike Paddy or Long, Yank belongs to the present and is never nostalgically linked with the past. He considers ship to be his home and is totally identified with it. He thinks he makes the ship move and is an indispensable part of it. Ironically his sense of belongingness suffers a severe jolt when Mildred calls him a hairy ape on landing in the stokehole.
IRONIC SETTINGS’ CONTRASTS
The contrast between the life of the stokehole and the outside world is quite ironic.
LIFE IN THE STOKEHOLE
The life in the stokehole is filled with impenetrable darkness. It is full of suffocation, sufferings and humiliations. It is like the life in a zoo in which the stokers are like caged animals and denied any sense of freedom and individuality.
LIFE ON THE DECK
Unlike the life of the stokehole, the life on the deck is very easy-going and relaxed. The atmosphere is very sunny and luxurious. The deck is tastefully decorated for the entertainment of the rich classes. The life on the deck is very showy, artificial and humorous. Mildred and her Aunt are discovered reclining in deck chair. Mildred is full of disdainful superiority and her Aunt is pompous and proud.
IRONY IN YANK’S EFFORTS TO ACT LIKE A MAN
Yank, the hairy ape, tries to behave like a man and wishes to be treated like him. His statement that he wants to think like a man is quite ironical. Further his posture of Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’ is equally very funny and ironical. This results into Yank’s crisis and his failure to belong.
STARTING OF YANK’S CRISIS OF IDENTITY
In Scene III, Yank’s feeling of belongingness suffers a severe jolt in his first encounter with Mildred Douglas. Mildred instantly covers her eyes with her hands to avoid being observed by Yank’s gorilla-like face. He is stunned by her rude and insulting behavior. He is hurt beyond limits on being called a “filthy beast” by Mildred. Yank feels himself insulted in some unknown fashion in the very heart of his pride. He roars and hurls his shovel after Mildred, who is being carried away by the Engineers, but it narrowly misses her. The irony of the situation becomes very poignant. Yank realizes that he has fallen in love with her at the unconscious level. He cried “Love? Hell, I’ve fallen in hate”, unaware of interchangeable nature of love and hate. It is this situation which makes Yank realizes his feeling of indispensability is misplaced and he does not belong to the ship. It is dramatic irony which shows that the readers are not unaware of Yank’s pitiable condition in his work-place.
USE OF IRONY IN THE FIFTH AVENUE SCENE
The Fifth Avenue is a prohibited area for the proletariats (poor workers). Yank is obsessed with the exclusive idea of murdering all the white colored capitalists. Long informs him that all have gone to attend the Sunday church-services. Yank is totally disillusioned by religion or God. He left his home and first worked as a petty worker in market and then came to Brooklyn waterfront where he began his career as stoker. Long’s remark that they are born to serve their masters provoked Yank beyond limits. He tells Long that he is fed with the gaudiness of Fifth Avenue. Long further provokes Yank by saying that he should think of taking revenge not only on Mildred but the capitalists’ class as a whole. Long shows Yank posh storefronts prominently displaying expensive merchandise; he wants Yank to understand Mildred’s insult as a condition of the class structure. “I wants to awaken yer bloody clarss consciousness,” says Long. “Then yer’ll see its “er clarss yer’ve got to fight, not ‘er alone”.
The conflict between the rich and the poor is ironically presented in the Fifth Avenue. The place is exclusively meant for the rich people. There is a clear-cut line of demarcation between the privileged and the under-privileged classes in this scene. The proletarians are strictly prohibited from walking on the grass. Long reminds Yank that it is not a personal fight between him and Mildred but the poor workers and the rich employers. Ironically, the rich can afford to pay high prices for monkey but do not care for the real monkey. The rich church-goers are dressed in Prince Alberts, high hats, pants and the women are “rouged, calcimines, dyed, over-dressed to the nth degree”. He further tells Yank that it is not the physical force but the economic strength that matters in the industrial age. Therefore, the poor workers can not dictate terms to the capitalists for leading a dignified life. They should not forget that mere physical force defeats itself in this all-powerful capitalistic set-up. Yank is arrested for disturbing peace and obstructing a fat high-hated gentleman who is running to board a bus. He is sent to jail for taking law in his hand for taking revenge on Mildred. He is totally ignored by the people coming from the church and who have no time even to look at the real insignificant hairy ape. He is made to realize that he has no place in the industrial set-up. This is the symbolic representation of the irony of situation. Yank is made to realize his insignificance in the capitalistic society.
IRONY IN THE ZOO SCENE
In the sixth scene, the chorus comprises of Yank’s fellow prisoners lodged in the prison. They have no separate identities but behave as a group. O’Neill uses them for ironical purposes only. The voices of the prisoners are expressionistically presented in this scene. They mockingly inform him that he is in a steel cage where hairy apes like him are kept. They warn him not to call them hairy apes otherwise he will be severely beaten by them. They conclude that Yank is on the verge of madness and they should not mind his words.
IRONY IN SCENE SEVEN
Yank’s finally realizes that he has no place in the industrial set-up. He has lost his authority and his illusion of being indispensable is all shattered. He frankly admits: “Steel was me, and I owned de world. Now I ain’t steel, and de world owns me”. He has finally discovered the ground reality and his insignificance in the machine age. This is again a case of irony of situation in which he realizes that he is not all in all in the industrial set-up and has no place in it.
IRONY IN SCENE VII
Yank’s dream of belongingness reaches its climax in Scene VII of The Hairy Ape. Facing the gigantic gorilla, Yank discovers a close affinity between himself and the animal. He feels at home in this set-up. In his effort to establish rapport with the gorilla, Yank is crushed to death by the animal. In his death, the dramatist observes “Perhaps, the Hairy Ape at last belongs”. The last scene is the terminus of a journey into self. This is the classic case of tragic irony in which Yank’s delusions finally lead to his destruction and death.
CONCLUSION
The entire structure of The Hairy Ape is full of ironic devices. Irony is used as a strategy and a principle of structure. It is an indispensable part of the play and helps in producing the desired dramatic effects. O’Neill calls the play a comedy which exclusively deals with the tragedy of Yank’s life. There is also the use of irony in the phrase “Of Ancient and Modem Man”. Verbal or rhetoric ironies are integral part of the structure of The Hairy Ape. They significantly sustain the interest of the readers in the action of the play. They are also the potential source of fun and humor in it. Irony is all-pervasive in the entire structure of The Hairy Ape. Almost all types of ironies-verbal, situational, dramatic, comic and tragic-are artistically utilized to avoid any kind of looseness in providing a tentative structure to this play.