A study on Yank's search for identity in O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape"

Since the language of literature is full of complexity, studying literature needs more comprehension to understand it. However, through literature we can enrich our life by taking advantage of the values derived from literary work. It is because literature is the reflection of human life and issues. Therefore, the objectives of studying literature is not only improving the students' vocabulary building and grammar, but also enlarging their humanistic world view by making them more sensitive to human values. Based on those facts, the writer is interested in analysing literature work in her study, that is drama. Drama differs from any other form of literature in that it requires a performance. The characters in drama therefore, are brought to life through everything they say and do. In drama, characters play a major role in a story since they are created to carry the action, language , ideas, and emotion of the play. In this study, the writer also intends to study character in O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape". Here, she will deal with the protagonist, Yank, who becomes her focus in studying his search for identity. In this play, Yank is described as a man who can not be accepted either by his human or animal society. Therefore, he attempts to search for his identity which finally becomes the cause of his tragis life. In analysing this play, the writer uses Bernard Berelson's Content Analysis. The writer also takes McMahan, Day, and Funk's procedure to study this play. Then, the technique of studying character, the writer takes Barnet, Berman and Burto's suggestion that studying character is not only analysing the figure in a literary work, but also the personality, that is the mental and moral qualities of a figure. After doing the analysis, the writer is of the opinion that "The Hairy Ape" presents a problem of modern man's existence in this world. The protagonist character tends to be round since he is fully developed and undergoes some changes in facing his problem. By studying O'Neill's drama, the writer also expects that the students will be able to understand the whole contents of a literary work and to develop their understanding of people's character