The Hairy Ape has a wonderful and diverse group of characters. For instance, Mildred and her aunt, their dynamics are fascinating but what makes them even more interesting is their polar opposites they represent. Mildred is thin, dream oriented, young, and fragile. While her aunt is chunky, realistic, old, stout, and pretentious. Their interactions with each other present a insight to what is happening with the other crew members. These women from their social classes present the more humanistic aspect of people and society while the men who work on the boat represent the animalistic qualities that are often diminished or looked down upon by society. The dynamics of the crew is fascinating against Mildred and her aunt's personality but when compared to each other the men seem to be one in the same. They are all rough around the edges, drinking, and swearing.
Here are some questions to ponder:
1. What are your thoughts about Yank? Is he in love or is he in hate? Is there a fine line? Where in the text does it show he loves/hates her?
2. Analyze the relationship between Mildred and her Aunt. Is there a polar opposite in these two or is Mildred a younger version of her aunt? Will she become her aunt later in the story?
3. Language is a huge influence in these first couple scenes. Analyze what "cold pork pudding against a background of linoleum" truly means.
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