Scene 8 Summary

The final scene of the play takes place at the Zoo, where the metaphorical steel cages are again real. Also real is the "hairy ape," a gorilla imprisoned in a cage here. As Yank has done earlier, the gorilla sits in the attitude of "The Thinker," continuing the visual parallel between Yank and apes.

When Yank appears, he is met with a chorus of shouts. In this scene, though, the shouts are from monkeys (as opposed to the shouts of men he encountered earlier in the ship and in the prison).

Yank goes to the gorilla cage and looks at the gorilla closely. He comments on the gorilla's huge musculature and hands, and evident physical power. The gorilla, as if he has heard and understood, stands and pounds on his chest with what looks like pride. Yank sees this as being the same...