Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
¶ … Play of Protest, a Play of American Identity: Tony Kushner's 1993 "Angels in America"
"Angels in America" by Tony Kushner is a kind of theatrical protest piece of the postmodern American age of fragmented identity. The construction of the play weaves different forms of modern American culture, such as Jewish assimilation, gay rights and religion, the anti-communism of the past era, and the Republican politics of the present, into a singular narrative. However, by doing so, it also suggests that, no matter how fragmented Americans may be by their politics, there is a cohesive humanity that unites America together, under the common guiding vision of the same angel. By blurring time and space over the course of the play's progression, the play creates connections between lonely and socially disconnected characters. In doing so, the play suggests that America is less segregated than the audience may be initially apt to think.
The suggestion that America is a seamless fabric of interrelated issues, rather than a patchwork of identities, is first suggested in the opening monologue of the rabbi, who is administering the funeral of an elderly Jewish woman. The rabbi speaks of the assimilation of the Jewish woman's children and the struggles of the woman's...
Although the rabbi rather cynically says that in the American melting pot nothing truly melts, the stories of the different characters do intersect, if only in dreams, during the course of the play.
For example, the gay man Louis learns that his lover Prior has AIDS, and he abandons him. Joe, a gay Mormon lawyer, abandons his wife Harper. Harper is a Valium addict, and at one point in the play Harper and Prior meet in a dream, because both of them have been abandoned, and both of them are suffering because they love selfish people who cannot love them back. Common tragedy and dreams unite disconnected people in America; despite the fact they come from different social groups and have different religious affiliations.
This meeting also suggests, of course, that gay men and women should not be excluded from the fabric of America, anymore than holy people such as the Mormons. Suffering is similar, only prejudice keeps people apart. However, the cruelty of Louis towards his lover Parker also shows that gay people are not necessarily morally superior to straight people -- any more than religious people or Republicans are better or more American than their gay counterparts.
Perhaps the most obvious example…
Work Cited
Kushner, Tony. "Angels in America." 1993.
American Revolution (1763-1783) American colonists went through the hard time before revolution. The 13 colonies faced various problems due to supremacy of Great Britain. They were imposed with certain illegal acts by the Britain Parliament that placed them under risk to their freedom and independence. Britain Parliament specifically enforced such series of Acts that influenced the colonists in trading. Roots and Significance of Stamp Act Controversy The Sugar Act was among the first
..our troops behaved well, fighting with great spirit and bravery." Giving Washington too much credit would be a mistake, but he had a way of keeping his men on task. And yet, when Washington tried to get his troops to swear allegiance to the United States, "they refused...'New Jersey is our country!' they said stubbornly" (Bowen 7). Still, the relationships between the men who were outnumbered by the British was an
In a democratic society, however, the responsibility for making governmental decisions is transferred to the citizenry and it is incumbent that the citizenry be provided with at least a rudimentary education so that they are in position to make such decisions. Although the original U.S. Constitution did not initially grant women the right to vote and otherwise participate in the government, women were afforded, on a limited basis, to
Protest and Fences Racism and racial prejudices have many forms, some more obvious than others. For people who are part of the minority population, there will be some level of bias when it comes to hiring practices or other benefits. African-Americans for example had to deal with racism, even if it was not understood by the perpetrators to be racism, in nearly every aspect of their daily lives. Some prejudicial beliefs
American Revolution and Taxes There has always been an uneven and uncomfortable relationship among politicians, taxation, and the American people. The old saying, that death and taxes are the only certainties in life, remains nevertheless true. Taxation is as inevitable as the government's duty to provide its people with services. Sometimes, however, when it becomes necessary to raise taxes, people tend to view this in an extremely negative light. From government's
American Idiot Popular Music and Social Change in the Present: Green Day's 'American Idiot' (2004) Following the catalyzing events of September 11th, 2001, the United States would find itself deeply divided over the issues of terrorism, war and presidential politics. At the heart of this frequently impassioned and vitriolic debate would be the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a far-reaching culture clash between two distinction American populations. The