Angels in America by Tony Kushner - 984 Words

Queer Theory is the best approach by which to examine Angels in America because using Queer Theory allows us to see/ illuminates the difference between socially constructed gender and sexual acts based on sexual identity. Queer theory argues that gender is a cultural construct, that the social norms of men being masculine and women being feminine were manipulated as a culture to be seen as normal. In Angel in America, Roy Cohn is an attorney with power in his work place; he expresses a strong masculine character with â€Å"clout†, strong political power. He mentions that he is a powerful man and how with only a few phone calls he is able to get a hold of the president. These are expectations of how a masculine male is supposed to act, with power, confidence, and without fear. Being a man of politics, Roy lives up to the expectations of what society believes a strong man is supposed to be and how he is supposed to behave. When he goes to see his doctor and he is told that he ha s AIDS, Roy refuses to admit that he has AIDS and Homosexual. Roy tells his doctor, Henry, â€Å"You Think these are names that tell you who someone sleeps with, but they don’t tell you that.† (Pg. 51) He argues that his identity is not homosexual because they do not have â€Å"clout†; that he is a man of clout and has a lot of it. Roy states, â€Å"Homosexuals are men who know nobody and who nobody knows. Who have zero clout.†(Pg. 51) An example of Queer Theory, Roy tells his doctor that labels like Homosexual, Gay,Show MoreRelatedTony Kushner s Angels Of America1180 Words   |  5 PagesTony Kushner’s â€Å"Angels in America† and Mwaganu wa Kaggia’s â€Å"Not Ashamed but so Ashamed† both explicitly address the social, religious, and political stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. The use of split scenes in â€Å"Angels in America† allows Kushner to demonstrate the similar ways in which both Joe and Prior respond to alienation despite having distinct personal conflicts. The two characters’ societal and personal dilemmas are most evidently intertwined in Act 2, Scene 9 of the play.Read MoreFeminism And Its Effect On Society946 Words   |  4 PagesAs stated before, America in the Reagan period was not comfortable with homosexuality, which resulted in denial about AIDS and in-turn general unawareness regarding the disease. At that time if a person was diagnosed with AIDS, they were automatically labelled as gay, despite the medical inaccuracy of that generalization. The discrimination was so strong, that AIDS became a part of the homosexual identity. There have been instances where a man, who identified as homosexual, was considered untouchableRead More Fear in Tony Kushners Angels In America Essay1101 Words   |  5 PagesFear in Tony Kushners Angels In America    Both parts of Tony Kushners play Angels in America paint a painfully truthful picture of what gay men go through. In most cases, they suffer either inner anguish or public torment. Sometimes they must endure both. Being homosexual in America is a double-edged sword. If you publicly announce that you are gay, you suffer ridicule and are mocked by the ignorant of society; but if you keep your homosexuality a secret, you are condemned to personalRead MoreExploring Spirituality in Angels in America1472 Words   |  6 Pagescoming professionals. In his play, Angels in America, Tony Kushner uses religious imagery and biblical references to help his characters find meaning in modern America as well as a means for convincing the audience that prophecy is possible in secular times and to help illustrate the age-old struggle between religious morals and sexuality in the twenty-first century. Tony Kushner, who is of Jewish descent, utilizes Christian and Mormon ideologies in the writing of Angels, but Judaism is by far the mostRead MoreThe Function of Dual Roles in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America1060 Words   |  5 PagesIn Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, the interconnection of people and events, that might ordinarily be viewed as disconnected or unrelated, is implicitly presented in the characters section. Dual roles are implemented by a playwright that has one actor portraying the roles of two or more characters, with or without thematic intentions. The use of â€Å"dual roles† in several scenes of this play can be viewed as a demonstration of Kushner’s effort in maintaining the interconnectedness between charactersRead MorePolitical Views on Angels in America1607 Words   |  7 PagesViews on Angels in America The representation of individualism and stagnation during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, juxtaposed to Kushner’s progress and collectivism. Angel: Greetings Prophet! The Great Work Begins: The Messenger has arrived. Prior: Go Away. (Kushner, 149) Throughout Part Two of Tony Kushner’s play Angels in America, Prior the Prophet envisions progress in the world after the Angel confronts him at the end of Part One. The red line connecting Prior and the Angel throughoutRead MoreValues and Standards in Kushners Angels in America Essays1088 Words   |  5 PagesWhat does Kushner propose about religious/personal standards, and are those standards valuable or do they cause difficulties? Many people today have a set of religious or personal standards that has aided them in obtaining their goals. However, there are many others who do their best to live up to those standards of perfection but end up living miserable lives. This essay will discuss the possible standards of Joe and Roy implied in the play, â€Å"Angels in America† by Tony Kushner, while discussingRead MoreRealism in Theatre Essay1115 Words   |  5 PagesThe theatrical plays of â€Å"Angels in America† and â€Å"August: Osage County† both of the playwrights create a heart wrenching, tear jerking, and amazing work. Each character is developed to have its own sets of values, beliefs, and attitudes towards life and so there are no two characters alike. With each character having its own identity, it brings a sense of excitement and unpredictability in the plays. Tracy Letts the writer for â€Å"August: Osage County† establishes a sense of reality in his play by developingRead More Tony Kushners Angels in America Essay2055 Words   |  9 PagesMost of the characters in Tony Kushners Angels in America struggle with their sexuality. Reflected in this struggle, the homosexual characters are flawed to the degree at which they hide their sexuality. Prior, Belize, Louis, Joe, and Roy all deal with this issue in the course of the play. Prior is the least closeted homosexual while Roy is the most. Prior is chosen to be a prophet, is morally upright, and represents good. Roy, the unlawful lawyer, represents evil. Belize, Louis, and Joe fallRead MoreSummary Of Minor Characters In Tony Kushners Angels In America1771 Words   |  8 Pages When it comes to reading literature, one often question why minor characters are even included, as I definitely wondered while reading Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. The play focuses on internal struggles following two couples in relationships while progressively heading toward destruction and surrounding the AIDS epidemic in the 80s. However, if taking a deeper dive, the play becomes so much more than that. Thanks to minor characters, the play is able to bring in politics, religion, power, sexuality