Essay on Angels in America: Posting
Angels in America by Kushner is quite a controversial play raising the problem of sexual minorities. At the same time, the play cannot be viewed as one-sided. Even though the author pays a lot of attention to homosexual relationships and problems gays has in the society and their personal life, still the author has managed to represent the other side, for instance, Harper and her mother, represent the female position in the play. In such a way, the play, being focused on problems of homosexual community, still provides the audience with an alternative female view on issues raised in the play.
In fact, the play may seem to be one-sided because the author focuses almost entirely on problems of the homosexual community. The main character and his friends and partners are gay and the author attempts to uncover difficulties and challenges they face in their life. At the same time, Kushner skillfully intertwines the plot with political issues, especially when the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg appears to Prior, the main character of the play. Ethel was executed as a Communist spy and her ghost attempts to pursue Roy Cohn, who was responsible for her sentence to death. In such a way, the author develops complications which are not related to the homosexual community but refer to the higher political level.
In addition, the author presents such female characters as Harper Pitt and her mother, Hannah. Being mormons, they have their ethical norms and traditions. Nonetheless, when Harper turns out to be abandoned by her husband, she proves to be a real feminist in her struggle for the better position in the society to earn for living and lead a normal life without help of men.
Thus, Angels in America is a politically diverse play.