690 Kushner, Tony
second play, begins he is anointed a prophet, one
who is to “lead” America to stasis.
This angel is not a messenger from God—God
has, in fact, abandoned both the heavens and earth—
but from the Permanent Emergency Council of the
Continental Principalities, Heaven. Prior’s problem
arises because that current society is an uncaring,
oppressive, and alienating force, so stasis is not an
option. In fact, it is impossible. With the Angel
imploring Prior to lead people to stand still, which
for him would be death, it seeks the halt of progress.
But in this explanation she reveals the very nature of
why there is cause for hope. She says to Prior, “YOU
Think. And You IMAGINE!” (Perestroika 42). This
is revealed to be uniquely human.
Prior initially rejects the role of prophet and in
doing so makes his claim for life despite the terrible
condition of his deteriorating health and of the
ambivalence of society. He says to the council, “We
live past hope. If I can find hope anywhere, that’s it,
that’s the best I can do” (133). In other words, life is
hope; life is change, and Prior wants to live.
Beyond Prior, the many characters in Angels
in America are in situations where hope seems
lost to them. Louis and Belize are openly gay and
are outcasts in American society. They are at risk
and sensitive to the HIV plague that provides a
constant atmosphere of fear, illness, and death
for their community; Joe Pitt is a conservative
lawyer, a Mormon, and a man struggling with his
sexual identity; Harper and Hannah, Joe’s wife and
mother respectively, are Mormons in various stages
of disillusionment with their personal lives and
roles in society; and finally, Roy Cohn represents
American hypocrisy. At different points in the
plays, the characters are left alone in their confu-
sion and suffering.
Each individual moves through crises of physi-
cal, emotional, and spiritual nature. The status quo
offers only a lonely and hopeless situation. But as the
title of the second play, Perestroika, or “restructur-
ing,” suggests, it doesn’t have to be that way. As dif-
ferent characters meet and interact, they find ways to
comfort and help each other. This is often awkward
and difficult, but the results are seen at the conclu-
sion of Perestroika, and not without the casualties
that mark any struggle.
The concluding scene begins with Prior, Louis,
Belize, and Hannah. The initial discussion shows
the progress of political movements across Europe,
such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, but in Russia in
particular. The changing of a whole political struc-
ture is “. . . a leap into the unknown.” This in many
ways embodies the notion of progress in that you
hope to change for the better, but ultimately it is
the unknown we work toward, hopefully bearing in
mind the past while moving forward.
Angels in America is not a work that illustrates
hope in any simple, uplifting way. Instead, it engen-
ders the hope of merging history (memory), theory
(ideas), and action. It is the hope for “more life” that
Prior embodies.
Brian StilesillneSS in Angels in America
Angels in America begins in 1985 at a time when the
HIV/AIDS virus is reaching epidemic proportions
within the gay community in America. The work
traces the lives of four of the five primary male char-
acters, Prior, Louis, Belize, and Roy Cohn, who are
directly affected by the disease. The play is unapolo-
getically straightforward and graphic about how
HIV/AIDS manifests itself physically, emotionally,
and politically.
The play is anchored around the life of Prior
Walter, who has contracted AIDS. The first sign of
infection for him appears as “K.S.” or Kaposi’s sar-
coma. His illness is further brought to life through
the graphic portrayal of additional lesions, loss of
weight, and bloody bowel movements. While deal-
ing with the physical manifestations of the disease,
he must also cope with being abandoned by his
longtime boyfriend, Louis.
Through the character of Louis, Kushner illus-
trates the difficulty relationships encounter when
faced with a frightening and mostly fatal situation.
At this time, the outcome of Prior contracting
AIDS would be a painful and humiliating death.
Louis leaves because he cannot deal with what the
future holds for Prior.
Belize is another openly gay character. He is a
nurse and has a firsthand knowledge of what the gay
community faces when dealing with HIV/AIDS in
the 1980s. He is Prior’s friend and announces his