Tony Kushner's Angels Of America

From what we are told, we can obviously tell that Joseph has a very difficult life as it is, “What can a crippled, speechless boy do, asked Joseph…” Nolan is telling us that Joseph thinks of himself in a negative manner. But while he may look in himself in a negative way, he is still optimistic, explaining

Most of the characters in Tony Kushner's 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 fall in between Prior and Roy on the scale. By having these particular characters represent what they do, Tony Kushner places a negative stigma on those in the closet and emphasizes his negative opinion on closeted homosexuals.

of his capabilities. Similarly, Joseph is able to establish himself as a superior to his

Assuredly, the actions of the civilized society towards the angel also demonstrate an ignorant and arrogant attitude. It is clear that the society believes the angel to be less than they are as they treat

When I saw in the program that there would be an Angel in the play I assumed it would be the typical angel a mystic creature dressed in all white with a halo, gentle touch and a soft voice. This Angel was the total Opposite. The angel was strong, outspoken and wore an all-black leather jacket, later in the play she wore Army fatigue as she entered the revolutionary war against God. The Angels objective was to

Through the percpectives of several different people Marquez shows us varying views on what the old man actually is. The “wise neighbor woman who knew everything about life and death” decided the man was an angel. Papayo and his wife, ignoring the angels wings, declare him to be “a lonely castaway from some foreign ship. The priest decides it cannot be an angel since it does not speak the holy language of latin. The doctor in the story seems to decide the old man to be human and that his wings were so logical he wondered why no other man had them. By offering these different perspectives of the angels, the reader wonders what the angel actually is. The angel remains anonymous and ambiguous. Throughout the entire story Marquez refers to it as the angel but he never tells us anything of its origin or purpose. Using the angel completely as a device and nothing else, he leaves the reader to wonder if this character actually is an angel or just a dirty old man. When the angel decides to leave, Papayo and his wife are relieved. They took the angel into their house as a guest but felt it was intrusive towards them. Saying the angel got in the way and scared their new child they looked at it as a nuisance. He makes it very hard for us to determine the goodness of the angel. Even the people who take in the angel condemn it. The people who ridiculed the angel have moved past it. The angel makes no effort to

Though we are led to a religious history of strong Catholic background, Marquez shows us that things have changed. “…the whole neighborhood in front of the chicken coop having fun with the angel without the slightest reverence…(442)” Marquez is telling us that despite the early beliefs that angels were to be put on a pedestal and extremely respected and even awed that this is not the case now. In earlier Catholic beliefs angels were believed in, without question.

The significant passage of the book is on page 9 and it says “If there are real angels in the world...how come they're never around when we need them”

     If I ask you to picture an angel, what do you see? Is it a vibrant white, majestically dressed individual with lush and strong wings who commands reverence with his presence? What does this ethereal creature stand for? Righteousness? Protector of good and the purest form of a celestial being besides God? If you have read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” then you may have been introduced to a conflicting image of an angel. This angel is in no way similar to the one described above. Actually, we are not even sure he is an angel. What we do know after reading this story is that the

He spent his time trying to get comfortable in his borrowed nest…” The old man disregarded the fact that he was being shown as an admissionable attraction and carried on business as usual. The angel showed no signs of annoyance, spitefulness, or anger. He simply did what he needed to do: eat, sleep, dry wings, and repeat. The angel seemed to favor his own company rather than the company of the townsfolk, so he generally kept to himself, hence why he “took no part in his own act.” The angel did not allow himself to be captured by the stereotypical strings of society, instead he continued to be himself: the mysterious angel. Another way the angel reacted to discrimination was by avoiding it, “But he [angel] must have known the reason for those changes, for he was quite careful that no one should notice them, that no one should hear the sea chanteys that he sometimes sang under the stars.” The old man was aware that the sudden changes of appearance (growth of new feathers on his wings) would cause new attention, therefore, he hid in the far corners of the farm away from people who could disrupt his

When he was little his mom died, and his dad remarried to a woman named Thula. Thula did not like joe and she kicked him out when he was only ten years old. “She declared that she would not live under the same roof as joe, that Harry must choose between him and her. She said Joe would have to move out if she were to stay in a godforsaken place. Joe was only ten years old” (Brown 86,87). I never could understand how someone could kick a child out of the house and force them to live on their own when they are ten years old. As Joe grew up the more he needed his family, but his family was not there for him, at least not his biological family. When Joe made the rowing team that's the day that he got a new family, even if he did not know it at the time. So was Joyce, a beautiful girl who loved joe and they were going to get married and start a family of their own. “When joe stopped playing they talked about what it would be like when they were married and had a hoe and maybe kids” (Brown 102). Making the rowing team and meeting and falling in love with Joyce might have been the best thing that has ever happened to Joe. As soon as everything start going good for Joe, Thula gets an infection and dies. Not that it was a good thing that she died, it was very sad, but it brought Joe and his dad back together again. Harry wanted Joe to move back home with him and the kids. “I’m going to build a house where we can all live

He is a character used to emphasize two opposing characteristics, a gangster that cares about education.. In Signs of Life in the USA’s “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert B. Ray describes these “two-sided” characters as being used to appeal “to a collective American imagination steeped in myths of inclusiveness” (Massik, Solomon 377). Perhaps this is why this character was created and particularly focused on throughout this film. While Angel is used in this film to represent the merging of two commonly opposing characteristics, his contrast with his friend “Chuco” represent the dichotomy of focusing on the future versus the

There are thousands of stories in the Bible, but one stands out in particular; the story of Joseph. The Hebrew meaning of the name Joseph is “may Jehovah add, give increase.”1 Through the life of Joseph we see God add meaning and purpose to his life, just as God adds meaning and purpose to all our lives. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”2 Joseph obediently followed God’s plans through trials and tribulations whereas many other figures in the Old Testament faltered in their faith. Joseph, son of Jacob, is the single most important human being in the Old Testament because of his impeccable faith to the one true God and his story of forgiveness that set the stage for God’s chosen people.

Archangels are extraordinary beings, extensions of God himself, personifying his grace, majesty, and power. All of the archangels are healers. They come as master surgeons to repair our bodies, even as they mend the garments of our souls. This is the true story of Archangel Azrael. Azrael was named the “angel of death,” in the most beautiful and healing sense of the world. However, this is far from the gruesome image of a grim reaper stealing people away. Azrael is also known as the help of God in the Old and New

Angels are eluded to 103 times in the Old Testament and 93 times in the New Testament. These angels, described as spiritual beings created by God, serve Him. Still, angels are created higher than man. Angels are separated into two major categories, good angels and bad/fallen angels. The good angels continue to obey God and follow His will. The fallen angels disobey God. In fact, fallen angels oppose everything God stands for. For this reason, the fallen angels no longer reside in their holy positions. Furthermore, the fallen angels work against the plan and will of God. Three other familiar terms referring to angels are seraphim, cherubim, and ministering spirits. Both the Hebrew and Greek word for angel means “messenger”, describing one who completes the purpose and will of the one whom they serve. Thus, the good angels follow God, and the fallen angels serve Satan. One angel, unlike any other, is the “angel of the Lord.” “The angel of the Lord”, identified as God, speaks as God and states to utilize the entitlements of God. According to the Christian belief, unlike one worldly perspective, angels are not the spirits of deceased human beings. Instead, they are created beings made for a purpose (Keathley).