Political Views on Angels in America - 1607 Words

Political Views 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 throughout the play is this progress juxtaposed to stagnation, wherein the Angel wants Prior to prophesize a stop of movement, a stop to understanding the world and a stop to the want of humanity to advance (178). Prior is conflicted†¦show more content†¦The same relation can be found in Reagan’s inaugural address from 1981, where he speaks of â€Å"how unique we really are,† and â€Å"we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other† (Reagan). He speaks of a united people, but the emphasis remains on the individual liberty and â€Å"self-rule† he later mentions in the same address. This representation of Republic individualism is not only visible i n Joe and Roy as discussed by Corby (19-20), but can also be found in reference to the Angel. On multiple occasions the Angel, when appearing to Prior, lays emphasis on herself by his repetition of I. Another way of accentuating the individual is in his praise of the Prophet, Prior. Both can be seen in the following passage when the Angel presents herself to Prior for the first time: I I I I Am the Bird Of America, the Bald Eagle, Continental Principality, LUMEN PHOSPHOR FLUOR CANDLE! I unfold my leaves, Bright steel, In salutation open sharp before you: PRIOR WALTER Long-descended, well-prepared (Kushner, 170) â€Å"I I I I† lays focus on this individual entity, representing herself as the â€Å"Bird of America,† clearly connecting it in a similar way Reagan did in his address. The â€Å"Long-descended, well-prepared† Prior is idolized as the Prophet, the one who needs to relay his message to the people. The phraseShow MoreRelatedThe 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. 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