Angels in America Literary Elements

Drama

English

New York City, Salt Lake City, Heaven ;1985–1986, 1990

There is no official narrator, as this is a play, but there are stage directions. The point of view is that of the characters who appear in the play and present the action from a first-person point of view.

Tone: compassionate, sympathetic, optimistic....but also despairing, foreboding, elegiac, and uncertain
Mood: hopeful, passionate, liberating....but also barren, anxious, brooding, and vengeful

Protagonist: Prior; Antagonists: Roy, Joe

There are a few major conflicts: 1) Will Louis realize the extent of his selfishness in leaving Prior and will the two reconcile? 2) Will Prior survive his illness? 3) Will Prior really be the Prophet and accept the Book, or will the Angel release him?

The play reaches its climax at the end of the first part of the play when the Angel appears for the first time before Prior.

When Louis first learns that Prior has AIDS, he walks away. Even though he will come back from that, this foreshadows his actual leaving of Prior.

Louis gets to ask Joe a question and he says "Who are you?" (183); it's an understatement because it is an impossible question that cannot really be answered.

1. The Mormon Visitors' Center diorama presents the story of the Mormon trek to Utah. There are numerous other allusions to the Mormons, Joseph Smith, etc.
2. There are frequent biblical allusions, not only with God and the Angels but to Jacob, his blessing and birthright, and his wrestling the angel and ascending to Heaven.
3. There are frequent contemporary political allusions, as to Reagan's presidency, Iran-Contra, the fall of the Berlin Wall, etc.
4. The Rabbi calls Sarah the "last of the Mohicans," referencing the James Fenimore Cooper novel.
5. Louis mentions his grandmother saw Emma Goldman speak; Goldman was a feminist and activist.
6. The Rabbit quotes Shakespeare (25).
7. Prior calls Harper "Nancy Drew" after the teenage detective from the famous children's series.
8. Prior calls himself "Lazarus" after the biblical figure whom Jesus brought back to life after he, Prior, keeps living even though he's brought into the hospital.
9. Louis sings part of the Beatles' song "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" to Joe, saying "life goes on," a line from the song.
10. Roy calls life "Stygian," referring to the mythological Greek Hell.
11. Roy sings the famous Civil-War-era song about militant abolitionist John Brown, "John Brown's Body."

See the separate imagery entry of this ClassicNote.

1. Roy’s opinion about Ethel Rosenberg is a paradox. Roy despises Ethel, and he even makes racist references about the fact that she was a Jew. His point of view is paradoxical because he judges her because she is a Jew while forgetting that he is also one. For Roy, Ethel Rosenberg represents his own marginalization from the American community because of his origin and this, instead of making him feel close to her, makes him hate her and resent her.
2. The Rabbi's assertion that America is a "strange place...[a] melting pot where nothing melted" (10) is paradoxical.

1. Roy's death parallels the death of Ethel Rosenberg, who also died before her time in a manner that was very unfair.
2. Prior's death parallels those of his ancestors—i.e. the plague.

"The body's immune system ceases to function. Sometimes the body even attacks itself" (43)

Kushner uses dramatic devices in order to offer background information about the characters in the play. Through those comments, the reader understands better the actions of the characters. He also uses dramatic devices to describe the scenes, how the characters are placed onstage, and how they interact with one another.