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Jacqueline L. Barry
Mortensen
WRI 101 – N
January 29, 2012
“Angels in America” Thesis: Progress in the Flesh
Tony Kushner’s critically acclaimed play Angels in America is a multifaceted work that
tackles such universal themes as community, sexuality, death, love, addiction, religion, and the
corruption of power. The theme of progress, however, is perhaps most central to this play.
Progressivism, both as a threat and as a potential antidote to suffering, creates conflict for all of
Kushner’s characters. This is specifically outlined in the beginning of the second part of the play.
“The World’s Oldest Living Bolshevik” is an excerpt taken from the speech of Aleksii
Antedilluvianovich Prelapsarianov, a radical Russian reformer and progressive who warned of
the impending collapse of his country following Gorbachev’s reforms of the Soviet Union – a
period known as “Perestroika,” which is interestingly the title of the second part of Kushner’s
play (Kushner, 1992). “If the snake sheds his skin before a new skin is ready,” he cautions,
“naked he will be in the world, prey to the forces of chaos. Without his skin he will be
dismantled, lose coherence and die” (Kushner, 1992). The inclusion of the shedding of the
snake’s skin as a metaphor for transformation, progress, and change in Tony Kushner’s play
Angels in America serves as the backbone of this theme, and consequently of the play itself.
There is a myriad of references and symbolic interpretations of the role of the snake
throughout history. According to the Celtics and Native Americans, the shedding of the snake’s
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skin was indicative of transformation and growth (Biedermann, 1992). By literally casting off its
older, scarred skin and emerging as a new creature encased in a healthier one, the snake is
reborn. Thus, the outer condition of the animal is pardoned; it is almost allowed a “second
chance” at life. In the Christian text Physiologus as well, serpents are cited as emblematic beings
with both positive and negative connotations as human representations (Biedermann, 1992). As
the snake abandons its old skin in preparation for a new one, it becomes associated with
rejuvenation; so, too may a Christian repent and seek rejuvenation in the form of salvation and
eternal life. As the snake encounters a threat, it focuses entirely on protecting one part of its
body: the head, the spiritual center for the divine. In this sense a Christian may become willing to
sacrifice the rest of his physical body so long as his mind is devoted to the pursuit of Christ (thus
becoming a martyr).
Sigmund Freud himself found meaning in the appearances of serpents in one’s dreams
(Vollmar, 1997). To Freud, the snake served as a phallic symbol, highlighting gender differences
and emphasizing sexuality, which Kushner addresses through his characters’ conflicts with
homosexuality and the gay rights movement as an indicator of progress. To Carl Jung, however,
the presence of a snake in one’s dreams indicates a significant event in his unconscious, one that
may be threatening or healing (Jung, 1974). Again, both positive and negative interpretations of
the snake exist as symbols to uphold the theme of progress in this work.
Angels in America attempts to prove that progress is an inevitable and innate drive
for humanity. In “Perestroika”, this theme of progress is evident on several levels. For the
homosexual characters in the play, progress is needed in the form of an accepting and
compassionate community that makes room for individuals with differing sexual orientations. In
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this sense, social justice is warranted for the rights of homosexuals as well as for those involved
in the Rosenberg case. For characters like Louis, who performs menial tasks for members of the
court, a more even distribution of wealth is a clear sign of progress, while Harper’s fears of gaps
in the ozone layer appear to prompt measures towards environmental stewardship. But despite
the practicality of some of these measures, we observe that the viewpoints of the angels in
Heaven are not in agreement. Rather, they believe that human progress was the reason for God
abandoning the Earth and is the motive that has caused war, the irresponsible partitioning of
natural resources and fossil fuels, disease (specifically HIV/AIDS), unstable population growth,
and other crises. They urge Prior, the newest prophet, to stop the spread of these “progressions”
and allow the world to fall back into its natural rhythm, to which God may then return. However,
Prior is intimidated by the enormity of this task and feels unable to perform it, stating that “the
world only spins forward” (Kushner, 1992) and that it is merely in our nature to attempt to
improve upon God’s workings. Thus, Prior is metaphorically shedding his skin – he is ridding
himself not only of his burden as a prophet, but as a victim.
Throughout the play, each character strives to move past his or her ailment or conflict.
Roy Cohn struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality, as well as the disease he is
battling. As the snake is cold-blooded and must spend precious daylight hours absorbing what
light it can, Roy must gather what attention he can in the media by being a powerful and
successful lawyer – everyone in New York seems to know about him – to cover up his personal
life. A snake will then retreat into the darkness in a burrow beneath the earth as the sun sets.
Similarly, Roy must return home each night knowing that he is living a lie, and rest in the
darkness of his secret. As he dies in the hospital, without any loved ones (how could any snake
be truly loved?) he makes an appearance in the afterlife beneath the earth, presumably in
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purgatory, or Hell.
Prior Walter, although more accepting of his sexual orientation, also struggles with
AIDS and feelings of abandonment when Louis, his lover, leaves him. Louis himself begins to
question the morality of his decision and resists his own emotional turmoil with Prior by turning
to a stranger in the park and then to Joe, a closeted homosexual. Joe himself suffers with his
own darkness, echoing Roy’s fate. Indeed, the relationship between Joe and Harper is similarly
fraught with chaos as they work to move past their relationship woes: they are not sleeping
together, nor are they especially attracted to one another. Just as Aleksii worries about the state
of his country and if it is moving ahead too quickly without a plan, Kushner’s characters
experience similar fears concerning their own afflictions.
Each of these characters is a dynamic individual who is shown to mature and progress in
their own way. Joe, for example, eventually realizes his true identity and is “reborn” – just as a
snake is, once or twice a year – as an open homosexual. Prior experiences his own intrapersonal
changes. In part one, “Millennium Approaches,” Prior is viewed first and foremost as a victim –
a victim of AIDS and of a boyfriend who left him alone to die. However, by the conclusion of
the play in “Perestroika,” it is apparent that Prior has transitioned from a passive, dependent
person into a powerful, independent, and mindful human being who would rather return to Earth
to continue living his life, however poor, than remain in the security of Heaven. It is clear that
through his disease and isolation, he has discovered a newfound vitality. We realize this once
Prior returns from Heaven and encounters Louis, who begs to reunite with his former boyfriend.
Despite everything, it becomes clear that Prior is no longer a victim who needs caring for, and he
decides that he doesn’t need Louis anymore. This is a transformative realization for Prior. As he
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descends down the ladder of Heaven, he leaves his old, tattered skin behind him.
Angels in America, although a complex work, serves to express a simple truth: that
progress is a part of human nature that cannot be deterred, not even for the divine. Growth,
transformation, cycles, rejuvenation, and healing are all aspects of life that cannot be avoided. As
humans, we strive to improve upon our successes and innovations; with time as the enemy, we
struggle to perfect our lifestyles and fulfill the image of an idealized society, choosing our
leaders accordingly. As the snake coils around itself and separates its body from its skin, leaving
it threadbare and ragged, so too do the characters of Kushner’s play struggle to detach from their
past selves and progress as healthier individuals. They fight to improve the quality of their lives,
and to amend the relationships they have broken. Using the shedding of the serpent’s skin as a
metaphor for growth and change, the theme of progress in “Angels in America” underlies the
most significant of conflicts, realizations, and character resolutions in the play.
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Works Cited
Biedermann, Hans: translated by Hulbert, James. Dictionary of Symbolism, Cultural icons and
the meanings behind them. Oxford: Facts on File Inc. 1992.
Jung, Carl G.: translated by R. F. C. Hull. Dreams. New York: MJF Books. 1974.
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America. New York: Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 1995.
Vollmar, Klaus; translated by Elisabeth E. Reinersmann. The Little Giant Encyclopedia of
Dream Symbols. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 1997.
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Jacqueline L. Barry
Mortensen
WRI 101 – N
February 6, 2012
The Revision Process
Professor Mortensen,
Quite often, when asked to submit both a first draft and then final draft, my revisions are scarce.
I feel that I have put my best effort into my work, and that making too many edits will corrupt
my ideas. I have felt this way for a while, even throughout high school. Naturally, my drafts have
never really improved.
Because I’m in college now (and partly because this writing course is so much about the revision
process), I have decided otherwise. Your corrections helped me a lot with knowing where to
start, and to just get into the swing of things. I definitely think my essay got better. Citing my
sources and knowing which format to use has been confusing for me a while (I’m still not sure if
I’ve done it right, as I don’t yet have the book you asked us to use as a model), so I decided upon
MLA format and attached a works cited page. Also, I read through my essay another few times
to make sure I was setting the right tone and that I wasn’t being too vague, as I often am. I split
up that paragraph on page three that you recommended doing, which made reading it a lot easier
I think, and cut out some other parts about characters who perhaps were not as important to
analyze. I also tried to connect their individual conflicts (which I described) with the metaphor of
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the snake more – I felt that in the meaty part of the essay, the thesis was nearly lost. On top of
that, I re-worded some sentences that may have been confusing to the reader and tried to make
my ideas more succinct.
Overall, I think I did a good job on giving some background information about where my thesis
comes from (the symbolism of the snake in various cultures), as well as making certain
transitions between paragraphs. However, I do wish that I could be more concise with my ideas
and offer more specific examples to support them, as it often makes the sentence more powerful.
This was frustrating for me, although in general I found the essay more enjoyable to write than
most because I have a personal connection to my thesis. I’m an owner of a pet baby python –
Dana - that I love dearly, and I find the symbolism tied with the animal fascinating.
Specifically, I would like to have a better understanding of citations and how to format them. I
know it’s meant to be a simple part about writing, but as I have to write essays for all my classes,
especially analytical ones for the sciences, it’s confusing to me. I know I probably did it wrong
for this paper, too, although I checked on the Internet and definitely tried my best to do it the
correct way. I can’t say if I did, however. Regardless, I’d definitely appreciate a little help on this
topic.
Thank you again for your thoughtful revisions and spot-on instruction.
Jacqueline L. Barry