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Essay: Discussing Identity in Angels in America: Faith Bolden’s Story

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  • Published: 1 April 2019*
  • Last Modified: 18 September 2024
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  • Words: 1,344 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 6 (approx)

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Faith Bolden

Contemporary Drama

November 13, 2018

Identity in Angels in America

In order for people to live comfortably in their own skin, it is pertinent to develop a profound sense of self. Having an identity and recognizing the way people function in a society and in the eyes of other people is apart of maturity. In Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, the nature of identity is depicted and thoroughly developed through different characters. Each character is labeled as a defining ethnicity in order to cater towards the play’s notion of community. Some characters are merely defined by their sexuality, of which is homosexuality. Homosexuality serves as an identity type throughout the play and in our current society, giving it the power to impersonate race rather than purely being a person’s sexual orientation or preference. Throughout the play, the characters struggle to digest who they really are, allowing identity and being apart of a minority to cause a divide between their religion, politics and relationships with other people.

When  I was an elite rhythmic gymnast, training for the Olympics, I encountered what it felt like to be defined as one thing, despite my character and my talent. Being the only black woman in a sport catering to white women caused me to struggle with my identity. I could have been the most talented gymnast in the room but my skin color rejected me from having the same level of opportunities as my white peers. When I competed in stadiums, whether international or national, the first thing people would notice is my skin color, followed by my effort to stay true to my black culture through my performances. My attempt to fit in, while also standing out is what ultimately led me to self-destruction. Eventually I gained this notion in my head that I needed to behave in a certain way, regardless of whether or not it would go against my morals and in many ways that made me similar to Angels in America’s character, Joe Pitt. Joe Pitt often fought with his identity and natural sexual attraction to men, feeling that he too should behave in a certain manner, comprehending in its entirety that it will go against his Mormon religion and Republican ideology. Joe Pitt and I, Faith Bolden, share similar paths in regards to going from self-sufficient and resilient to being helpless and dependent. The root of our problems stem from the conflict of not embracing who we are and as a result, that became our downfall.

Values and Standards in Angels in America

Naturally people obtain values and standards when regarding different aspects of their life. People subscribe to a religion or other standards that they hold themselves accountable for in order to achieve a goal. Joe Pitt is an important example when regarding his religion, career, and sexual orientation. Kushner portrayed Joe Pitt as a hard-working man that did everything in his power to become successful. However, the success that he obtained in his career was not fulfilling enough. He found himself trying to fill a void because of the remaining  discontent that he shared with himself.

Joe began fighting inside feelings that were portrayed as “wrong” because of his religious ideals. Joe’s battle with his sexuality was merely dictated by these beliefs that he was trained to abide by. Joe describes the “wrong” that he is feeling inside and exemplifies his fight when he says: “No matter how wrong or ugly that thing is, so long as I fought, with everything I have to kill it…As long as my behavior is what I know it has to be.”Joe feel that his religious ideals have determined who he is and who he is supposed to love. Furthermore, it exemplifies how problematic religious ideals can be when facing sexuality and conservatism.

Growing up around conservative Christians has allowed me to adapt to certain values and standards, while also excluding me from some. During my childhood, it was made clear to me that having feelings for the same sex is “wrong” and will cause repercussions in my afterlife. I gained this notion in my head and lived a close minded life that didn’t embrace all forms of identity. It was traditional for my religion and many other conservative religions such as Judaism, Mormonism, etc. Despite being straight, I often felt uncomfortable not embracing every form of identity and sexuality. I took it upon myself, in fact, to educate myself more and gain a comprehension of how and why religion helps people justify their identity and existence.  It gives people a sense of comfort.

Furthermore, in many ways I understand Joe Pitt and his desire to make sense of his identity and existence. I understand what it feels like to have one belief or standard and then have it abruptly alter because of sudden exposure or alter in mentality. It is common for people like Joe Pitt and his wife, Harper Pitt to only view things in the lens of their spirituality. Harper was clouded by how in-tune she was with her spirituality to notice her husband’s identity crisis.

Fear in Angels in America

Tony Kushner described Joe’s inner-suffering and his conspicuous anguish that was camouflaged by the stress from his career. Above all feelings, however, Joe was mostly fearful of public torment and how he would be perceived in a society that is particularly ignorant and narrow-minded. Being a homosexual in America during this period was mildly foreign to society. Fear intimidated Joe and compelled him to keep his homosexuality as a secret. Joe was never truly honest with himself, yet he craved the respect and honesty from other people. In both parts of Angels in America, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, Tony Kushner characterizes the disturbances of what it means to be a gay man in American society, while also giving us the opportunity to sympathize and perceive things from a different perspective.  

Behind many risks and realities of life, fear is a driving force. When people act off of fear, they never truly act in their own best interest. People would rather live in fear of the eyes of others, rather than living in the true form of themselves. It hinders people from taking risks and makes it harder to confront the things that are difficult.  

When taking an overview of Joe Pitt’s life and the life of some other characters throughout the play, every action and thought stems back to fear. For Joe specifically,  religion should help his fears, when instead his religion perpetuates his fears. The prejudice tendencies and the lack of understanding within the Mormon religion contribute to his guilt. However, he overcomes that eventually by opening up to his mother and wife.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have struggled with identity, values, standards and fear, similar to what is portrayed throughout the play. Tony Kushner acknowledged the common areas of identity that most people struggle with by delving into the root of these issues. Whether it was religion, polictice, sexual orientation or values, Kushner characterized each character through vivid imagery and allowed me (as a reader) to step into a world that I am familiar and unfamiliar with. My drive for an understanding of what it means to be a gay man in America became imperative. I wanted to grasp the rawness of the play and understand how idealism convened each character in different but also similar ways.

Each main character was considered a protagonist, making betrayal, the intolerance of AIDS, homophobia and Roy Cohn to embody the antagonist. Roy Cohn was perceived as a toxic man that belittled everything Kushner despises. His aggressive presents dies, leaving the four “angels” to survive and overcome their turmoil. Each of the four “angels” become a teaching lesson for the readers and any society. Patience and love have the power to impact millions without regard to fear. Kushner instills this into the readers how untraditional love can be, but regardless it is still  beautiful and should be tolerated regardless of gender preference.

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