The Spine - Angels in America - Essay Example

The setting is in America and the backdrop of greed, conservation, sexual politics and the discovery of an appalling new infection (AIDS) characterize it. Millennium Approaches and perestroika are well-illustrated using specific situations (Kushner, 23). The reconstruction of the American identity is based on the deliberate recycling of traditional American myths and elements of American culture. Gay characters envisage numerous themes, which include the American history, politics, religion, social policies and lifestyle, lead the play.

Some of the characters in this play include, Prior Wlter, Louis Ironson, Harper Pitt, Joe Pitt, Roy Cohn, Ethel Rosenberg, Hannah Pitt, Belize and the voice or angel (Kushner, 34). The play remains the most adored and honored in America. Some critics term it as a political drama while others call it a gay drama. The pay is made up of two parts namely, the Millennium Approaches and the Perestroika (Kushner, 12). In essence, a fantasia refers to a piece of musical thought sinuous from another with diminutive regard for set forms or standards.

Kushner makes the play flow by allowing overlapping scenes in a contraptual manner, where characters move in and out in simultaneous dialogues. The settings from offices to house to parks and hospitals rapidly change to align with the thematic change. The spine of this play is fundamentally the history of America and politics. The people’s history outlines fundamental features that characterize a typical American person (Kushner, 40). The social element that sees characters like Prior Walter and Roy Cohn practice and support are a fundamental feature of the American social fabric.

However, it is imperative to note that, diversity is expressed in sundry ways by the characters. For instance, the Cohn develops the theme of politics (Kushner, 39). Cohn vividly reveals a political aspect portrayed by self-repugnance, power hungry hypocrite. American history develops with the author’s sense of employing the Brechtian epic mode and form. The play is immensely influenced by the use of numerous points of perception and a dialectical hallucination of history. Kushner succeed to describe the angel of history of America as looking as though moving away from something he is steadily contemplating.

The like to stay and awaken the dead. The eyes are staring, and the wings are wide spread. The face is turned towards the past. However, the storm is blowing from paradise. This storm propels him into the future to which his back is turned. The storm is called progress (Kushner, 257-58). It is noticeable that, the listed features characterize the angel of history. They depict the people‘s desire to remain with the past historical practices, but it seems not possible due to the strong storm that blows.

The storm is symbolically used to indicate the intense sense for a change in the social, economical and political patterns. Kushner’s hallucination transcends and answers numerous of the multifaceted contradictions we grapple. Art deposes politics. In spite of Louis’s scrutiny on the absence of angels in America, only political supremacy existed, Kushner seem to say that art, love and vision, alongside the power of muddled human rendezvous and forgiveness, can outshine the static solution of the angels.

Angels cannot grapple our world. It is moving too swift for them. They do not visage the choices and dilemmas that influence humanity. They cannot