In Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Characters suffer unnecessarily as a result of their fears. Kushner does this by exploring the implications of fear through the lives of different character. Joe suffers as a result of his fear and inability to admit he is homosexual, while Harper suffers from her fear of change and Joe’s fear of his own sexuality. Additionally, Louis abandons Prior in his time of need due to his fears of illness.
In Millennium Approaches, Joe constantly struggles with who he is, specifically his sexuality. Joe finally acknowledges his fear to Harper after she asks him “are you a homo” (Kushner 38). To which he responds by saying “Does it make any difference? That I might be one thing deep within, no matter how wrong or …show more content…
Louis leaves Prior as a result of his fears of disease, he displays his fear early on in Millennium Approaches, where at Sarah Ironson’s funeral he asks the Rabbi “what does the Holy Writ say about someone who abandons someone he loves at a time of great need?” (Kushner 25). Louis’s question to the Rabbi reveals that he already cannot handle what may be to come, and is already very afraid of having to potentially deal with Prior’s disease, despite the fact that Louis is aware that Prior will need him very soon. As a result of his guilt when Prior tells him “I want to see black and blue… So don’t come near me again, unless you’ve go something to show” (Kushner 221). Priors demand to see the physical pain of Louis’s guilt and fear, causes him to go out and pick a fight with Joe which leads to Louis laying on the ground telling himself “I can see blood” (Kushner 251). Louis’s acknowledgement that he can finally see blood is his attempt to redeem himself in his and Priors eyes. Therefore because of Louis’s intense fears of disease he not only suffers mentally; but also physically, making his life while dealing with this issue much worse than it needs to
In Millennium Approaches, Joe constantly struggles with who he is, specifically his sexuality. Joe finally acknowledges his fear to Harper after she asks him “are you a homo” (Kushner 38). To which he responds by saying “Does it make any difference? That I might be one thing deep within, no matter how wrong or …show more content…
Louis leaves Prior as a result of his fears of disease, he displays his fear early on in Millennium Approaches, where at Sarah Ironson’s funeral he asks the Rabbi “what does the Holy Writ say about someone who abandons someone he loves at a time of great need?” (Kushner 25). Louis’s question to the Rabbi reveals that he already cannot handle what may be to come, and is already very afraid of having to potentially deal with Prior’s disease, despite the fact that Louis is aware that Prior will need him very soon. As a result of his guilt when Prior tells him “I want to see black and blue… So don’t come near me again, unless you’ve go something to show” (Kushner 221). Priors demand to see the physical pain of Louis’s guilt and fear, causes him to go out and pick a fight with Joe which leads to Louis laying on the ground telling himself “I can see blood” (Kushner 251). Louis’s acknowledgement that he can finally see blood is his attempt to redeem himself in his and Priors eyes. Therefore because of Louis’s intense fears of disease he not only suffers mentally; but also physically, making his life while dealing with this issue much worse than it needs to