Angels in America Both parts of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America paint a painfully truthful picture of what gay men go through. In most cases, they suffer either inner anguish or public torment. Sometimes they must endure both. Being homosexual in America is a double-edged sword. If you publicly announce that you are gay, you suffer ridicule and are mocked by the ignorant of society; but if you keep your homosexuality a secret, you are condemned to personal turmoil. Kushner's work attempts to make America take a close look at itself and hopefully change its ways. The fear of public scrutiny forces many gay men into a life of denial and secrecy. Kushner describes a society, not unlike our own society today, that looks down upon gay men and other minorities. By setting the play in the mid 80's, a time when gay-bashing was at its zenith, he is able to capture the prejudice towards homosexuals and all that surrounds it. The early 80's was also the time when AIDS was a new disease being made aware to the mass public for the first time. By setting the story in New York City, a melting pot of different cultures and people, Kushner proves that not just one group of people come in contact with homosexuals. All of these geographical and atmosphirical forces aid in setting the mood of the play. These surroundings drive the characters to act the way they do and make the choices they make. Angels in America centers around the gay community which is one of the most scrutinized minorities in the world today. Kushner is able to convey his view more efficiently by having a broad range of power. His characters are of more than one social standing and are at different places in their lives. This technique affords him the opportunity to show that homosexual males do not all hold the same jobs and are not of one race, age, or religion. By doing this, he is succesful in showing that gay men are the same as anyone else. The only difference is who they choose to share a sexual life with. Once again modeling reality, several characters are confident in their sexuality but are hesitant to admit to it. Roy Cohn and Joe Pitt represent the stereotypical gay man who refuses to publicly acknowledge his sexuality. They portray how gay men sometimes go to extreme lengths to deny their homosexuality. Both not only lie to others, but they lie to themselves. There is a certain sadness in the fact that some gay men desire the respect of strangers over being honest with themselves. Why do such a large number of gay men live lives in denial? The answer is simple. The answer is fear. Fear is the driving force behind many gay men's secrecy. The fear of how others may view them and the fear of how they will be received is overpowering. Roy Cohn is a powerful, ruthless, well-connected lawyer, and he is also a closet homosexual. The reason for his double life can be traced back to fear. When he is confronted with his homosexuality, he denies it. He begins to rationalize his lifestyle by saying, "Roy Cohn is not a homosexual. Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man, Henry, who fucks around with guys" (Kushner, Millennium 46). He further attempts to cover up his sexuality, when he is confronted with the fact that he has AIDS. His denial and rationalizations continue when he says, "AIDS is what homosexuals have. I have liver cancer" (Kushner, Millennium 46). Even when his life is in danger, his charade goes on. Roy Cohn and Joe Pitt are two very different people, but they both share the same burden of denial. Joe Pitt is a married man who works as a clek for a federal judge. His marriage is failing and coming apart very quickly. Among other destructive influences, his secret homosexuality is a big part of the problem. He and his wife, Hannah, are barely on speaking terms and have not been intimate with each other in months. He finally succumbs to his homosexual urges, although it takes him a while to admit this to Hannah. His actions towards gays in the military prove just how far he is willing to go to protect his public persona as a heterosexual male who is not a gay sympathizer. Joe is confronted by his openly-gay lover, Louis, who plainly spells out what he did when he says, "This is an important bit of legal fag- bashing, isn't it? They trusted you to do it. And you didn't disappoint" (Kushner, Perestoika 109). Joe cares about himself and what society thinks of him, instead of doing what he knows is right. The aforementioned actions of Roy Cohn and Joe Pitt are tragicly understandable and identifiable in real life. Kushner has been effective in showing that a person's sexuality does not affect their ability and is only a small aspect of their overall character. His two main characters are different and have complicated lives, but they are both the same in their secret sexuality. Rather than facing reality, they hide away in fear. Fear is the only answer as to why gay men live lives in denial. It is the only answer that makes sense. They are afraid they will be deserted by friends, family, and all those close to them. To them, it is not a matter of sexuality but a matter of how they are seen in the public's eye. There is no shame in being who you are, but there is shame in letting fear control your life. Homosexual men are a minority, and like any minority there is prejudice against them. Kushner focuses on that prejudice and shows how foolish it is. He proves that gay men are not drastically different than any other man. The only difference is their sexuality, and that part of any person is no one else's business. Homosexuals and heterosexuals both feel love when in relationships, and that is where the emphasis should be placed. A person's sexual behavior should be left in the bedroom and not debated in a public forum. Neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals are better than the other. Until society as a whole makes a conscious effort to accept gay men and all minorities, prejudice will still exist and be a part of us all. No one has the right to judge another person.
Society has grown to accept and be more opened to a variety of new or previously shunned cultural repulsions. Lesbians, transgenders, and gays for example were recognized as shameful mistakes in society. In the story Giovanni 's Room, the author James Baldwin explores the hardships of gays in the 1960. The book provides reasons why it is difficult for men to identify themselves as homosexuals. This is shown through the internalized voice of authority, the lack of assigned roles for homosexuals in society and the consequences entailed for the opposite gender.
In Tony Kushners to part play, Angels in America, readers are introduced to a closeted gay man, Joe Pitt and are exposed to his relationship with his Mormon mother, Hannah. An underlying conflict occurs when Hannah finds out her son is a homosexual; a problem which forces her to question her love and acceptance towards her son and her strong Mormon anti gay sentiments and beliefs. This conflict between mother and son helps Kushner illustrate the complexity of sexuality and the changing views of homosexuality.
The book Napoleon by Paul Johnson is a monograph on the life of Napoleon. Napoleon was born on August 15,1769 on an island called Corsica which was a French island south of the mainland. Ironically his future enemy Duke of Wellington was also born in 1769. Napoleon was born in the lower nobility class, and gifted with mathematics. He admired the Royal Navy and wanted to join as a midshipman. At the age of ten, Napoleon left Corsica for a military school in Brienne, France. On completion of his studies at Brienne in 1784, Napoleon was admitted to the elite military school in Paris. He trained to become an artillery officer. His full height was five feet and five inches tall and Napoleon was promoted to first lieutenant by 1791. Napoleon knew that war meant war promotion, and he was eager to move up in command. He controlled the entire army of France by age of 26. He was a genius in artillery and believed that making his opponents fearful on the battlefield means the battle is already half won. A lot of military genius comes from his chief of staff Louis Berthier, who translated his ...
To begin with, ‘Down Low’ is a phrase that was coined by members of the African American urban culture during late 1980’s which defines gay men who appear to be straight (Hamilton, 2009). Many characteristics of men living on the down low include individuals (who appear as though they are straight) who are sometimes married with children, members of the clergy, elected officials, ex-convicts, and most notable in a number of low-budget and often overlooked films – straight acting thugs (Hamilton, 2009). It is almost virtually impossible to be appreciative of the drama “Angels in America” without having an understanding about the history of the AIDS crisis as well as a more extensive story of lesbians and gays in the United States of America. While men and women have engaged in homosexual conduct in all times and various cultures, it was only in the twentieth centu...
Andrew Sullivan, author of, What is a Homosexual, portrays his experience growing up; trapped in his own identity. He paints a detailed portrait of the hardships caused by being homosexual. He explains the struggle of self-concealment, and how doing so is vital for social acceptation. The ability to hide one’s true feelings make it easier to be “invisible” as Sullivan puts it. “The experience of growing up profoundly different in emotional and psychological makeup inevitably alters a person’s self-perception.”(Sullivan)This statement marks one of the many reasons for this concealment. The main idea of this passage is to reflect on those hardships, and too understand true self-conscious difference. Being different can cause identity problems, especially in adolescents.
Although in another country Napoleon was still an active member of the Jacobions, (who had just overthrown and murdered the King of France Louis XVI) which angered the monarchist the King of Corsica, who declared the Bonapartes outlaws. Napoleon immediately fled with his family back to France, and rejoined the French military.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who rose to power during the time of the French Revolution. He eventually crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 after gaining political power. He showed many traits of Enlightenment ideals such as religious tolerance and rational government. When Napoleon rose to power many people supported his ideas and beliefs such as the Napoleonic Code and increased religious freedom throughout his empire, however as time went on and Napoleon’s empire grew, people including women and leaders of other countries began to realize the effect of Napoleon’s actions, causing them to perceive him differently.
The topic of homosexuality has become a constant issue throughout our society for many years. Many people believe that being gay is not acceptable for both religious and moral reasons. Because being gay is not accepted, many homosexuals may feel shame or guilt because of the way they live their everyday lives. This in turn can affect how the person chooses to live their life and it can also affect who the person would like to become. Growing up, David Sedaris struggled to find the common ground between being gay as well as being a normal teenager. He often resorted to the conclusion that you could not be both. Sedaris allows us to see things through his young eyes with his personable short story "I Like Guys". Throughout his short story, Sedaris illustrates to the reader what it was like growing up being gay as well as how the complexities of being gay, and the topic of sexuality controlled his lifestyle daily. He emphasizes the shame he once felt for being gay and how that shame has framed him into the person he has become.
The reading, Gay, Latino and Macho, explores four men’s struggles with being gay in a Latino culture. These men share their stories on how they are treated by society for being different. In their communities, men need to show machismo attributes and men who do not meet the standards are not seen as real men. I don’t believe there was a clear thesis to this reading but I do believe there was a purpose, and that is to address how harsh the machismo Latino culture can be to those who homosexual. In order to fix this problem, people need to bring about a more accepting culture for gay people to live in.
Bonaparte was born in 1769 on the island of Corsica just as France conquered it. At age ten, Napoleon was sent to military school outside Paris. At sixteen, he graduated and became a lieutenant in the artillery. When the French revolution broke out, Napoleon sided with the new government. Along with the help of his army, he dissolved the revolutionary government and made himself emperor. Saying he was saving the Revolution, Napoleon established a new government that stressed equality. Through his prowess, Napoleon greatly enlarged the French Empire. Though he ran...
Napoleon came at a time when society was struggling to gain equality in education and religion. He fulfilled that void in society and gained respect in the process. He was a military expert from experience and from
On the 15th of August on 1769 Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the Corsicana Village of Ajaccio. Napoleons father Carlo Bonaparte was a representative of the noble Italian family, continued on good terms with the French as they seized power of Crosica. Carlo Bonaparte and Letizia Romolino, Napoleons parents, had eleven children in total. In Ajacco, Napoleon began his studies at a boys school. He was accepted into French military schools for aristocrats at only the age of ten, but in 1779 he and his brother were sent to a college in Burgundy France. Then Napoleon decided to transfer from the College of Autun to the College of Brienne which was an advanced French military school. As a student in France he always got picked on for his lower social standing and his height but mostly because he wasn’t fluent in his French. Although, he received an outstanding education. Then the tragic event of Napoleons father caused him to lead his household. By the year of 1785, Napoleon was positioned as the second lieutenant in the French army. In 1792, Napoleon was a part of the event of the Power clash among forces aiding the French. Napoleon then decided to turn his career path in the army there. They French ...
The act of "coming out" is a complex political tool. Its use is open to ambiguous possibilities, ranging from subverting social order to reinforcing those power structures. Of course, it is undoubtedly an empowering act for many non-heterosexual persons to identify themselves as such. Even if the categories of "heterosexual" and "homosexual" are entirely socially constructed (as Michel Foucault argues), that does not mean that they are not real categories of thought that shape the way we live our lives. Indeed, my computer is entirely constructed, but is still undeniably real. Since many non-heterosexual people do live their lives identifying differently from heterosexual people, they may find "homosexual" (or a similar label) an accurate description of their identities and daily lives, however socially contingent that description is. That said, I do not wish to make a judgement call on whether or not someone should or should not come out. Rather, I wish to examine the complicated space represented by "the closet" and the multifarious effects that "coming out" has on the larger social structure.
One of the bloodiest revolutions in history was the French Revolution. This revolution had a significant impact to French society, but it left several horrific and bad effects to the French people, especially for those who were guillotined. Despite of these impacts, there was a man who transformed French society to a new beginning. Napoleon Bonaparte, a French military and political leader, gained popularity because he was no ordinary man. His intelligence in his childhood, his heroism, his intellectual views to the new political organization, his aggression in expanding the empire, and his downfall make him an extraordinary man.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the son of Carlo and Letizia Bonaparte, was born in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15, 1768. In 1779, he was sent to a military school in Paris. He was made fun of by the French there, and gave him the dream of power. Napoleon was waiting for the right time to achieve greater power, and that moment came when the French monarchy was overthrown.