Homosexuality, AIDS And Empire Politics In Angels In Americ

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is one of the representative works of Tony Kushner, a famous American playwright. The play mainly discusses various phenomena of American society that emerges in the Reagan’s time, which involves such social problems as homosexuality, AIDS, politics, religion and race. It fully reveals kinds of malpractices of American society from the point of homosexuality, AIDS, religion as well as race. Angels in America has attracted sufficient attention since its publication. Many critics have explored the theme, historical background and artistic features of the play.However, the author of the thesis does not find research that applies Post-colonialism to the work. Therefore, based on Edward Said’s notion of Otherness, this thesis discusses three characters’ Otherness in the play from the point of immunology and virology. The research finds that: As an immigrant Jewish gay, Louis becomes an Other for his cultural identity, besides, his physical and mental penetration in Prior and his being penetrated in body have made him a virus that will do harm to the empire politics, which also results in his identity as an Other. Roy’s corruption, infected with AIDS as well as his scorning at empire politics has also made him an Other just like virus which can cause damage to the empire politics. And Prior’s fragility and resistance also result in his identity as an Other. However, the empire politics assumes their otherness as virus in its body, and it must use its function of immunity to clear them out. By way of describing the story of homosexuals, AIDS patients and marginal races, Kushner presents the bad living conditions and political appeals for new empire politics of the fringe groups. This research aims to enable readers to have a better understanding of the cultural and historical origins behind those marginal groups, and can give some enlightenment to later researchers.Through expounding and analyzing the three characters’ Otherness of the play, the thesis points out Tony Kushner’s criticism on the cold ruthless empire politics and also reveals Tony Kushner’s resistance to the oppression of empire politics. Meanwhile, the thesis reveals that the play reflects Tony Kushner’s dissatisfaction and opposition to empire politics as well as his sympathy for such vulnerable groups as homosexuality, AIDS patients and edge races who have received unequal treatments under empire politics. It also points out Tony Kushner’s hope of establishing a new globalization empire.