Hanna vs Joe contrasting roles in Agelsin America :: essays papers

Hanna vs Joe contrasting roles in Agelsin AmericaIn Tony Kushners to part play, Angels in America, readers are introduced to a closeted gay man, Joe Pitt and are exposed to his human relationship with his Mormon mother, Hannah. An underlying conflict occurs when Hannah finds out her son is a homosexual a enigma 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 conflict between Joe and Hannah initially arises when Joe tells is mom for the first time that he is gay. Joes mother is Mormon and Joe himself is born and raised Mormon. The religious prohibits homosexuality and this, Hannah is in shock when Joe tells her what is going on. It is even more shocking due to the fact that Joe is presumably happily married to Harper, also a Mormon. During This discussion with his mother, Joe tries to point the finger at his father who Joe claims didnt love him enough and might have caused his homosexuality. Hannah can not seem to deal with the pip and delves into extreme denial. She hangs up the phone thinking the conversation came from Joe just being drunk.Hannahs Mormon background embedded in her strict beliefs about traditional love and marriages and the idea that being gay is supernatural and devilish. This background doesnt allow her to accept Joes sexuality. It is in this upheaval that Hannah moves from Salt Lake City to New York in hopes to save her son and his dying marriage. Her arrival, However only makes the situation worse. She carries out responsibility as a mother-in-law and takes care of the abandonment and valium-dependant Harper and manages at the same time to dive Joe completely out of the picture.By the heartbeat part of the play, Hannah is working at a Mormons visitor center in New York and simultaneously taking care of Harper. Joe meanwhile is beginning his first relationship with a man, Louis. Both Joe and Hannah are opening up Joe living out his homosexual tendencies and Hannah being exposed to absurd circumstances such as the opposition of prior. Prior in many ways becomes Hannahs first real recognition of homosexuality. Prior, who is surviving with A. I. D. S visits the Mormon center, where he falls severely ill and ends up being saved by Hannah.