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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In addition to saying Kaddish for Roy, what does Belize want Louis to do in Act 5, Scene 2?

2. Which of the following characters never goes to the Afterlife in Angels in America?

3. To what Biblical relations does Roy compare his relationship with Joe in Act 4, Scene 1?

4. In Act 5, Scene 7, who is Roy Cohn representing in the afterlife?

5. Which of the figures of the diorama has no lines in the animatronic play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A central theme of Angels in America is migration. Write an essay on one of the following prompts regarding this theme:

1.) The play opens with a eulogy for Sarah Ironson delivered by Rabbi Chemelwitz. The subject of the eulogy is the migration immigrants like Sarah took, carrying their culture with them. Compare in an essay the sentiments Chemelwitz espouses with the sentiments Louis later states in his first scene with Belize. What do they say about immigrant populations? About the spiritual past of America?

2.) When the Angel finally appears to Prior at the end of Millennium Approaches, she carries with her a message from Heaven. Write an essay about this message and its relation to the theme of migration. How does Prior's decision to renounce his calling reflect Kushner's thoughts on migration?

3.) By the end of the play, two characters have found deep fulfillment by traveling far from their long-time home: Hannah and Harper. Write an essay comparing these two women's journeys. What drives them from home? What do they hope to find on the other side?

Essay Topic 2

Angels in America is a play about a world polluted by selfish acts and fear. In this diseased America, two figures emerge as healers and caretakers willing to sacrifice for others in need: Write an essay about these two characters.

Part 1) How does the character of Belize serve as a healing force in the darkest reaches of the play? Examine his relationships with Prior, Louis, and Roy Cohn to determine his beliefs regarding empathy and truth.

Part 2) How does the character of Hannah progress from a caricature to a fully developed and evolving person in the play? Who does she help over the course of Perestroika, and how does she defy the expectations of those around her?

Part 3) Write a summation regarding Hannah and Belize. What do these figures say about Kushner's sense of benevolence and truth in modern-day America?

Essay Topic 3

Roy Cohn tells Belize that he can get anyone to do anything for him, but in the beginning of Angels in America he uses deception to try and convince Joe Pitt to do him a favor. Analyze the reason for this deception in an essay in three parts:

Part 1) In the first act of Millennium Approaches, how does Roy present the job opportunity to Joe Pitt? Why should Joe take the job and why is Roy offering it to him?

Part 2) When Martin Heller speaks to Joe Pitt speaks to Joe about joining the Justice Department, what does he talk about? What is the Reagan administration's plan for Justice? How is this supposed to appeal to Joe and convince him to take the job?

Part 3) What is the actual reason that Roy needs Joe Pitt in Justice? When does he decide to tell him the truth? What does this say of Roy's opinion of Joe?

(see the answer keys)

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