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

Short Answer Questions

1. In Act 3, Scene 4, which of the following is not a place Louis mentions as a hot bed of homosexual mating?

2. What is Belize's given name?

3. Which of the following is Prior's chosen vestment starting in Act 2 of Perestroika?

4. In what color is the Angel dressed when she enters Prior's hospital room in Act 5?

5. At the end of Act 4, Scene 6, what does Prior say Hannah does to him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tony Kushner's play takes place almost entirely in New York City. This is the home of virtually every character, but he also has two other distinct settings that exist in the real world but exist in the play as fantastical realms. Write en essay about these two places. Why does Kushner choose them as fantastical lands? What is different about them? What do they represent?

Part 1) Antarctica

Part 2) San Fransisco

Essay Topic 2

Joe Pitt is the most ambiguous figure in the play. He is at once tortured, principled, and selfish. He is a victim and a bully. Write an essay about Kushner's attitude toward Joe. Divide the essay into three sections, focusing first on examples of sympathy for the confused and self-loathing man. The second section should focus on the unsympathetic qualities of Joe's character. The last section should be an opinion as to what Kushner believes about Joe as a person.

Essay Topic 3

Tony Kushner sets Angels in America during the high-water mark of the Reagan era, when the pursuit of individual success was a central focus in America. Write an essay about Kushner's depiction of the destructiveness of self-interest focusing on three characters:

Part 1) How is the character of Roy Cohn the antithesis of the communitarian worldview? What does he attempt to espouse to the two men he befriends: Joe and Belize? Cite specific statements he makes during the play.

Part 2) How is Joe Pitt a worthy disciple to Roy Cohn's worldview? How does his coming out to Louis and Harper prove to be intensely self-interested? What prevents him from fully enjoying his happiness?

Part 3) To what extent does Joe attempt to win Louis over to the idea that self-interested is the best a person can be? How does Louis react to this, and what happens to the relationship as a result?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 417 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample