The Function of Split Scenes in Angels in America
...between Joe and Louis; they are the able-bodied crewmates who cast off their feeble counterparts. First and foremost, Joe and Louis are united by their ordinary names, just as Prior and Harper are united by their unusual names. The most important similarity between Joe and Louis is that they both abandon their loved ones for selfish reasons. Simply put, they both seek better lives for themselves even if it means hurting others. "Many elements in the play invite us to draw parallels between the two men-- not merely the fact that they end up in each others' arms, but, even more to the point, the number of split scenes that the two [characters] share" (Mendelsohn 1). Act II, scene 4 is one of those split scenes. Here, Joe and Roy Cohn are discussing his future in Washington while Louis is simultaneously attempting to cheat on Prior by having random sex in the park. Roy ultimately convinces Joe to leave his mentally unstable wife for a good career in Washington and Louis rejects his obligations to Prior by sleeping with another man. Thus, the split scene plainly indicates Joe and Louis's mutual need to discard the baser, messier aspects of their lives in favor of seeking happiness for themselves. Their common desire for a better life is reinforced in Act I, scene 5 when Louis is speaking to the Rabbi while Joe is talking to Harper about moving to Washington. In this split scene, both characters deliver an optimistic spiel about the possibility of life changing for the better. Louis talks about "moving uphill all the time" and Joe talks about "America rediscovering itself" (326). Their hopeful words are so similar that they could be interchangeable. Therefore, the split scenes connect the two characters by highlighting their need to search for personal happiness, even if it means failing their loved ones. The characterization links created by the split scenes are significant because they allow Kushner to break down seemingly rigid social categories. The play addresses two marginalized groups in America-- Mormons and homosexuals. Kushner takes these two groups and essentially tosses them in a blender. Janelle Reinelt writes, "The social gestus of the play is a kind of cutting loose from moorings, a letting go of fiercely held convictions or practices" (Barranger 362). This is achieved by the similarities found among what appear to be vastly different characters. Act I, scene 7 is a mutual dream scene with Harper and Prior that illustrates the conflation of social groups. Here, Harper witnesses Prior putting on makeup and discovers that he is a homosexual. She says to him, "Oh! In my church we don't believe in homosexuals." Prior quickly retorts, "In my church we don't believe in Mormons" (328). This tit-for-tat exchange is important because it levels the playing field between Mormonism and homosexuality. Prior and Harper superficially appear to be worlds apart because of their social groups, but they are really quite similar in terms of their predicaments. They are united by their respective problems with AIDS and a Valium addiction. Thus, the scene tears down ostensibly strict social barriers and proves that Mormons and homosexuals are all human beings who can undergo similar crises and relate to one another. This is important because it allows Kushner to convey the necessity of tolerance and understanding in the world, which is a key theme in Angels in America. The connections found among the characters in the split scenes are also important because they step beyond the bounds of personal relationships to incriminate the larger world of politics--namely the Reagan administration. The similarities found between the characters are doubly significant. It is no coincidence that Prior is an AIDS patient and Harper is mentally unstable. Nor is it a coincidence that Joe and Louis both work for the government. Joe and Louis's desertion of Prior and Harper is a metaphor for the way in which the Reagan administrat...