A Dysfunctional Woman

In the play Angels In America, the dysfunctional atmosphere of Harper and Joe's relationship evokes a hostile and eerie environment for this couple. Harper, immersed within her hallucinations, regularly swallows Valium pills and seemingly lives a duel life, as seen by the audience. To Joe, Harper is an odd woman, that keeps to herself, in the play thus far. The uniqueness of this play rests in the fact that only the audience is provided insight into Harper's twisted mind. The specific lens that we as readers/audience members can attest to allows us to cope with the lonely life of this woman who is breaking down inside. Her drug-induced hallucinations, present the real dilemmas and desires of Harper. For instance, when Mr. Lies comes to speak to Harper about "getting away" or traveling, a feeling of being trapped and alone is especially absorbed during this scene. The idea of leaving can be reflective of how Harper wishes to escape from herself and the world that she is confined within. Her relationship with Joe is failing as he is always going on long walks without her. In her encounter with an unfamiliar face (to her... not to the audience), Prior, he explains to her that Joe is homosexual. In my own opinion, although she has never met Prior, this is another instance where her feelings and intuitions roam freely, and other individuals are merely the voice that guides her to conclusions and desired fantasies. Toward the end of this act, it is interesting to see this transition from a woman who keeps to herself, to a woman who is confrontational when receiving this news about her spouse being gay. Her reaction contradicts every notion her previous character had imposed upon to the audience. For this reason, her character is complex, as there are still several layers the audience has yet to unfold. 

Movies Then vs. Now

With WWII coming to a close, it was no doubt that the 50s and 60s screen's were filled with patriotism, heroism and pride. Film-makers created movies that would often rally people under a common feeling. This specific feeling could be pride, or sadness,  happiness or love. For instance, movies such as The Bridge on the River Kwai or Run Silent, Run Deep, captured action-packed scenes of war and the lives of soldiers. It is particularly interesting how it seems that older movies were more direct and to the point. The movie served a greater purpose...teaching lessons, emphasizing certain aspects of life, and exploring love and fantasy. The 50s and 60s were a time when movies drew crowds from all of the surrounding cities because they were drawn into this story that brought relief to stressful work days or post-war veterans. Movies during that time period were a pass-time for the American people. This is not to say that modern day movies are not, however, it is clear that certain films are merely released to stir controversies such as The Interview or present main characters that people are not fond of. Moreover, there is a lack of feeling... as if some movies are merely written just to put a famous actress or actor on screen, not to serve the greater good. The 50s and 60s used this platform to educate the public of what the war was like, or how other's can fall in love, versus today in a movie such as Crazy Rich Asian's were it emphasizes the effects of wealth in Asian countries. Overall, this contrast is clear from then to now, as it is unfortunate that film-makers today are seemly making films to just make money.

Lets all go to the movies!

The rush and excitement of a new movie film often drew crowds out to theaters all across the nation in the 1950s and 1960s. Actor's such as Paul Newman, Cary Grant, and Joanne Woodward captivated audience's into a romantic, dramatic, or action-packed story line. The movies created fantasies for the audience; men and women enjoyed seeing heroes conquer the world or the warm feeling of two people falling in love. The classic dinner and movie outing was extremely popular... eat a nice dinner and head to the evening showcase of North by Northwest. The magic of the movies today, however, has significantly diminished. In the comfort of your own home, women, men, and children can watch movies right on their T.V. screens... but forget TV's even... laptops, Ipads, and cell phones can now stream movies instantly at a remarkably low price! People in today's society would rather spend $4.99 to rent a movie than an average $9.00-$14.00 per person for the theater, and they can remain in pajamas or informal wear. Movie gathering now does not involve transportation, it is more personal, and a plethora of genres are at the tips of our fingers. So why not? It seems plausible to forget the theaters, reclining chairs, big screens and settle for an 8x11 inch screen just because we desire staying inside.  Older generations in modern day will always remember the excitement of the 50s and 60s as the drastic change of movie-going has altered the face of our society.