Homosexuality
Angels in America frankly and authentically deals with homosexuality, not an altogether common theme in major works of literature in the 1990s. The main male characters are all homosexuals and the play offers a glimpse into their lives during the 1980s; these are fully human, nuanced, and complicated figures navigating life, love, heartbreak, and disease. The play focuses on the social stigma queer people suffered from, and it also focuses on the ignorant and hostile opinions others had about homosexuals. It also offers an accurate image of how homosexuals were perceived by others, even inside their own community. Roy is bitterly antagonistic towards homosexuals, whom he views as weak and powerless, and Joe is ashamed of himself and buys into a conservative political and legal system that marginalizes them.
Identity
In the play, every character has a fixed identity, or what they think is a fixed identity. Most characters know his or her ancestry and is a member of a religious group or has a political affiliation or a community. Despite this sense that every character belongs somewhere, the characters in the play struggle to accept who they really are. For example, Joe identifies himself as being a Mormon and having a strong moral sensibility. When he realizes that he is attracted to men, which goes against the belief system of the Mormon religion, Joe is put in the tough position of denying his desires or following them. Until he decides what path to follow, Joe struggles with his identity, feeling that he should behave in a certain way but knowing that it will go against what he thought to be right until that point. Roy also denies his sexual orientation and dies a painful, cruel death alone. Hannah and Harper have specific ways they view themselves and how they should live their lives, but both eventually learn to fashion their life as they wish it to be, even if it doesn't adhere to those original frameworks.
Migration and Progress
The Angel’s appearance is closely related to mankind's migration. The Angel claims that man’s migratory instinct created chaos in Heaven, which prompted God to leave and abandon his celestial creation. The Angel of America tries to convince Prior to be prophet and to stop those living on earth from migrating, hoping that it will bring God back. The Angel’s point of view regarding moving from one place to another is shared by a few characters in the book. For them, moving and traveling is evil and should be avoided if possible. For them, staying in one familiar place means happiness and safety. But this doesn’t apply to the rest of the characters who discovered that they are miserable as a result of stasis and being trapped. Through his play, the author tries to transmit the message that change is inevitable and it will happen even though society will try to stop it. In the light of this idea, society should not try to live in an ideal past, but rather adapt to the ever-changing present.
Forgiveness and Redemption
Many of the characters do hurtful and callous things to each other,whether they intend to or not. Betrayal, secrets, and lies are rampant; relationships and marriages fracture and harsh words are exchanged. Nevertheless, many of the characters find a way to redeem themselves as they seek more self-awareness, practice more compassion, and atone for their previous misdeeds. Part and parcel of that is forgiveness, best exemplified in Prior's ability to forgive Louis for leaving him. This does not mean that Prior gives up too much of himself or lets Louis off the hook; he does not welcome him back into his bed, after all. However, his ability to see Louis's change and his subsequent forgiving of him augurs well for the future of America if we can see this small group as a microcosm of America.
Illness
Roy says it best when he bitterly states that America has no use for the sick: America is a place where only the healthy are accepted and revered. Those who have AIDS and other diseases are sequestered away from the general population. They are treated as pariahs, no longer part of the social body. Illness functions several ways in the text, however; it's not just indicative of how America values strength and espouses varieties of social and actual Darwinism. The AIDS virus metaphorically parallels the other sicknesses infecting America: greed, corruption, selfishness, and prejudice.
Spirituality and Religion
Religion permeates the text. There are Mormons, atheists, and Jews; allusions to the Bible and spirituality abound. Kushner doesn't seem to advocate for a God in any traditional monotheistic way, but he is clearly a deeply spiritual person who acknowledges the weight of religious tradition and history. Religion helps people make sense of their existence and their identity; these traditions are deeply interwoven into the fabric of American history, culture, literature, and philosophy. Kushner suggests that the two main religions discussed in the text—Mormonism and Judaism—have similar themes and that tolerance of each is necessary in an ideal America. However, both of those religions also disapprove of homosexuality and are quite conservative in regard to gender. Religions like these need to evolve and embrace all forms of identity if they are to prove truly adaptable to the modern era, to a time when the world only spins forward.
Community
One of the most important themes in the text is that of community: without a community of one's friends, family, and lovers, it is impossible to live a meaningful life. Roy, the man without a community, dies enraged and alone. Prior is still sick at the end of the play, but he is surrounded by his community and is therefore able to have a rich life. Community for Kushner is also inclusive; it is the vision of Heaven Belize speaks of: multicultural in all respects, devoid of intolerance or prejudice.
