What does Kushner propose regarding religious/personal standards, and are these standards valuable or do they cause difficulty? Many people today have a set of religious or personal standards that have helped them achieve their goals. However, there are many others who try their best to live up to these standards of perfection but end up living a miserable life. This essay will discuss the possible standards of Joe and Roy implied in Tony Kushner's play "Angels in America," while explaining how they can be both valuable and questionable. Kushner implies that religious ideals serve as guidelines for those who follow them. He makes this point with the character called Joe. A Mormon who used these religious standards to combat the “bad or ugly” and modified his behavior to make it “decent” or “correct” (Angels in America, p. 40). Joe also talks about the image where "Jacob wrestles with the angel", Kushner mentions this to suggest that Joe is Jacob and that he is wrestling with the flesh or something that is not part of his religious ideals. Joe goes on to say that "losing means your soul being cast into the dust, your heart torn from God's", meaning that losing or, in other words, giving in to temptation goes against these ideals (Angels in America, p. 49). Kushner conveys these religious ideals or ultimate goals that serve as a sort of road map to guide people on the right path so that they can live happier lives. Kushner also offers another side of these same religious norms that he discusses throughout the piece. As a Mormon, Joe has followed these ideals very closely and although he is a respectable man, he is not happy; "I graduated fourth in my class... I...... middle of paper...... and that he will never die, Kushner could have added this to imply that There are many old ideals that have been passed down throughout history and have not changed over time. Ethel, however, adds that everything is about to change as the "Millennium approaches." The scene where the angel crosses the roof of Prior's apartment (p. 118) is significant because Kushner shows the breakdown of all the tensions and ideals that have been discussed throughout the play. not the climax of the story but a new beginning because after destruction comes reconstruction It is not the right thing to follow your ideals for your personal gain without paying attention to your surroundings because what you did wrong yesterday. will catch up with you tomorrow It is important to have a good outlook for the future because there is always room for change..