In the first scene of Tony Kushner's drama Angels in America (1993), Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz's eulogy for Sarah Ironson lays out the play's crucial themes and motifs. The Rabbi, member of the “Bronx Home for Aged Jews” (Millennium, 9), commemorates Sarah's life and in particular her great journey to America. However, she continues to express pessimism about the current world by saying, “You will never be able to make that crossing that she made, because such great journeys in this world no longer exist” (Millennium, 10). However, due to the Rabbi's age and his clear prejudice against today's life in the “melting pot where nothing melts” (Millennium, 10), his speech is juxtaposed with one of the work's redefinitions of identity. The Rabbi may be right in stating that there are no longer physical mass migration journeys in the world; however, when it comes to metaphysical journeys, the main characters of the work present the antithesis to Rabbi Chemelwitz's theory. Today's life journeys are no longer about physical expansion, but rather about mental expansion, leading us to discover our personal identities while simultaneously resisting social expectations and standards. Harper, Louis, and Joe best exemplify this internal expansion of identity despite overwhelming social pressures. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Harper Pitt often travels throughout the show to find her true identity and escape her marriage. Subsequently, he cathartically frees himself from Joe to pursue his individuality. After meeting Harper for the first time, the audience is aware of his strange disposition and fear of loneliness. In her first scene, Mr. Lies, her fictional travel agent, seems to directly reflect her subconscious need to travel away from her husband and her current lifestyle. Additionally, Harper goes on various journeys with the help of his Valium addiction. He travels to Antarctica and even Prior's dream during his travels, which further highlights Harper's desire to move away from his current lifestyle. The play also depicts his addiction to Valium as more than just an addiction, but also as a desperate method of escape. When Harper finally breaks free from her marriage to Joe, she has reached the turning point in her journey. She decides to give her entire supply of Valium to Joe because she no longer needs to escape with the drugs, and instead will escape on her own, without the help of the pills or Mr. Lies. Harper is next seen on a jumbo jet in flight, which effectively connects Harper's metaphysical life journey to his physical one. Louis Ironson's journey of identity is both dynamic and contradictory, resulting in a journey that is successful in some areas, but still incomplete at the end of the play. Even though he thinks his inner journey is complete and he has come to terms with the world, he progresses from selfishness to a level of extreme remorse. This provides his character with contradictory qualities. In Perestroika, Louis criticizes Joe for hiding his sexuality; however, in Millennium, Prior reveals that Louis puts on an overtly "masculine" facade at family events in an attempt to hide his sexuality. Louis is an extreme liberal who is somehow attracted to a sexually confused Republican. Furthermore, although he was raised as a Jew, he considers himself an agnostic and cannot find a religion that suits him. These contradictory character traits add to the confusion of Louis' journey. Louis begins the play fearing Prior's illness, showing his weakness and selfishness; however, gradually.