Politics and Culture in Tony Kushner's Homebody/Kabul: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

This essay offers a critical analysis of Tony Kushner's play Homebody/Kabul. Overall, it is argued that politics and culture represent salient dimensions along which the author has structured characters' identities and organized the narrative of the play. Drawing upon the work of Edward Said, particular attention is paid to Orientalist representations of Kabul by the Homebody as symptoms of and reactions against legacies of imperialism and colonialism. The function of language as a marker of culture, political affiliation, and identity is discussed. Further scholarly attention is strongly indicated.