Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

by

Anna Deavere Smith

Anonymous Man #2 Character Analysis

Smith interviews an anonymous Hollywood agent who reflects on the panic and fear that gripped the more affluent, white neighborhoods of Los Angeles as the riots were underway, though no rioting happened in these areas. Nonetheless, he describes how everyone worked “themselves into a frenzy,” fleeing for the safety of their homes as though they were being chased by Godzilla. The Hollywood agent’s interview reaffirms the “us versus them” narrative put forth by other characters. He suggests that who “they” is doesn’t matter, so long as the “they” is a group separate from—and alien to—the “us.” While the Hollywood agent recognizes that he’s not personally responsible for the unrest among minority communities that fueled the riots, he sees how his willful participation in a broader system of racial inequality makes him complicit.
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Anonymous Man #2 Character Timeline in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

The timeline below shows where the character Anonymous Man #2 appears in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Godzilla
Police Brutality, Corruption, and Systemic Racism  Theme Icon
...Central, though it was still “business as usual” in their part of the city. The agent guesses it was “generic guilt” that caused “these people’s” unrest. (full context)
Police Brutality, Corruption, and Systemic Racism  Theme Icon
Justice, Perspective, and Ambiguity  Theme Icon
Individuals vs. Institutions Theme Icon
...the Beverly Center, though nobody would say who “they” were. All that was important, the agent notes, was that “they” were not “us.” (full context)
Police Brutality, Corruption, and Systemic Racism  Theme Icon
Healing, Progress, and Collective Consciousness  Theme Icon
Justice, Perspective, and Ambiguity  Theme Icon
Individuals vs. Institutions Theme Icon
The agent recalls watching as the office hurriedly emptied out. He describes hordes of middle-aged “yuppies” in... (full context)
Police Brutality, Corruption, and Systemic Racism  Theme Icon
Healing, Progress, and Collective Consciousness  Theme Icon
Justice, Perspective, and Ambiguity  Theme Icon
Individuals vs. Institutions Theme Icon
Action vs. Symbolic Gesture  Theme Icon
The agent remembers having a lot of conflicted thoughts when he feared for his and his family’s... (full context)