Roy -- Scared and Afraid

For a man with so much power and influence, it is surprising to see him in such a fearful state of mind when he is admitted to the hospital for AIDS. Moreover, it is shocking that for the duration of the play thus far, that no one but his doctor knows that he is dying of AIDS. What I found particularly interesting in this hospital scene was Belize's selfless act of kindness to help out Roy. While showering Belize with racist and homophobic slurs, not once does he let this affect his attitude toward the patient at hand. I believe that Roy's actions toward Belize are out of fear that he is going to die. It is as if this is when he fully realizes the seriousness of his illness and begins to accept his feelings for men. In addition, I think that Belize sees this fear from with Roy and recognizes that he is calling desperately for someone to help him stay alive. It was a brave scene for Belize, as he is confronted face on with someone who is crippling right in front of his eyes and while he is offended by Roy's words, he still chooses to help him by saying not to accept radiation for cancer. When this confrontation occurs, Roy, in a sense knows that he can not contain his secret much longer. His power can only take him so far and now he is faced with a decision to expose himself, knowing that his career could be shattered. During this era it was common for people to hid their true sexuality because it was not accepted in society. For this reason, a big lawyer like Roy feared that this image of him would be seen as weak, thus his desperation to get the experimental medicine proves he is trying to save his own life.