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.

A Short Getaway

In a prior post, I was discussing the dysfunctional aspect of the character Harper in Angels In America. This week I wanted to revisit her, and her perspective of life particularly in the scene where she travels with Mr. Lies to Antartica. At first, I thought that it was quite odd to have an escape to somewhere so frigid and desolate. However, the more that I pondered over it I began to realize that this setting was perfect for her character. Desolation is what she needed...complete aloneness with the whole world open to her. In addition, the idea of Antartica being completely white/covered in snow is a symbol of purity and innocence to the audience, almost as if she is cleansing herself of all the twisted lies and terrible aspects of her real-life situation. Her all-white outfit too can be representative of this idea of stripping herself of her identity and reconnecting and reinventing herself. Harper is such a unique character because her true feelings and thoughts are heard primarily in these hallucinations. One thing that struck me as an audience member was when she felt that she needed a companion (i.e., the Eskimo). This companion, played by Joe's character, was incredibly fascinating to me. I believe that the pairing of Harper with the Eskimo could symbolize her lack of direction in the future coupled with her desire to salvage a dissipating marriage. I am eager to see what will happen with Joe and Harper's relationship as we move through this play. If I had to make assumptions, I would gather that this idea of aloneness foreshadows the future.

A Father Figure

In Act Two Scene Four of Angels In America, Roy explains to Joe the importance of a Father-Son relationship. As Roy lectures to Joe about the importance of having someone older than you believe in you, we quickly learn that Joe's father was not a man that he felt any sort of connection with him as an adolescent. It is heartbreaking to Joe particularly as he ponders over the idea that he fails to have such support in his life, and immediately ties this sense of support to the idea that he is holding in a huge secret about his sexuality. We do not know for sure, but a reader could potentially assume that due to the idea that Joe's father did not love him might relate to the fact that he had to suppress his true feelings for men. In the conversation when Hannah and Joe speak over the phone, we learn that his mother does not approve of his sexuality and that his father never loved him. This conversation provides insight into the closed-minded, arrogant, and un-loving parents that Joe was raised by. Unfortunately, the two most valued people in the world ( a mother and father) are not the human beings Joe can run to in a crisis. It is comforting to see that Roy, in some ways, is trying to act as a fatherly figure, in my opinion. Some might say that Roy is sexually attracted to Joe, but I believe the vulnerability lies in the fact that Joe feels so alone and unwanted by a vast array of individuals that surround his everyday life.

Glimpse into Act Two Scene Nine

Throughout the play Angels In America, most of the scenes have been divided into specific conversations that exist between Harper and Joe and between Louis and Prior. The second to the final scene, however, provides the reader with all four characters talking as rapidly as possible in two separate locations. It is an interesting stylistic choice for the writer of this play to combine two climactic scenes of two completely different relationships. In my own opinion, it creates a sense of chaos, as if we as an audience are witnessing the most critical "fights" that have existed between Harper and Joe and Prior and Louis thus far. For Harper and Joe, Joe is deciding he needs to leave his wife. For Prior and Louis, it is Louis deciding to leave Prior. In this way, I believe the combination of these two scenes are incredibly effective at drawing the attention toward how drastically different, yet similar all four characters can be. In addition, it shines a light on the desire of freedom amongst one of the partners, while the other has a feeling of being trapped. Prior, literally confined within a hospital room, desperately wishes Louis would leave him to die. As an audience we see how much this pains him, sincerely hoping that Louis does not leave. To mimic this situation, Harper also wishes to get away as she asks Mr. Lies to take her far away from this confrontation of Joe admitting that he needs to leave, and never has loved her because he is gay. It is one of my favorite scenes in this play so far, as it is packed with underlying emotions such as Louis, who holds in a deep burning passion for love yet puts on a facade because he is frightened by the idea of death.

A Dysfunctional Woman

In the play Angels In America, the dysfunctional atmosphere of Harper and Joe's relationship evokes a hostile and eerie environment for this couple. Harper, immersed within her hallucinations, regularly swallows Valium pills and seemingly lives a duel life, as seen by the audience. To Joe, Harper is an odd woman, that keeps to herself, in the play thus far. The uniqueness of this play rests in the fact that only the audience is provided insight into Harper's twisted mind. The specific lens that we as readers/audience members can attest to allows us to cope with the lonely life of this woman who is breaking down inside. Her drug-induced hallucinations, present the real dilemmas and desires of Harper. For instance, when Mr. Lies comes to speak to Harper about "getting away" or traveling, a feeling of being trapped and alone is especially absorbed during this scene. The idea of leaving can be reflective of how Harper wishes to escape from herself and the world that she is confined within. Her relationship with Joe is failing as he is always going on long walks without her. In her encounter with an unfamiliar face (to her... not to the audience), Prior, he explains to her that Joe is homosexual. In my own opinion, although she has never met Prior, this is another instance where her feelings and intuitions roam freely, and other individuals are merely the voice that guides her to conclusions and desired fantasies. Toward the end of this act, it is interesting to see this transition from a woman who keeps to herself, to a woman who is confrontational when receiving this news about her spouse being gay. Her reaction contradicts every notion her previous character had imposed upon to the audience. For this reason, her character is complex, as there are still several layers the audience has yet to unfold. 

Movies Then vs. Now

With WWII coming to a close, it was no doubt that the 50s and 60s screen's were filled with patriotism, heroism and pride. Film-makers created movies that would often rally people under a common feeling. This specific feeling could be pride, or sadness,  happiness or love. For instance, movies such as The Bridge on the River Kwai or Run Silent, Run Deep, captured action-packed scenes of war and the lives of soldiers. It is particularly interesting how it seems that older movies were more direct and to the point. The movie served a greater purpose...teaching lessons, emphasizing certain aspects of life, and exploring love and fantasy. The 50s and 60s were a time when movies drew crowds from all of the surrounding cities because they were drawn into this story that brought relief to stressful work days or post-war veterans. Movies during that time period were a pass-time for the American people. This is not to say that modern day movies are not, however, it is clear that certain films are merely released to stir controversies such as The Interview or present main characters that people are not fond of. Moreover, there is a lack of feeling... as if some movies are merely written just to put a famous actress or actor on screen, not to serve the greater good. The 50s and 60s used this platform to educate the public of what the war was like, or how other's can fall in love, versus today in a movie such as Crazy Rich Asian's were it emphasizes the effects of wealth in Asian countries. Overall, this contrast is clear from then to now, as it is unfortunate that film-makers today are seemly making films to just make money.

Lets all go to the movies!

The rush and excitement of a new movie film often drew crowds out to theaters all across the nation in the 1950s and 1960s. Actor's such as Paul Newman, Cary Grant, and Joanne Woodward captivated audience's into a romantic, dramatic, or action-packed story line. The movies created fantasies for the audience; men and women enjoyed seeing heroes conquer the world or the warm feeling of two people falling in love. The classic dinner and movie outing was extremely popular... eat a nice dinner and head to the evening showcase of North by Northwest. The magic of the movies today, however, has significantly diminished. In the comfort of your own home, women, men, and children can watch movies right on their T.V. screens... but forget TV's even... laptops, Ipads, and cell phones can now stream movies instantly at a remarkably low price! People in today's society would rather spend $4.99 to rent a movie than an average $9.00-$14.00 per person for the theater, and they can remain in pajamas or informal wear. Movie gathering now does not involve transportation, it is more personal, and a plethora of genres are at the tips of our fingers. So why not? It seems plausible to forget the theaters, reclining chairs, big screens and settle for an 8x11 inch screen just because we desire staying inside.  Older generations in modern day will always remember the excitement of the 50s and 60s as the drastic change of movie-going has altered the face of our society.