Belize

Belize seems to be the one character feeling good and confidant in his own skin. He is black, gay, ex drag queen, and has a job as a male nurse that is usually more common among females. I believe Kushner included him in his play as the voice of wisdom and reason. He represents kindness when he was first introduced to the reader as Prior’s friend when he went to visit him at the hospital. He was joking, trying to comfort Prior about his disease, and making him laugh. He brought with him a special balm supposedly to help Prior’s lesions. He was shown in the HBO movie to rub the special cream himself on Prior’s body, without any fear or repulse. Kushner intended to portray Belize as the sweet individual who can listen, sooth, ease, and reason with anybody, and God knows how the characters of Angels in America are in a great need to be consoled and listened to. He assured Prior that Louis will not abandon him, even though the reader or the viewer could sense a doubt on Belize’s face and tone. He just wanted to make Prior feel good at that particular moment. Kushner particularly, had him listen and respond to the most troubled, tormented, and lost characters of the play and which are Roy and Louis. He listened to Louis for a long time without interrupting him, till he felt that the time to stop him and start responding has come. Again, Kushner wanted him to be the conscience that Louis is blocking and denying. He told Louis exactly what he should not have done, especially walking away from Prior at a time when he needed him the most. In the movie, the viewer could tell that Belize was disgusted from Louis’ excuses, and convinced that Louis himself was not happy about his decision to abandon Prior but wanted to hear otherwise from someone else, to feel a kind of a relief. But Belize never gave Louis the satisfaction to walk away with a clean conscience.
In Part II of Angels in America, there was a very interesting scene at the hospital mixed with truth and humor. Belize was on duty, and Roy was in the same hospital, being treated for AIDS. Once again, Belize was calm, when Roy refused to be treated by Belize because he was black. Even though Roy was very harsh in his words towards Belize, Belize tried to explain the whole procedure of radiation, and tried to warn him about what the doctor might do to him. Roy was confused and did not know what to make of Belize. In this particular scene, Kushner wanted to reveal another side of Belize, who despite the insults from Roy, stayed calm and focused on his job. In his conversations with both Louis and Roy, Belize was the truth that both men refused to see, a truth about their cowardice and their loss in a world full of controversies. Belize somehow reminded me of Tyler in Fight Club, who wanted to see the world from a different angle.