Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika Act 4, Scene 3 Summary

  • The next day, Louis sits on the rim of the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.
  • Belize enters. He says he likes the angel in the fountain and asks what she commemorates.
  • Louis tells him she was built to honor the Navy sailors who died during the Civil War.
  • Crankily, Belize demands to know why Louis asked to meet him.
  • Louis wants to explain about Joe; he thinks Prior misunderstood him.
  • Belize says he and Prior know all about Joe, since they visited him at work. Belize continues, "This is a record low: sharing your dank and dirty bed with Roy Cohn's buttboy" (4.3.16).
  • Louis can't believe this is true.
  • He thinks Belize is still in love with Prior and implies that Belize is just bringing this up because he hates him.
  • Louis goes on and on about how evil Roy Cohn is; he just can't believe Joe would be associated with him.
  • Belize points out that Louis knows barely anything about Joe. A pathetic Louis just nods.
  • Belize clarifies for Louis the way he feels about Prior: he loves him but he's not in love with him. Belize has had his own boyfriend for a long time.
  • Louis says he didn't know that.
  • Yeah, because you never cared to know, says Belize. Belize says Louis is just like the angel, floating high up in the air, only concerned about big ideas. "'America' is what Louis loves," Belize says (4.3.33).
  • Louis says maybe that's true but that Belize doesn't really know how he feels.
  • Whatever, says Belize, and admits that he hates America. He talks about how the highest note in the Star Spangled Banner, which comes on the word "free," is too high for anybody to sing.
  • It starts to rain.
  • Belize opens an umbrella.
  • Louis stands in the rain.
  • Belize says, "I live in America, Louis, that's hard enough, I don't have to love it. You do that. Everybody's got to love something" (4.3.36).
  • "Everybody does," Louis tells him (4.3.37).