“People are like planets, you need a thick skin.”

Harper is concerned that the ozone layer, which she sees as a protective cover, is developing holes. Similarly, her protective skin of delusion is wearing thin as she becomes more aware of the reality of her marriage. She will eventually “travel” to Antarctica to be near a large hole in the ozone.

“Rabbi, what does the Holy Writ say about someone who abandons someone he loves at a time of great need?”

Louis has just learned that Prior has AIDS, and he is already afraid and looking for a way out of the relationship. He looks for absolution in the framework of religion, but the rabbi tells him that Judaism offers guilt, not absolution. This condemns Louis to wallow in the guilt of his decision.

“I don’t think there’s any uninfected part of me. My heart is pumping polluted blood. I feel dirty.”

Harper has just revealed to Prior that there is a part of him that is free from infection. But Prior feels as if the virus has permeated his entire being. This reflects the way AIDS patients are isolated and treated as if they are unclean.