Zhang's sexual abuse of Douzi as an allegory for the social injustice of the times
Look at the scene where Douzi is lured by Zhang into a dangerous scenario. Zhang easily accomplishes his task, because to a person without resources, a wealthy, powerful man like Zhang comes to represent a certain hope for a brighter future. Zhang knows this, and he exploits Douzi's trust, ultimately abusing him behind closed doors. This can be seen as a prototype for the kind of injustice that the novel is about. By subjecting Douzi to sex slavery, Zhang demonstrates the propensity of the upper class to abuse the lower class, and then to judge them harshly for their lack of innocence. The kind of evil and hatred that it takes to use someone this way is the same hatred that allows the wealthy and powerful to look down on the people they exploit.
The stage as an allegory for the subconscious
By showing two seriously talented opera actors, the novel draws attention to the theatrical element of Douzi's self-perception. On stage, Douzi can pretend he is Shitou's lover, although he has to sacrifice his identity as a man to do that. This is a brilliant picture of Douzi's struggle to come to terms with his homosexuality and his identity as a man. To him, they feel incompatible. To be sure, they are not, and man gay men and women learn to live confident, healthy lives, but Douzi's society and his difficult history prevent him from seeing that and hoping for it.
The motif of prostitution and shame
Douzi's mother is a prostitute. Douzi plays a prostitute in one of the plays. Douzi is also the victim of sexual abuse in the book. If all the instances of this motif are added up and analyzed, the effect of the motif can be said to be something like this: Prostitution is a metaphor for the accusatory judgment that powerful people sometimes use against weaker people, and by weaker people, we mean people with poor access to basic needs, and especially sex workers. Prostitution is when a woman agrees to let a man use her for money, and the irony of this is that it's the men who are committing the greater sin, objectifying a human being. The novel explains that for many prostitutes, it's not really an option. What happens when Douzi tries to escape? He is raped by a wealthy man, as if to say, "No. We've already decided what you're worth." It's a cruel and evil thing, and the novel does a good job of showing just how evil this systematic injustice can really be.
The motif of suicide
In certain Asian cultures, there is such a thing as honor suicides, and this seems to be the implication of this story too, since each suicide comes after a serious shame. For Juxian, this means being outed as a prostitute. The shame overwhelms her, and she dies. For Douzi, it is the shame of existence in a world that doesn't accept him for who he is, that constantly tries to enforce another view onto him that doesn't correspond with his sense of self.
Communism as a symbol for false justice
By pretending to be fair and equalizing, the Red Army swiftly comes to power, and before long, the delicate drama of the novel is being undermined by a tyrannical, mob-like sense of justice that doesn't do anything except hurt some seriously disadvantaged people. If anything, Chinese Communism is shown to be the opposite of Marxist utopia. Instead of the Proletariat rising up, the Red Army keeps them subject, ruling them with violence and fear.
