Larry as an archetype
Because Larry's character is defined by the most extreme sorts of circumstances imaginable, he fits the description of an archetype. His archetypal value is that he is the ultimate sufferer. As a young kid, he is made to suffer agonizing emotional abuse, physical violence, and frequent rape—by his own father. He is archetypal in his suffering, and he is archetypal in his loneliness, because the person most suited by nature to help him is the very person hurting him. If he can't trust his own father, then he certainly won't trust a random stranger.
The symbolic girlfriend
Juliet is a symbol for happiness, but more technically, she represents Larry's subconscious fears about women and romance, fears defined by self-esteem issues and feelings of embarrassment from being raped and not knowing how to move forward. She represents whatever Larry thinks Johnny has that he does not have. To Larry, she literally represents the pain of jealousy.
The motif of shame
Much of Larry's life is defined by shame. Much of his timidness around people seems to be rooted in shame. Then there is his private feelings of struggle, frustration, and jealousy. Struggle against what? Frustration with what? It seems shame is the answer to these questions.
Why is shame such an important issue in the book? Well, in light of what we learn from Larry about his father, it is obvious. Along with the unfair shame that comes from Larry's mistreatment (rooted primarily in his confusion and disappointment), Larry is continually shamed by his father in order to manipulate him from ever telling anyone.
The novel is full of shame because Larry has to overcome his shame in order to vocalize his trauma with a friend. Ultimately, if Larry seeks justice against his father, it will be shame that would hold him back. Luckily, he has nothing to be ashamed of, because it was never his fault. The shame he feels is shame that his father deserves, not him.
The symbolic move
The novel is predicated on the Sole family moving from Fort Simmer to Fort Rae. The idea here is that Larry literally has no one in Fort Rae. That's a serious dilemma for him, because if the only person he has access to is his father who rapes him, then he has a legitimate need for someone's help, and since they moved, he has to make a friend before he can get the help he needs. The move is the inciting incident of the novel, because it catalyzes Larry's decision to seek help.
Johnny as a symbol
Johnny is cool. He's unaffected, one might say. He seems like people like him. He seems to be fairly competent and that lends itself to his confidence. After all, he gets Juliet, doesn't he?
So who better to tell than him? Larry's decision to be friends with Johnny shows the reader Larry's tenacity, because he truly admires Johnny, and in order to be friends with Johnny, he has to be humble (the jealousy is a real obstacle here, because it makes Larry angry with Johnny for no real reason). To be friends with Johnny involves making peace with himself.
In other words, Johnny can be viewed as a part of Larry's character. As a symbol, he represents Larry admitting to himself the truth about what happened. Johnny represents the cool, powerful person Larry believes he could have been if he had not been raped by his father. Therefore, Johnny is Larry's "shadow self"—the potential of who Larry could become if he is honest with himself.
