The play initially raises many critical questions throughout the story, including political oppression, sexism, male dominance in society, and racism. In the third act and the third scene specifically, a few critical meanings of the play are presented.
Gallimard views Chinese people as passive and obedient, sincerely believing that they need to be led by someone more powerful. He refuses to consider other points of view or evidence that contradict his beliefs because for Galimard is impossible to imagine that this nation would not want to be under the patronage of the United States.
Through the conversation with Toulon, his limited outlooks reveal and show his perception of America as a superior country, creating a desirable reality for everyone outside of it. At that point, his political views start to intersect with the position Galimard has regarding romantic relationships.
He does not try to learn about Chinese people outside the relationship with Song and compares the situation between the United States and China to their romance. The relationship dynamic implies that West and Galimard himself represent the solid and dominant masculine figures, While Song and China are feminine and submissive.
Simultaneously, this situation releases the meaning of the two social issues that reflect patriarchy and America’s colonial tendencies. Gallimard thinks he is superior in his relationship with Song and views her as less intelligent and intelligent than himself. From his perspective, Song and women, in general, cannot be equal to men and especially have power over them.
The same applies to the USA and other countries, in that particular case, Vietnam, where the Americans are about to start the war. Gallimard is a collective image of the outlooks and perspectives that reflected the moods of some parts of American society and a deeply rooted history of misogyny and colonialism.