Economic inequalities exist as an attempt to marginalize the population (Scarlato 3, 4):
Example 1: “Now that the Great War was over, jobs were scarce [...]” (Wang, We Two Alone 4).
Nelson works as a laundry boy out of desperation, clearly representing the proletariat.
Historically, Chinese-owned hand laundries were extremely common at the time in Canada (Wai-Ma).
Working conditions were unpleasant and these establishments were considered a burden to society. Many were family-owned businesses with very low or nonexistent pay (Wai-Ma).
Example 2: “Tonight, once again, nothing.” (Wang, We Two Alone 189).
The result of nothing refers to Leonard checking his ex-wife’s social media to ensure she was not in a relationship.
He intends to get back together with her to continue pursuing acting but in actuality this instance represents the perseverance of trying to achieve his dreams while struggling with money.
This is proved by the fact he was only willing to continue acting after realizing his ex-wife had talent.
Example 3: “[...] not a line or an arc but a sine, a wave, forever vacillating.” (Wang, We Two Alone 157).
The sine, instead of representing time, represents feelings and prejudices constantly changing and evolving although the result always remains the same.
The reason for this is a previous statement insinuating that the idea of Chinese immigrants dating local white peoples is a “scourge” as the Chinese are depicted as a “poor” group.