Longing and disappointment
These stories don't seem to be about catharsis and release, but rather, they are disappointed tales about disillusioned characters whose lives force them into positions of want. Their emotions are often extremely unsettling and they come with feelings of urgency, but each character has to learn to work through their relationship to disappointment. Even the title is a suggestion to this effect. The idea of longing for romance is evident in "Love in the Marketplace," and the longing for acceptance is evident in "Son." In addition, the secrecy of suffering is explored in Miss Casablanca's character, and each story features the problem of adjusting to the changes of life through time.
Family and loneliness
These stories explore the ideas of family and loneliness, especially contrasting the loneliness of Western business culture with the sense of family loyalty that exists in Beijing. The question remains throughout the stories: Why are these people not connecting in the way they might have connected in generations past? The answer lies in the broken nature of social institution, at least in the book's estimation. Look for a moment at Han's relationship to begging children. Instead of honoring his social obligation to care for the needy, he assumes it is a ploy. He is lonely because he knows how to be skeptical, but when he is honest, he connects with his mother again.
Existence and frustration
A thousand years is a long time to be frustrated, praying for a better fate. The length implied in the title suggests that existential patience is this missing key that ties all these stories into one cohesive idea. Look for a moment at "Son," when Han reveals to his mother that he is gay. The frustration of his conspiracy theories about the beggar children show that he is a skeptical person, but his self-imposed loneliness from his mother is absurd—for him, the answer to his existential frustration is not to change himself or his mother, but just to be honest with her for once about himself. She says she already knew.
