Sally as an allegory for repression
Sally's difficult life can be seen as the rebellious response to repression. Her bad attitude is the result of her ability to perceive how messed up her world is because of the constant judgment of others. Therefore, her actions aren't meaningless, but rather, they serve as a prototype for Mark's own response to his environment. The difference is that Mark seems to accept himself and love himself, but unfortunately, Sally's experience represents the majority, and her inability to find peace makes her the perfect representation for the true damage of repressive and judgmental attitudes.
The motif of unabashed positivity
Mark is humiliated when his mom finds him dancing, and later, this matters a lot, because it's his mother's rejection of beauty and joy that tips Mark off to the fact that, actually, his mother is also a victim of oppression in the home, and her response is not unbiased. He realizes that his helpless commitment to flamboyant optimism and positivity is the source of joy, and his mother's rejection of him is only an indication that she hasn't learned the power of self-love. So he forgives her. No matter how hard he tries to repress himself, there's always something to excite him, and his consistent appreciation for art and beauty immunizes him from the traps of self-hatred.
The motif of art and music
It's important to mention that although Mark's journey of self-acceptance was driven by his love for art and music, that doesn't mean that only artists should be self-accepting. We can't all be master poets, after all. Rather, Mark's consistently mentions art and musical pieces because they represent joy and beauty to him. They are a motif for his commitment to find meaning.
The firebird as a symbol for the soul
When Mark finally finds the bravery to let himself become feminine comes from dancing to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. The firebird in question would be the phoenix, and that explains why this is the titular image—the beauty of the music was the method for a rebirth in Mark. Just as the phoenix rises from its own ashes, Mark the poet arises from Mark the sad, lonely child, because he learns to be proud of himself.
The Christian fundamentalist as a symbol for hypocrisy
Mark Doty does not suggest that all Christians are homophobic or repressed, but he does show through Sally's first husband that often, fundamentalism is a tool used to further repress people. Ultimately, the kind of condemnation that fundamental Christians are sometimes associated with can be distorted into thinly-veiled hypocrisy. This sad possibility is seen when the "good, Christian" husband leaves Sally for a younger wife.
