Racism
The main theme of the novel is undeniably the injustice of American racism, especially racism against Jewish refugees in the early and mid 20th century. Americans now may not care to remember it, but when the Holocaust was happening, many if not most Americans silently agreed with Hitler's hateful racism against the Jews. This is certainly the case in this novel, and it seems Americans in Focus don't care to pay much attention to the fact that they are redoubling the problems of WWII.
Justice
The question of justice is raised because the main character, Newman, finds himself in a reversal of fates. Before, he was the oppressor and the hater, but now, just because his taste in glasses is a little bit Jewish, he finds himself on the other side of brutal violence and hatred.
American Christianity and the problem of hypocrisy
This novel asks questions of the reader beyond simple racism of one race against another. It asks about American Christianity and the American church's complicity to racial injustice and even participation in overtly racist behaviors. This question comes to a head when Gertrude becomes offended when a person calls her a Jew. She is a Christian, so she is offended, but that's ironic because being a Christian means literally trying to look like the Jewish man Jesus Christ, so technically, being called a Jew should have been a sort of compliment to her if she really celebrates Jesus Christ. It's religious hypocrisy, plain and simple.
