Red Azalea is a confession from a Chinese person who found herself on the wrong side of the Maoist dictatorship, even though she had done nothing but sing Mao's praises her entire young life. This story is all the more compelling because it shows Anchee as the partial victim of her circumstances while still showing how she was partially complicit, and perhaps even partially cruel or evil.
Pay attention to the portion of the novel concerning the beloved teacher. Instead of showing herself in a flattering light, Anchee insists that her behavior was part of what ensured the death of that poor, innocent woman. There is even the implication that perhaps Anchee knew that it would mean death for her before she chose to go along with the kangaroo court proceedings.
Ultimately, the stories of Anchee as a child pursuing success, of Anchee as an adult pursuing the love of her girlfriend, and of Anchee as an actress, pursuing fame and glamour in Maoist China—they're all the same story. They're the story of a tragically confused girl trying to orient herself in a world whose systems were designed with malice and contempt for human life. There is simply no respite in such a tyrannical environment, so ultimately, she leaves.
