What are the motifs in Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein?

Cruelty is a recurring idea in the story.

Violence and Cruelty

Fierstein illustrates how dangerous the world can be for homosexuals when he tells the story about the death of his lover, Alan. Alan dies offstage, between the second and third act, but his death casts a shadow over the last third of the play, since Arnold has now been left alone. That Alan was murdered on the street, in a violent attack provoked by the mere fact that he was a homosexual, illustrates the dangers for anyone who does not fit prejudiced people's idea of normal.