Although the historical events depicted in Malraux's novels may differ, several recurring themes consistently shape his literary perspective. Themes such as exoticism and violence, blindness and suffering, and the omnipresence of death frequently appear throughout his works. Malraux portrays the human condition as inherently tragic, yet suggests that individuals find hope by confronting this reality. As a result, his novels oscillate between the pessimism of personal existence and the optimism of collective action. In Man's Fate, Malraux revisits the 1927 Shanghai workers' strike and Chiang Kai-shek's ensuing military conflict with the Communists, using this political upheaval as a powerful metaphor for humanity's tragic condition and as a suitable backdrop to express his poetic vision of humanity: individuals united in death for a common cause.

In Malraux's fictional world, unlike the historical events it mirrors, the hero's demise is essential. Only through self-sacrifice can one overcome the existential dread and loneliness associated with modern individualism. While Malraux's earlier novels often focused on an individual's journey toward wholeness, Man's Fate features a variety of characters whose interactions highlight human alienation from themselves and others.

For example, Tchen is a terrorist driven by an obsession with killing. Ferral, a powerful businessman, is blinded by an unquenchable thirst for power. Baron de Clappique rejects his own identity, choosing instead to live a life of disguises. Konig, the police chief, is paralyzed by deep self-loathing. Even Kyo Gtsor, who is deeply committed to the revolutionary cause, is depicted as alienated both within and without. He cannot recognize his own recorded voice, reinforcing his confession that he feels more estranged from himself than from his unfaithful wife.

However, when Kyo and his Russian comrade, Katow, face death with heroism by giving their cyanide capsules to fellow prisoners to spare them the pain of being burned alive, their initial fear of death shifts into a feeling of solidarity and camaraderie.