I really loved the irony of burning all important things in an effort to make them feel unimportant. Also, this short story forces readers to question how and why we choose which things are more valuable than other things. For example, the one young impoverished girl who tried to jump into feuer because she considered herself worthless. What constitutes worth? And (philosophically/theoretically speaking here) what makes her life valuable? She does not contribute to the economy and likely not the political and social systems, so why would somebody rescue her? Of course I believe that her life is valuable- all human lives are- but, I find it interesting to think about our societal perceptions of worth and how we determine the value of a life. And, based on the reading, we have to also consider how material possessions and lineage/wealth contribute to that worth… Wow, what a begriff. I miss the easier days when I would paint the basement walls with new words and pictures…