Final answer:
The provided excerpts revolve around individual experiences with tragedy and loss resulting from catastrophic events like fires, depicting the profound impact on people's lives and the significant shifts from former comfort to current hardship.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passages provided discuss various individual experiences with tragedy, particularly focusing on fires and other disasters that have led to suffering and significant changes in circumstances. From Caroline Henderson's account of losing everything due to the Dust Bowl, to a person escaping a burning hotel and noting the significant losses of others, and anecdotes from Desmond's work illustrating how cyclical poverty and housing instability are exacerbated by crises like fires, the common theme involves personal upheaval due to catastrophic events.
When selecting statements that apply to the comprehension of the given calamity, we may consider the following options:
- She describes fire destroying a wealthy neighborhood.
- She compares her previous wealth and comfort with her current situation.
- She describes her husband's history as a military man.
- She shows a diverse group of people sharing resources.
Each option would need to be cross-referenced with the provided passages to determine correctness.