Question

Read this excerpt from The Great Fire. As the days crept by, more and more people shook off their despondency and began to rebuild their homes and businesses. The energy to start all over seemed to be catching. Take the case of Wilbur Storey, the owner of the Chicago Times newspaper. Immediately after the destruction of his business, he murmured, "The Times is dead. Chicago is gone, and I'm all through." Storey might well have given up entirely, except that all around him he saw fellow newspapermen scrambling to rent space and find type and paper. Soon, he, too, was filled with a new determination; Storey borrowed money from friends, dug out some old type from his barn, and had the Times publishing again on October 18. Which statement best reflects the theme of this paragraph? People were inspired only by their friends. Many people gave up hope after the fire. Business competition increased following the fire. People inspired one another to rebuild after the fire.

Answer 1

People inspired one another to rebuild after the fire

Step-by-step explanation:

I TOOK THE TEST

Answer 2

People inspired one another to rebuild after the fire.

Step-by-step explanation:

Jim Murphy's "The Great Fire" presents a non-fictional account of the Chicago Great Fire that ravaged and destroyed homes and left many dead and homeless. This great tragedy, considered one of the most devastating ones in the history of America, led to the re-invention of how incompetent the government is in dealing with such disasters.

In the given excerpt from the book, the author presents the case of Wilbur Storey, "the owner of the Chicago Times newspaper". The destruction of his building led him to believe he's done with his business but when he saw how the others were striving to restart their business, he was also filled with "new determination". He "borrowed money from friends, dug out some old type from his barn, and had the Times publishing again on October 18" which he wouldn't have done had he not felt inspired by the others.

Thus, the theme that the passage reflects is that everyone inspired each other to rebuild their lives after the fire.