Answer:
People inspired one another to rebuild after the fire.
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, <em>"the owner of the Chicago Times newspaper"</em>. 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 <em>"new determination"</em>. He <em>"borrowed money from friends, dug out some old type from his barn, and had the Times publishing again on October 18"</em> which he wouldn't have done had he not felt inspired by the others.
Thus, the <u>theme that the passage reflects is that everyone inspired each other to rebuild their lives after the fire</u>.
