When D's cabin caught fire, D was out of the country. Half the town- Christians and drinkers alike-came out to fight the fire and loot the cabin. There were individual piles of loot, and fights over the piles. "That's my pile." "The hell it is, it's mine.

John McPhee
About This Quote

When D's cabin caught fire, D was out of the country. Half the town-Christians and drinkers alike-came out to fight the fire and loot the cabin. There were individual piles of loot, and fights over the piles. "That's my pile." "The hell it is, it's mine." The story shows how someone can be so focused on their own pile of loot that they are oblivious to everything else around them. They are so focused on their own needs that they don't see the impact their actions have on other people

Source: Coming Into The Country

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