 Although the overriding message may seem to be " careful what you wish for " , there are other themes throughout the episode as well . Paramount among these is the question of solitude versus loneliness , as embodied by Bemis ' moment of near @-@ suicide . Additionally , the portrayal of societal attitudes towards books speaks to the contemporary decline of traditional literature and how , given enough time , reading may become a relic of the past . At the same time , the ending " punishes Bemis for his antisocial behavior , and his greatest desire is thwarted . " 
