One interesting idea might be to address how each character views money. By seeing their understanding of money, we will see their relationship to markets and currency, which is exactly what the title of the story, "Love in the Marketplace," seems to invite. People in this book tend to view each other as objects who could serve functions, which is partially correct—the people in daily life do sometimes serve functions or roles, but to view someone for only that object value is ultimately so isolating that it leads this host of characters to states of chronic panic and self-doubt.
However, in instances where two humans actually try to connect, we see that there is some element of redemption. Although Han seems at first to be a regular Westerner now, disenfranchised, business-oriented, and highly individualistic, he is forced to witness an accident that makes him question his own relationship to money, because he was hesitant to give money to needy children outside of a church, which has religion overtones no doubt. In the end, he feels compelled to tell his mother the truth that she always knew and was waiting for him to admit—he is secretly gay, and that's the real reason for his distance from her.
Because she is Christian, he feels she will be judgmental, but that judgment against her is an instance of self-doubt. It is not surprising that his relationship with money is skeptical and self-interested; he views religion in that way too, feeling privately that his mother might reject him for religious reasons. This invites the reader to consider whether religion, money, or sexuality are really worth sacrificing family ties over. In this case, the stories suggest that each situation calls for a different approach.
