The sound machine
In the story with the same title where a man creates a machine that enables him to hear sounds that human ear can't naturally hear, it can be seen as a symbol to the destruction of nature. Hearing the pain of the plants when they are cut the machine creator is vividly disturbed and the final scene where he forces the doctor to heal the tree where he cut it, shows his new-found uncomfortable, yet enlightening understanding of the nature. The entire story could be seen as an allegory to the destruction and necessity to heal the destroyed nature.
Poison
The story "Poison" reveals a different kind of poison, from what is initially believes at the beginning of the story. The Indian doctor does everything to help Harry not to be poisoned by the snake, but other kind of poison is already present there, as revealed at the end when Harry used racist insults to thank the doctor for his efforts.
Art
In the story "Art" the meaning of art and the value of it is brought to disturbing and extreme measures where the poor man who has an art piece from the famous artist engraved in his skin of the back makes a foolish decision to reveal it to the world. It is left unsaid at the end that the man had a terrible fate, while the art from his back is framed and put in the gallery.
Nunc Dimittis
"Nunc Dimittis" is a name of a short story written from the perspective of a man who humiliated a woman for revenge. The dramatic monologue of the events ends with him revealing that the lady's forgiven him and sent him caviar. He strangely fills terribly ill after eating it. Nunc Dimittis is a Latin phrase that means "now you dismiss" and it is presumed that dismissed he is.
