Winters describes the work as an existential detective novel, turning on the question of why people do things in spite of their long-term unimportance.
He frequently mentions his own (political) unimportance, which could lead sonnet 55 to be read as a sort of revenge of the socially humble on their oppressors.
These include being able to sense blood circulation, balance and know compass direction, temperature and gravity as well as have an awareness of importance, unimportance.
