Summary:

"The Grime of Greed" is set in Jeptow, which struggles greatly with environmental issues; climate change, constant smog, and draught plauge the city.  Jeptow's appaling state is largely responsable for Sage's depression.

Since the story is set almost entirely in Sage's head, readers will grow privy to her private thoughts and emotions.  Although the reader is aware of her personal opinions and dispositions, the rest of the world is not.  Fearing backlash and vulnerability, she refuses to release her thoughts from the confines of her own mind. As Sage cycles through varying stages of existence, she begins to understand the downfalls of not speaking out for what you believe in.