The culture of lantern-making that arises among the children is a Modernist art movement in miniature, and as such, it prizes beauty and originality in equal measure. The first child to make his own lantern does so not out of any artistic impulse but because, unlike his wealthier peer, he can’t afford to buy one. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this child displays a remarkable ingenuity in constructing what he cannot buy, out of materials he already has. His innovation attracts newcomers to the scene, and soon there is a thriving subculture of “wise child-artists” (Paragraph 3) who compete to produce and show off the most original and beautiful lanterns. The competition among them—and the drive for originality—produces novel forms and techniques, even as their willingness to copy one another allows the art form to progress.

Paraphrasing the children’s unspoken desires, the narrator expresses the ethos of their movement: “Look at my lantern! Be the most unusually beautiful!” (Paragraph 3). The first exclamation here evokes the desire to be seen and admired: The children lavish time and care on these lanterns so that their inner selves will be appreciated by their peers.