Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
The City of Ember
is the only light in the dark world. Beyond Ember, the darkness goes on forever
in all directions. When the children of the city of Ember finish school, they
begin work at 12 years of age. . . .
Lina Mayfleet desperately wants to be a messenger. Messengers spend their days
outside, running from one corner of the city to the other. Instead, she draws
the dreaded job of Pipeworks laborer, which means she’ll be stuck in tunnels
deep underground.
Doon Harrow draws messenger—and asks to trade with Lina! Doon wants to be
underground. That’s where the generator is, and Doon has ideas about how to fix
it. For as long as anyone can remember, the great lights of Ember have kept the
endless darkness that surrounds the city at bay. But now the lights are starting
to flicker.
When Lina finds fragments of an ancient parchment, she and Doon put the pieces
together to discover a message that seems to be directions out of the city.
- Doon and
Lina like very different things. Doon wants to work in the Pipeworks;
Lina yearns to be a messenger. Doon likes to study how things work. Lina
likes to run and explore. But their friendship grows because they are
ultimately searching for the same thing. How do they complement one
another and help one another develop through the novel?
- Earth today
has many environmental and social issues. What sort of problems could
have led to the building of the City of Ember?
- Clary tells Lina, "Everyone has some darkness inside." (p. 168)
Light and color both play very key roles in the novel. In what ways,
other than the failing street lamps, are color and light important?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Yearling.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
