1. 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?
2. Earth today has many environmental and social issues. What
sort of problems could have led to the building of the City of
Ember?
3. 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?
4. The possibility of never-ending darkness changes many of
Lina's friends and many of the townspeople. She discovers that her
friend Lizzie has begun to accept things from Looper, who is
stealing things from the storerooms. Why does Lina turn down the
gifts that Lizzie offers her? Do you think that she was right to do
so?
5. The city of Ember was built when people were worried that the
human race might not survive. Do you think this was a good
plan?
6. The mayor is the most corrupt character in the novel. He
squelches the thirst for knowledge and limits freedom, yet the
majority of the townspeople just accept his behavior. Why do you
think they act this way? What other actions might they have
taken?
7. People react in various ways when they feel threatened. How
do the people of Ember react to danger? Have you seen people
reacting to danger in these ways? How are Poppy's actions important
to the plot?
8. At the end of the novel, Lina, Doon, and Poppy have
discovered a sunlit earth. What do you think will become of them in
the sequel? Do you think that there are other people on the
surface?