Essay On The City Of Ember

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is a science fiction novel about a post apocalyptic city called Ember, that is under the earth's crust. The people who live in this city have never seen the outside world and only know what was left for them by “the builders”. Ember is run by a generator but it is beginning to fail. There are blackouts and the city is beginning to feel anxious, and they are trying to figure out how to solve it. Lina and her friend Boon are looking to save Ember with a document from the builders and discoveries that they have made in the pipe works. They are on a mission to save their town and all the people of Ember. Three big elements in The City of Ember area theme, external conflict, and symbolism. The theme of this story is one that every reader could learn and benefit from. Greed is a nasty and unattractive trait. However, it is something that every person struggles with. The City of Ember does an effective job of teaching readers about the effects of greed by making it the theme of the story. “But the seventh mayor of Ember was less honorable than the other ones who’d come before him, and more desperate… he thought the box might hold a …show more content…
To the people of Ember it is life. “Lina knew about the generator of course. In some mysterious way, it turned the running of the river into power for the city.” Page 15. The people of Ember were taught from the very beginning that Ember was all there was. The area the only light, everything else is just darkness, and if they left the city they were arrested because it is illegal. Lina and Doon had to go against everything they were told in their effort to save the people of Ember. But there is only so much that can be done just like life, the generator had to end. People cannot beat or go against the inevitable. However, people can go on and find new ways of doing things. Every end is an opportunity for a new