Name the Device
In Chapter 1, the author writes, “Happiness sprang up in her.” What type of figurative language is used?
Personification. Happiness is described as if it can spring or jump.
The author says “a black worm of dread stirred” inside Lina. What does this image mean?
Lina begins to feel a small but growing fear that Ember may run out of light bulbs and lose its light.
Who trades jobs on Assignment Day, and what job does each person receive after the trade?
Lina and Doon trade. Lina becomes a Messenger, and Doon becomes a Pipeworks Laborer.
Give the best one-sentence summary of Chapter 1.
On Assignment Day, Lina and Doon draw jobs they do not want, so they trade and begin work as Messenger and Pipeworks Laborer.
What theme is supported when Lina and Doon trade jobs so each can do work that fits a personal strength or goal?
People can use their abilities and choices to help themselves and their community.
In Chapter 2, “Chilly air brushed against her skin.” What type of figurative language is used?
Personification. The air is described as if it can brush Lina’s skin.
How does “Fear had settled over the city” affect the mood after the seven-minute blackout?
It creates a tense, uneasy mood and shows that fear has spread throughout Ember, not just to one person.
What happens after Lina focuses on buying colored pencils instead of watching Poppy?
Poppy wanders away. A long blackout begins, and Lina panics while searching for her until she learns Doon kept Poppy safe.
Summarize Chapter 4 in one sentence, including the detail that shows Ember’s problems are getting worse.
While visiting Clary at the greenhouses, Lina learns that disease is destroying the potatoes and hears that the Unknown Regions are too dark to explore without portable light.
What theme is developed when Mayor Cole hoards supplies while the citizens face shortages?
Greed and selfish leadership harm the entire community. Leaders should protect people rather than serve themselves.
During the blackout, the author compares Lina’s weak legs to soaked paper. Name the device and explain the comparison.
It is a simile. Lina’s legs are compared to wet paper because fear makes them weak and unable to support her.
During the blackout, the author compares the sudden darkness to a wall blocking Lina. How does the comparison shape the scene?
It makes the darkness feel sudden, solid, and trapping. Lina seems blocked in and unable to find Poppy.
Place these events in order: Doon finds the mayor’s room; Poppy damages the Instructions; Lina shows the Instructions to Doon; Lina and Doon explore Tunnel 351.
1. Poppy damages the Instructions. 2. Lina shows them to Doon. 3. Lina and Doon explore Tunnel 351. 4. Doon finds the mayor’s hidden room.
Give a concise summary of Chapter 6 that connects Ember’s public problem with Lina’s discovery at home.
After a seven-minute blackout, Mayor Cole gives a vague speech that fails to calm Ember, while Granny finds the old box and Poppy tears the important paper inside it.
How do the bean sprout and the word “egress” work together to develop a theme of hope?
The sprout shows new life can grow in difficult conditions, and “egress” reveals a possible way out. Both suggest that small discoveries can create hope for change.
The author compares Lina’s pounding heart to someone pounding on a door. Name the device and explain what it shows.
It is a simile. It shows that Lina’s heart is pounding because she is excited and realizes the Instructions are important.
The author compares the torn Instructions, filled with holes, to lace. What picture does this create, and why is it important?
It helps readers picture a thin paper full of holes. The image emphasizes how badly the Instructions are damaged and how difficult they will be to decode.
Which clues lead Lina and Doon to connect Looper with Mayor Cole’s hidden supplies?
Lina delivered Looper’s secret message to the mayor, the tunnel visitor had Looper’s lurching walk, Lizzie said Looper found rare goods, and Doon saw the mayor hoarding supplies in the hidden room.
Summarize how Lina’s discovery about Lizzie and Doon’s discovery in Tunnel 351 reveal the same larger problem.
Lina learns that Lizzie and Looper secretly take rare goods, while Doon finds Mayor Cole hoarding city supplies. Together, the discoveries reveal that a few selfish people are stealing resources while Ember suffers shortages.
How does the curiosity shared by Lina and Doon move the plot and develop a theme in Chapters 7–13?
Their curiosity leads them to study the Instructions, explore Tunnel 351, uncover the mayor’s secret, and keep searching for an exit. These events develop the theme that questioning, learning, and acting can lead to change.
Clary uses inner darkness as a comparison for something harmful in people. What device is used, and what does the darkness represent?
It is a metaphor. The darkness represents greed, selfishness, or the harmful choices people may allow to grow inside them.
Clary compares greed inside people to a creature that grows hungrier when fed. How does this comparison develop the novel’s meaning?
The comparison shows that greed grows stronger when people keep giving in to it. It explains how selfish choices can control a person and harm the community.
Give a two-sentence summary of the main plot from Chapters 7–13. Include the damaged Instructions and the mayor’s secret.
Lina and Doon work together to decode the damaged Instructions and explore the Pipeworks for a possible exit. They discover Mayor Cole hoarding supplies, report him, and then realize the Instructions describe an egress, or way out of Ember.
Summarize how Lina changes from Chapter 5 through Chapter 13. Include a plot event and the theme her growth supports.
Lina first gives in to her desire for colored pencils and endangers Poppy, but later refuses Lizzie’s stolen goods and recognizes the mayor’s greed. Her growth supports the theme that people can choose responsibility and fairness over selfish wants.
Captain Fleery waits for the Builders to save Ember, but Lina and Doon investigate the Instructions. What theme is developed by this contrast? Use both sides of the contrast in your answer.
The contrast develops the theme that hope requires action. Captain Fleery waits for rescue, while Lina and Doon gather evidence and solve problems, showing that change comes from thinking and acting rather than waiting.