Plot
"Today was Assignment Day... where they would find out what their work would be for the rest of their lives."
What is the day the twelve-year-olds draw their jobs?
"She was a messenger. She loved to run. She could run forever."
Who is Lina Mayfleet?
"The lights flickered and went out... the darkness pressed against her."
What is Light vs. Darkness (or the blackouts)?
"They must not leave the city for two hundred years."
What is the amount of time the Builders intended Ember to stay locked away?
"It was a piece of paper... covered with small, perfect printing... [Poppy] had chewed on it."
What are the Instructions (for Egress)?
"I’ll trade with you... I want to work in the Pipeworks."
Who is Doon Harrow?
"He’s stealing for himself... while everyone else is running out."
What is Greed and Corruption?
She paid five dollars apiece for two of them... one green and one blue."
What are the colored pencils Lina buys from Looper?
"The river is the key... find the door marked E."
What is the escape route out of Ember?
[He was] a heavy man... his face looked like a pile of dough."
Who is Mayor Cole?
"He wanted to understand how the generator worked... so he could save the city."
What is Curiosity / Questioning Authority?
"They were the Believers... singing their songs of hope."
What is the group of citizens who blindly expect the Builders to return and save them?
"It was a room crammed with boxes and crates... The mayor of Ember was sleeping in a room full of things."
What is the Mayor’s secret hoarding room in the Pipeworks?
"She was tall and solid... the greenhouse manager."
Who is Clary Laine?
"We're the only ones who know... we have to be the ones to do it."
What is Coming of Age / Taking Responsibility for the future?
The seventh mayor was less honorable... he tried to open the box."
Who is the Mayor who originally lost the Builders' locked box?
"She took the message... wrapped it around the stone, and tied it securely... and tossed it down into the darkness."
What is the note Lina and Doon drop down to Ember so the citizens can escape?
"She offered to let them live with her. She had a neat, tidy house."
Who is Mrs. Murdo?
It was a creature with wings... it opened its beak and let out a trill of sound."
What is a bird (the first animal Lina and Doon encounter on the surface)?