The City of Ember Youth Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Lina had always liked her. Even when she was little, Clary did not treat her like a baby but gave her jobs to do—pulling up carrots, picking bugs off cabbages. (4.38)
Youthful is as youthful does, and Lina shows early on that she's ready to be treated like an adult. Well, most of the time, anyway. Being able to pick bugs off cabbages is a lot simpler than taking care of your family, especially when that family includes a rambunctious toddler.
Quote #2
Colored pencils! Lina had not seen colored pencils in any store for ages. (5.10)
Even though Lina's old enough to have a job and support her small family, she's still a kid in a lot of ways. She loves the idea of having colored pencils so much that she sets out to find some after hearing them mentioned in a conversation, and she is willing to pay more than she should for them. This is one of the things we think is a bummer about Ember: every kid should have access to colored pencils, right?
Quote #3
She had found something strange and important: instructions for something. But for what? And how terrible that Poppy had found it first and ruined it! (7.6)
That's the thing about kids: you've gotta keep an eye on them if you don't want them making a mess or possibly getting hurt. They probably have the concept of baby proofing a living space in Ember, and we're guessing that Lina's apartment is pretty safe in general, but obviously there was no way for them to know in advance that an important message from the Builders would be hidden in one of their closets
Quote #4
A child seeing the rooms where powdered milk had been stored, or the rooms that stored bandages or socks or pins or notebooks, or—most of all—the dozens of rooms that had once held thousands of light bulbs—would not feel, as earlier generations of children had, that Ember was endlessly rich. Today's children, if they were to tour the storerooms, would feel afraid. (7.48)
Part of being a kid is learning how your world works. And in Ember, everything comes from the storerooms. But there aren't storeroom tours for the children anymore, because supplies are running out, and who wants to make kids feel afraid?
Quote #5
She'd always had fun with Lizzie. But their fun was usually with games—hide-and-seek, tag, the kinds of games where you run and climb. (7.78)
Lina and Lizzie were close friends when they were kids, but as they grow older (because twelve is so old) they start to grow apart. We imagine this is a pretty common experience for all youths—because how many friends from elementary school are you still close to today?—but it can still be a big bummer.
Quote #6
"I don't think it's fair," said Lina. Lizzie spoke as if she were talking to a not-very-bright child. "You can have some, too. That's what I'm telling you. There are still a few good things left." (11.87-88)
Lizzie's logic is rather childish here, even though she's talking down to Lina as though Lina's still a child. But sure, let's lie about the few supplies that are left, steal what we can, and enjoy them while they last. That's a great idea. It couldn't possibly have any consequences.
Quote #7
But Doon wanted to keep these things to himself for now. Tomorrow, the guards would announce that an alert young boy had uncovered the mayor's crime, and his father, hearing the announcements along with the rest of Ember, would turn to the person next to him and say, "That's my son they're talking about! My son!" (13.81)
Doon's pretty smart, but his youth shows in moments like this, when he's so in love with the idea of being recognized for his accomplishments that he decides to not share information that could benefit the whole community. Letting your desire for acclaim decide your course of action isn't the most mature thing ever.
Quote #8
"The duties of a mayor," said the mayor, "are… complex. Cannot be understood by regular citizens, particularly children." (16.28)
Yes, Mayor Cole, tell yourself whatever will help you sleep at night. Not only are you stealing supplies from the people you're supposed to govern and protect, you're about to order a child thrown into prison. We don't think children are as mentally deficient as the mayor paints them. In fact, kids might be a little more capable than adults when it comes to seeing through the hogwash and noticing what's actually going on in a situation.
Quote #9
What if she were to shout into the silence right now? What if she were to say, Listen, people! We've found the way out of Ember! It's the river—we go on the river! […] Would the guards rush to the roof and seize her? Would the people in the square think her news was just a child's wishful thinking, or would they listen and be saved? (16.48)
That's part of the trouble with being a kid and actively wanting to help your community. What if they dismiss your ideas and thoughts just because you're young? How do you prove yourself to the adults around you? This passage also shows Lina's youthful inexperience, because if she had thought through the situation a bit better, she might've made a different decision than simply fleeing with Doon—a decision that might've benefited the community more. Who knows?
Quote #10
Poppy caught the excitement. She shouted gleefully, waving her fists like little clubs, and stomped around, glad to be on her feet again. She found a pebble and plunked it into the water, crowing happily at the splash it made. (18.34)
We admit, we're enchanted with Poppy's innocence and youthfulness. She's just so carefree and adorable. Granted, this sometimes leads to her chewing up important documents, but in passages like this, we get to see her just being a kid, one who's never splashed around in a river before. This cements our thinking that kids are meant to be out in nature, playing and frolicking.