The Little Things are the Ones that Make the Biggest Difference

Authors Note: This short response is a Text Structure Conflict/Resolution on the book “The City of Ember”.

In the underground city, every year comes a day where the 12 year olds are given a job. The mayor comes to class with a bucket filled with scraps of paper with a different job written on each one. Doon Harrow is pleading to get a job underground near the generators so he can try to help save the city from darkness because they are using only light bulbs for light. Lina, on the other hand, is hoping to get anything but the underground jobs. One of her first picks would be to get the messenger, running throughout Ember, getting to see every inch of the city. As it turns out, they each get the total opposite, so they decide to switch after class. Getting their last choices is one of the main conflicts of the book because Doon is trying to save the city and he can’t do anything if he’s not near the generator.

“Doon reached into the bag and took out the last scrap of paper. He paused a minute, pressing it tightly in his hand. Unfolding the paper, Doon read: “Messenger”. He scowled, crumpled the paper and dashed it to the floor”. This line from the book shows that Doon will not be able to fix Ember’s light issues.

By Lina’s emotions, Doon could tell she was upset from the job she got which was pipeworkers. Since the pipeworkers work under ground near the generator, he decided to ask her to switch jobs. Lina was filled with joy after Doon’s arrangement to exchange jobs. As a line from the book “Happiness sprang into her”, and their conflict was solved.