Blog 12B-Notable Moment: The City of Ember

Blog 12B-Notable Moment: The City of Ember

Among all the excitement in this book, the notable moment which stands out the most to me would have to be the scene where Lina and Doon are exploring the pipeworks, trying to find any clue as to what the note is about. In this specific scene, Lina and Doon find a door, which is at the end of a pathway. This door has a lock on it, and they are unable to get in, but they can see that there is a light inside. The noise of footsteps causes them to scatter quickly, but they soon see a person with a very familiar walk. The door opens, and closes and then noises from above are heard. The person who inhabits this room is found out to be the mayor of the town. Below is an excerpt from chapter 9, The door in the roped off tunnel.

“Lina felt a smooth, hard surface. There was a round metal knob, and below the knob, a keyhole. It seemed an ordinary door—not at all like the entrance to a new world. But that was what made things so exciting—nothing was every how you expected it to be.”
“‘Quick,’ Doon whispered. He made his way back toward the lighted tunnel, with Lina following. They ducked under the rope and rounded a turn, then stopped, stood still, and listened. A harsh scraping sound. A thud. A pause…and then a sound of an impact, a short, explosive breath, and a muttered word in a gruff, low voice.”

These two excerpts both show the intensity of this scene. Lina and Doon are starting to find out the truths about the city. The further explorations in the pipeworks eventually lead to their escape into the real world with grass, and birds, etc. All in all, I felt this scene was a notable moment because it was one of first moments in which the reader realizes that something is just not right with the way things work in the city of ember.