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Clary Laine
Lina’s younger sister. Poppy is a happy toddler who’s just learning to walk and talk, though she has a bad habit of running away from Lina if Lina gets distracted. She also is somewhat destructive, but not maliciously so—she discovers the Instructions for Egress and chews them, which turns deciphering the Instructions into a mystery for Lina. Lina is extremely devoted to her baby sister and takes on much of Poppy’s care. Because of this, Lina insists on taking Poppy with her when she and Doon escape from Ember.
Poppy Mayfleet Quotes in The City of Ember
The The City of Ember quotes below are all either spoken by Poppy Mayfleet or refer to Poppy Mayfleet. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 4 Quotes
“You haven’t forgotten the baby?”
“Oh, yes. She’s...I think she’s down in the shop.”
“By herself?” Lina stood up and ran down the stairs. She found Poppy sitting on the floor of the shop, enmeshed in a tangle of yellow yarn. As soon as she saw Lina, Poppy began to howl.
Lina picked her up and unwound the yarn, talking soothingly, though she was so upset that her fingers trembled. For Granny to forget the baby was dangerous.
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Chapter 5 Quotes
Later, in her bedroom, with Poppy asleep, she took the two colored pencils from her pocket. They were not quite as beautiful as they had been. When she held them, she remembered the powerful wanting she had felt in that dusty store, and the feeling of it was mixed up with fear and shame and darkness.
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Chapter 7 Quotes
Lina rather liked having Mrs. Murdo around—it was a bit like having a mother there. [...] When Mrs. Murdo was there, shoes got picked up and put away, spills were wiped off the furniture, and Poppy always had on clean clothes. Lina could relax when Mrs. Murdo was around. She knew things were taken care of.
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Chapter 18 Quotes
“Because that’s what I suddenly realized on the roof of the Gathering Hall, Doon. I’d been thinking before that I had to leave Poppy because she’d be safe with Mrs. Murdo. But when the lights went out, I suddenly knew: There is no safety in Ember. Not for long. Not for anyone. I couldn’t leave her behind. Whatever happens to us now, it’s better than what’s going to happen there.”
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Poppy Mayfleet Character Timeline in The City of Ember
The timeline below shows where the character Poppy Mayfleet appears in The City of Ember. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Granny reminds Lina that she’s a student until she remembers that it was Assignment Day. Poppy, Lina’s baby sister, toddles out from behind the counter and gleefully dances with Lina. Lina...
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Lina takes Poppy upstairs to the apartment. It’s small, but there’s enough stuff in it to fill 20...
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...kitchen, Lina fetches a can of Baby Drink and a jar of boiled carrots for Poppy. She feeds Poppy and assures her that everything will be okay.
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Chapter 4
...important thing is. Lina gently suggests they put the couch back together and asks where Poppy is. Granny is confused, but remembers that Poppy is in the shop. Lina is horrified...
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Chapter 5
...need a new coat—and it’s possible she could buy a coat and pencils. She bundles Poppy up to go out in search of colored pencils.
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Lina and Poppy pass the laundry stations, where laundry employees stir clothes in washing machines. The washing machines...
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...man who gave her the message for Mayor Cole on her first day of work. Poppy starts to wail as Lina asks if he has colored pencils. Lina puts Poppy down...
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...on blue and green, pays for the colored pencils, and turns around. She realizes that Poppy is gone. Looper shrugs indifferently and Lina races outside, calls for Poppy, and asks people...
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Lina suddenly wonders if she’s moving away from Poppy and feels ready to cry. She wills the lights to come back on and finally,...
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When Lina looks up, she sees that Poppy’s rescuer was Doon. She thanks Doon profusely and tries to ask him about the Pipeworks,...
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Chapter 6
...day, notices appear summoning everyone to a meeting the following evening. Lina leaves Granny and Poppy at home when she goes to the meeting. Mayor Cole appears and through a damaged...
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...the closet. Granny announces that “it” will be in the closet as Lina asks where Poppy is. She finds Poppy behind the couch next to an open metal box. Lina inspects...
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Chapter 7
...the machine-made writing of the Builders. She gathers what she can from the floor and Poppy’s mouth and carries the box and the scraps to her room. After Granny and Poppy...
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...until Lizzie talks herself out, and then says goodbye. Later, Lina makes beet soup, but Poppy spills hers and Granny eats little, as she doesn’t feel well. Lina cleans up quickly,...
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...Doon about the Instructions. He’s curious, serious, and knows something is wrong. He also saved Poppy during the blackout. Lina wonders why she and Doon stopped being friends and decides to...
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Chapter 10
...her father’s labored breathing or Dr. Tower coming out of her mother’s bedroom with newborn Poppy and bad news. Granny wakes up at one point and asks if they found it....
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Lina stays home the next day too. Poppy is thrilled to have Lina home, and after dinner Lina gets out can labels and...
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Chapter 11
Lina and Poppy spend the day at Mrs. Murdo’s neat apartment. There are three lavender turnips on the...
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...strange and repeats “alone in the world” to herself. It’s not true, since she has Poppy, Mrs. Murdo, and friends, but she also feels like she’s become her own mother since...
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Chapter 15
...path out of Ember were childish. Lina feels safe as Mrs. Murdo tucks her and Poppy in and sings a song about treetops. As she tries to sleep, Lina thinks that...
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...note with someone they trust, take a boat, and go. Lina is worried about leaving Poppy, but Doon points out that everyone will follow soon. Hesitantly, Lina suggests they write to...
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...that will have to happen before everyone else can leave Ember, and she says that Poppy will need her. Doon insists that Mrs. Murdo is organized and will take care of...
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Chapter 16
...Doon, but sadness in her chest makes her pause. She isn’t sure she can leave Poppy behind.
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Chapter 17
...out of the Prison Room without getting caught. Suddenly, Lina appears and dashes to him. Poppy is in her arms, and Doon is too relieved to care that she’s going to...
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...while it sits in the river. Doon finds rods by the water’s edge and as Poppy wails, Doon and Lina tie the boat. Lina tries to comfort Poppy in an excited...
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Chapter 18
The boat streaks into the tunnel, plunging Lina, Doon, and Poppy into complete darkness. The river is rough, so Doon and Lina roll into each other....
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...other side of the huge room, the current picks up again. Lina and Doon place Poppy between them and huddle together. Lina can’t tell how long they travel, but eventually they...
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Doon notices that Poppy has something. Startled by Lina’s shout, Poppy drops it. It’s a packet of some kind....
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Chapter 19
...Lina and Doon continue up the wide path. It’s steep and they take turns carrying Poppy, who’s exhausted and cranky. After a few hours, they notice that the tunnel smells different....
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Lina pulls Poppy onto her lap and they sit in silence. After a while, Lina realizes that the...
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Chapter 20
...wouldn’t have found it—and discovered that they came from this beautiful place—if it weren’t for Poppy. As the light moves up in the sky, Doon muses that this land doesn’t look...
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...circle is high in the sky, Lina and Doon sit down in the shade while Poppy naps. They can see a gray line in the distance and wonder if it’s a...
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Poppy wakes up, so Lina feeds her the last peas. Lina and Doon discuss what the...
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