The Singing
The Singing represents the deep sense of community present in Ember. It’s a yearly celebration in which all residents of Ember sing three songs: “The Song of the City,” “The Song of the River,” and…
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Colored Pencils
The colored pencils Lina purchases from Looper illustrate the consequences of greed, selfishness, and desperation that plague Ember. Looper’s colored pencils are likely some of the last in Ember and because of this, are exorbitantly…
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The Seed and the Worm
The seed that Clary gives Lina and the worm that Doon raises into a moth both represent Lina and Doon as they move from the darkness of Ember to the light aboveground. All of Ember’s…
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The River
The river that runs through the Pipeworks symbolizes Ember’s dangerous disconnect from the natural world and from the knowledge of how things work. Many people who have seen the river fear it, as its size…
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