Blog Post 7

For unit 3 I am choosing the book City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. Ember, a 241-year-old, ruined domed city surrounded by a dark unknown, was built to ensure that humans would continue to exist on Earth, and the instructions for getting out have been lost and forgotten. It a a good example of a Dystopia because there is an Assignment Day much like in Divergent and Hunger Games which we studied.The two main characters Lina and Doon are convinced that their survival means finding a way out of the city, and after Lina discovers pieces of the instructions, she and Doon work together to interpret the fragmented document. Life in this postholocaust city is well limned--the frequent blackouts, the food shortage, the public panic, the search for answers, and the actions of the powerful, who are taking selfish advantage of the situation. This represents a Dystopia not only because of the skewed world they live in, but the idea that the main characters see and want the opportunity of change.