How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
For the moment, Lina felt almost perfectly happy. There was no need to think about the fate of the city right now. Tomorrow, she'd be a messenger! She wiped the orange goop off Poppy's chin. "Don't worry," she said. "Everything will be all right." (2.35)
Being a messenger is Lina's biggest hope for her life at the beginning of the book. Yeah, there is some weird stuff going on in Ember, lights going out and all that, but Lina knows she'll be happy if she gets to run around and help people connect with each other. Is it selfish to want and hope for things for yourself?
Quote #5
He'd been stupid to think he could understand the generator just by looking at it, when other people had been working on it their entire lives. The thing was, he had to admit, he'd always thought he was smarter than other people. (3.39)
One of Doon's greatest hopes is to learn how electricity works and to save Ember from the blackouts (earning a lot of pats on the back in the process, natch). And when you're a smart kid like Doon is, there's no reason to think your hope is unrealistic. Until, of course, you find out that electricity is way more complicated than it looks, and that without an experienced teacher, you're unlikely to puzzle it through. Poor Doon, having this hopes crushed like that.
Quote #6
"What were you looking for?" Lina asked […] Sadge stared at her. He seemed to puzzle over her question. Finally he said, "I was looking for something that could help us… Like a stairway that leads somewhere, maybe." (4.69-72)
Sadge's heart is in the right place: he was hoping to find something that could help the people of Ember, out in the Unknown Regions. It's a nice thought, but without a portable light, Sadge's plan doesn't carry him very far out there in the complete darkness. Other citizens of Ember have hoped and tried the same thing, but all have failed. It seems like hope needs to be paired with a solid plan in order to have a chance at success.