The People of Sparks

Analyze the character development of Doon, Lina, and the villagers in the novel. How do the characters grow in relationship to one another?

Consider these questions as you formulate your response:

• In what ways were the villagers manipulated by people and external factors in the community?
• Why were the villagers willing to believe the manipulation that occurred around them?
• What became a catalyst for change in the way the people responded to one another?
• Do you think it is significant that the people of Ember adopted the name "people of Sparks"? Why or why not?
• How might the villagers react differently to conflict in the future?
• Are there characters who failed to experience character growth in the novel?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be difficult for some students to draw conclusions for the analysis because the prompt and guiding questions cover a wide variety of topics in the novel. Students may benefit by first analyzing the shift of Lina and Doon’s characters followed by the changes that occurred in the communities. Students may wish to organize their thoughts by first brainstorming changes and/or discussing their ideas with a partner prior to responding orally in a class discussion.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from visual or organizational aids in tackling whole-text tasks might first draw a T-chart, listing the characters and the characters' first impressions of Sparks on one side, and documenting the characters' changed perspectives on the other side.