88 pages • 2 hours read
The People of Sparks
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Part 1, Chapters 11-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1: “Arrival”
Part 1, Chapter 11 Summary: “Tick’s Projects”
Amidst growing conflict between the people of Sparks and the Emberites, Doon searches for a new sense of belonging. Tick has started to come up with projects to fix up the Pioneer, but he never finishes them. Doon sees the futility of these projects, but he wants to be a part of something. Doon shows the books in the Ark to Edward Pocket, the librarian from Ember. Edward is thrilled to find a purpose, as he’s too old for manual labor. The Emberites raise a flag over the Pioneer, and later, passing through the village, Doon notices that the people of Sparks quietly raised a flag at some point, too.
Part 1, Chapter 12 Summary: “Caspar Arrives with a Surprise”
Caspar, Torren’s older brother and a roamer, finally arrives home with a truckload of novelties. Dr. Hester tells Lina that he never brings back anything useful. Caspar also brings Maddy, a stoic young woman who is his new roaming partner. Torren is incensed that Caspar doesn’t pay more attention to him, but he still idolizes him. Lina is still frustrated with the realities of life in Sparks and her lack of agency. She overhears Caspar and Maddy talking about visiting the ruins of a city in search of treasure, and she realizes that maybe the Emberites are meant to create the city that she sees in her dreams.
Part 1, Chapter 13 Summary: “Taking Action”
While Doon is out foraging for berries, Tick finds him and asks for help in “taking action” (156) to save Ember again. He points out that the storehouse is full of food, but he doesn’t specify what he means by “taking action.” Doon is unsure but enjoys the sense of belonging that Tick provides, so he agrees. When Tick leaves, Doon realizes that Tick ate all of the berries and left behind juicy handprints that, at first glance, appear to be blood.
Lina decides to stow away in Caspar’s truck, desperate for a sense of purpose for herself and the other Emberites.
Part 1, Chapters 11-13 Analysis
These chapters introduce the rest of the main characters and continue to explore ideas of “us” versus “them.” Themes of purpose and agency are also prominent here.
Caspar plays a major part throughout the rest of the story, acting as a sort of foil to Lina. He is inept and boastful where Lina is effective and determined, acting simply because she wants to do what is right. Caspar seeks the treasure in the city for his own personal gain, while Lina is searching for a sense of purpose for both herself and the Emberites as a whole. These chapters also introduce Maddy, another important character. She and Lina connect on a personal level, and she is the one who teaches Lina how to break the destructive cycle of revenge and retribution.
Multiple characters struggle with purpose and identity in this section of the novel. Edward Pocket, the librarian from Ember, is listless because he feels he lacks a purpose in the new world. When Doon finds the stash of books in the Ark, Edward immediately throws himself into organizing them. Overjoyed to finally have a purpose, he becomes surer of himself and often works longer hours than anyone else. Lina also struggles with agency and a lack of purpose. She makes the decision to stow away with Caspar and Maddy precisely for this reason.
In pointing out that Tick left behind “bloody” handprints, DuPrau foreshadows Tick’s role in inciting violence between the two groups. While Tick isn’t the one who finds a weapon in later chapters, his behavior leads to the nearly deadly events at the end of the novel, and he and his cronies laugh when a potentially fatal blaze alights in the town hall, revealing their violent natures.
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