Person Versus Technology

In my opinion, the most dominant type of conflict found in the dystopian novel City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is Person Versus Technology. There are many examples in the book that show this category of conflict. Both of the main characters, Lina and Doon, are part of some conflict that falls into this category. Perhaps the most important conflict that falls into this category is that supplies, like light bulbs, are running out in Ember. For example, when Lina visits Lizzie at the Supply Depot, she overhears conversation in which when shopkeepers asked for items, the clerks would say, “‘Sorry,’ ... when a shopkeeper asked for ten packets of sewing needles, or a dozen drinking glasses, or twenty packages of light bulbs. ‘There’s a severe shortage

Darkness slammed up in front of [Lina] like a wall. She stumbled, caught herself, and stood still. She could see absolutely nothing... Terror swept through her. I must just stand still, she thought. The lights will come on again in a few seconds, they always do. But then she thought of Poppy alone in the blackness, and her legs went weak. I must find her” (78). Since Ember’s light bulbs and electricity are running out, Ember is having more and more blackouts. This blackout was one of the longest ones, which was unfortunate for Lina, as Poppy was lost and Lina was trying to find her. This task was made much, much harder because there were no lights for Lina to try and find Poppy. Lina was having a conflict against the technology of Ember, for if the technology was more advanced, Ember might not have been having this many blackouts and it would’ve been easier to find Poppy.
As shown above, the most dominant conflict in City of Ember is Person Versus Technology. Mainly it is because if the technology in Ember was more advanced, then the main characters would not have as many conflicts against technology. But the level of advancement in Ember’s technology is the key factor to the Person Versus Technology conflict being the most dominant conflict in the