How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But Granny rarely went out, Lina told herself… She didn't really need a new coat, did she? Besides, how much could a few pencils cost? She could probably get a coat for Granny and some pencils. (5.11)
Oh, Lina, how quickly you learn the fine art of rationalizing irrational things. It seems like she subconsciously knows she's being kind of greedy here, but she's able to justify it to herself. Having colored pencils is surely more important than making certain her grandmother stays warm, right? (Wrong.)
Quote #2
It was like hunger, what she felt. It was the same as when her hand sometimes seemed to reach out by itself to grab a piece of food. It was too strong to resist. (5.43)
Lina's awareness of her greed doesn't make it any easier to resist, unfortunately. That shows just how powerful greed can be when it gets a hold of you, and how hard it can be to shake it.
Quote #3
Later, in her bedroom, with Poppy asleep, she took the two colored pencils from her pocket. They were not quite as beautiful as they had been. When she held them, she remembered the powerful wanting she had felt in that dusty store, and the feeling of it was mixed up with fear and shame and darkness. (5.80)
It looks like Lina has to learn about the consequences of greed from the school of hard knocks. Luckily nothing too bad happened to Poppy during that blackout. And as for whether Lina's choice to get colored pencils instead of a coat for Granny was a good one, well, Granny did fall ill and die shortly after. It could've been something she was incubating for a while, or she could've gotten sick because she was cold because her selfish granddaughter didn't buy her a new, warm coat. Just sayin'.
Quote #4
"There is so much darkness in Ember, Lina. It's not just outside, it's inside us, too. Everyone has some darkness inside. It's like a hungry creature. It wants and wants and wants with a terrible power. And the more you give it, the bigger and hungrier it gets." (13.8)
Clary wins insightfulness points for this explanation of the mayor's greed. The scary thing, though, is that it's not just the mayor who's greedy—it's everyone in Ember. Some people just manage it better than others. But when these folks have been so deprived for so many generations, you can understand why they might be a bit selfish now and then.
Quote #5
For a moment, she felt sorry for the mayor. His hunger had grown so big it could never be satisfied. His huge body couldn't contain it. It made him forget everything else. (13.9)
This thought from Lina is pretty empathetic. She realizes that greed can become a prison, and if you're trapped in that prison, it makes not only your life miserable but also those of everyone around you. Don't get us wrong, the mayor is still a jerk, but it sucks that his greed is basically yanking him around.
Quote #6
He could have told his father everything […] But Doon wanted to keep these things to himself for now. Tomorrow, the guards would announce that an alert young boy had uncovered the mayor's crime, and his father, hearing the announcements along with the rest of Ember, would turn to the person next to him and say, "That's my son they're talking about! My son!" (13.81)
Doon isn't greedy for material things—he wants to be recognized and rewarded for his acts of service to the city. He wants his father to be proud of him, and to brag about him to others. That's actually a pretty common thing for people to desire, but when it gets out of hand, it can have consequences (like when Doon and Lina depart from Ember without actually telling anyone how to find the escape route… whoops).
Quote #7
Lizzie nodded, smiling smugly. "Looper says it's all going to be gone soon anyway, why not live as well as we can right now?" (11.85)
Yes, because scarcity is an excellent reason to act greedily. Highly recommended as a course of action. Not.
Quote #8
"That's the solution he keeps telling us about. It's a solution for him, not the rest of us. He gets everything he needs, and we get the leftovers! He doesn't care about the city. All he cares about is his fat stomach!" (12.22)
Well said, Doon. After putting the puzzle pieces together and realizing that the mayor is one of the people stealing food from the storerooms and secretly stashing it away, Doon gets angry at the mayor for lying to the people of Ember. Because the mayor says stuff like "solutions are being found," which is technically true—if he's the only person who deserves a solution. His greed must be skewing his judgment. We're not into fat-shaming, but we kind of have to agree with Doon: his greed has made him care only about his own (rather large) stomach.
Quote #9
The thought of taking Poppy with her on the river, which had darted into Lina's mind, darted out again. I'm only being selfish, she thought, to want to have her with me. It's too dangerous to take her. Mrs. Murdo will bring her in a day or two. (15.81)
Yeah, wanting to have your family close to you makes you soooo selfish, Lina. We wonder whether this thought is motivated partly by guilt from neglecting Poppy earlier and putting her in danger during the long blackout. Feelings of guilt and greed can make it really hard to sort out what the ethical thing to do is.
Quote #10
"Silence!" said the mayor. "I am speaking." He wriggled slightly from side to side, wedging himself more firmly into the chair. He'll need to be pried out of it, Lina thought. (16.25)
The mayor is such a greedy hypocrite, it's almost painful to watch him in action. He gorges himself while planning to let the citizens of Ember starve, and he demands that people respect his authority when he's clearly done nothing to earn their respect. We're starting to wonder if he's greedy for power as well as for food. Either way, he's totally cringeworthy.