First Impressions

Everything about the outside world is new to the Emberites, and they find themselves in a new and unfamiliar situation. The characters are frequently called on to assess their changing situation and to re-assess their opinions of people. Sometimes their first impressions turn out to be wrong, for better or worse.

Tick Hassler is an example of a character that makes a favorable first impression on Doon. He is a confident young man with charisma. He seems to have good ideas about improving the living conditions of the Emberites and an ability to encourage people to get involved. Doon's first impressions are soon challenged, however, when he notices that Tick does not seem to follow through on his grand schemes. When Tick begins to talk about standing up against their unfair treatment by the people of Sparks, he makes sense to Doon at first, but when his...