Legend Literary Elements

Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian

Los Angeles, California, Republic of America

Legend is told from two different points of view. The narration alternates between June and Day, our central characters.

Somber, thrilling, revolutionary

The protagonists of Legend are Daniel “Day” Wing and June Iparis. While many different antagonists exist (for example, Thomas, Commander Jameson), the main, overarching villain is the corrupt, totalitarian Republic government.

Day, an infamous criminal, is accused of killing June’s brother during a hospital break-in. June hunts down Day and in the process learns incriminating truths about her country that throw her life into disarray.

The climax of the book is the day of Day’s scheduled execution. Unbeknownst to him, June has partnered with the Patriots to save him and his brothers, thus jeopardizing her own standing in the Republic’s society.

A major example of foreshadowing happens early on in the book. Metias and Thomas drop June home after picking her up from school. Metias tells June that he will be home late because he has to oversee the lab at Los Angeles Central hospital. As he’s leaving June calls out behind him, “be careful.” She realizes what she said is pointless, because “Metias is too far away to hear [her]” (39). Shortly after this, Thomas kills Metias and Day is framed for the murder.

Understatement occurs throughout the interactions June and Day have while Day is imprisoned in a Republic jail. For example, the first time June sees Day after Thomas beats him up, she tells Day he looks awful (324). Considering the beating that Thomas gave Day, that comment is a serious understatement. Another example would be Day asking June if something was bothering her right as June’s entire belief system and everything she thought she knew about her life and government was reduced to rumble (325).

There are multiple allusions throughout the book to the actual United States of America and its history. The warring states around the Republic are called “Colonies” and their fighters “Patriots.” In addition, the compulsory “Trial” that each Republic citizen must take is an allusion to the United States college entrance exam, the SAT. Similar to the Trial, your score on the SAT can determine your future and the opportunities available to you.

See "Imagery" section of the guide.

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Day and June are parallels of one another, though they are products of different backgrounds and environments. They are the only two people known to have achieved perfect scores on the Trial. They both possess high levels of intelligence, good observation skills, and physical prowess. Finally, both of them have a predilection for rebelling against authority.

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