Marie Lu Legend Analysis

Legend by Marie Lu takes place in the future when the western coast of the United States, the Republic, is at war with the colonies. The point of view alternates between two characters, 15-year-old Day and June. After the death of June’s brother, the only family she has left, June goes out to hunt his murderer. She is told that it is Day, the most wanted criminal, who has done it. But, as time goes on their paths cross and secrets unravel. The theme of Legend is that betrayal never comes from your enemies. June promises to hunt down and kill the person responsible for the death of Metias, her brother, no matter what. She figures that Day is responsible because he was there when Metias was stabbed. “Day killed my brother… The fingerprints on the ID tag are the same prints found just last month at a crime scene linked to Day,” (47). When she makes connections she finds out that the boy who helped her is Day. “He had grabbed at the ghost of a necklace, the ghost of some trinket or thread. And that’s when I remember… Day’s pendant,” (138). June figured that he was reaching for what

She cannot believe that she didn’t realize that he was Day. “I’ve acted like an idiot in front of Metias’s murderer,” (141). June thinks that she was tricked and has shamed the memory of her brother. June hates herself for letting Day kiss her. “Maybe Day didn’t kill Metias, I tell myself. Maybe it was someone else. God-- am I making excuses to protect this boy now?” (141). She likes Day so much that she tells herself that it might not have been him who killed Metias. “For a moment, just a split second, I'm on Day's side. I glance up at Commander Jameson, who stares at me as if she's reading my thoughts. It makes me uneasy,” (65). Even before knowing Day she was on his side for a second, but he betrayed her. June wanted to kill Day, but instead she liked him and that made her feel