Symbols & Motifs
Paper Clip Ring
The paper clip ring Day crafts for June symbolizes both the apparent fragility and surprising durability of their love for one another. June’s initial reaction brings out Day’s deep insecurity about their class divide and his uncertainty in proving himself worthy of her affection despite that gap. Over the course of the novel, however, the material of the ring comes to reflect the nature of their relationship: The “unplaced galvanized steel wiring” is “sturdier than alloy ones, still bendy, and won’t rust” (66). Despite the adversity they face and the time they might eventually spend apart, their relationship will remain flexible enough to endure and their connection will not fade away.
June’s habit of playing with her paper clip ring in times when she and Day are separated demonstrates the lasting feelings she has for him and the lengths she will go to for his safety and happiness. The ring’s final purpose, which serves to pick the lock on June’s handcuffs, symbolizes the way in which their love for one another and the truth behind their support for each other helps to free the Republic’s citizens from its corrupt and oppressive government.
The paper clip also symbolizes the entirety of their journey toward loving one another and the potential promise of commitment to come. The paper clip is “made of four unfurled paper clips carefully entwined around one another in a spiral” (65). The Legend series spans four books and throughout the series’ conflicts, Day and June come together and are torn apart by forces beyond their control. It isn’t until the fourth and final book when they reconcile and pursue a long-term relationship with no reservations.
In the final chapter of Prodigy, Day breaks off his relationship with June after his terminal illness diagnosis and wonders what their story would have looked like if they had met randomly on the street and he said, “Hi, I’m Daniel” (351). Following the loss of his memories in Champion, he has the opportunity to do just that. After their paths converge and entwine over the course of the series, their love story eventually ends with a ring in Rebel as their journey comes full circle.
Lie Detection Test
The lie detection test June must take when rejoining the rebellion symbolizes the fallibility that exists even in systems designed for maximum control. In the Legend series, the Republic is seen as an unbeatable and unerring force until the events of Prodigy, when a series of events throws the powerhouse nation into instability and anarchy.
Prior to June’s test, a Republic official emphasizes the all-knowing and infallible nature of the technology that will detect June’s lies. June, however, recognizes this official’s statements as propaganda: “[H]er words are all just pretest hype—she’s trying to convince [June] of the complete power of this lie detection device. She thinks the more [June] fear[s] it, the more reaction [she’ll] show” (161). The Republic’s reaction to any form of dissension is to retaliate with force that inspires fear in its citizens. The plague’s existence hinges upon the Republic’s desire to keep its citizens under control, and it does so by first infecting its citizens and then controlling who receives the antidote and when. In both June’s case and that of the plague, it is clear the Republic cannot fully control either despite its attempts.
The lie detection test is black and white; it measures heart rate to tell lies from truth, which allows June to confuse it by leaning into conflicting emotions. By cycling through anger, annoyance, and confusion during the control questions, June intentionally causes fluctuations in the test results. These fluctuations are then normalized, preventing it from more accurately differentiating an actual lie from truth. In the same way, the Republic struggles to handle conflicts (the Patriots, June and Day, and Anden’s progressive leadership) outside its views of black and white (the war of the Colonies versus the Republic). When June passes the lie detection test, she is surprised by the result; she “can’t believe it. The machine says [she’s] telling the truth. But it’s only a machine” (169). Just as the test is only a machine, the Republic is only portraying itself as “the epitome of power, a ruthless, unstoppable military machine” when in reality, it is a “puny little secretive state, groveling for international aid” (119). The more the rebellion “confuses” the government by causing chaos and upheaval, the more frequently the well-oiled machine will malfunction.
Dreams
The dreams Day and June have throughout the novel present manifestations of their foremost concern: To Trust or Not To Trust. The motif illustrates this theme by placing Day and June in situations with loved ones that often end in a discovery of betrayal or a path to salvation.
Day’s nightmares at the beginning of the novel include family traumas—the death of his mother, John’s execution, Eden’s fate—all of which are June’s fault. When they join the Patriots and the plan is put in place for June to infiltrate the government using her connection to the young new Elector, Anden, Day experiences trust issues with June as he worries she might be swayed by status and wealth—both of which she is accustomed to, and both of which Day does not have. His nightmares that night begin with a dream of June killing his mother and brother as punishment for Day assassinating the Elector and end with another dream of her “composed and unafraid, holding her cool hand out to help” save Day from the hospital lab where he’s been experimented on (53). Though Day never explicitly blames June for his misfortune, this blame exists deep in his subconscious, as shown by the nature of his dreams. Much of his internal conflict about June comes from worrying over her loyalties and her feelings for him, which are also central to the content of his dreams.
June’s dreams represent her guilty conscience as the cause for all that Day has lost; they also represent her own conflicting loyalties. When she joins the rebellion with him, she wonders if her actions result from love or obligation. In Chapter 10, she dreams of Day’s pardon, followed by his execution at the hands of the Patriots. Her dream suggests that she feels a large measure of responsibility: “Razor turned to [her] and said, ‘Your punishment, Ms. Iparis, for working with the Elector’” (158). Early on, June can see the possibility of her loyalties shifting once again, but the dreams also show her immediate distrust of the Patriots.
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By Marie Lu
