Source 1 Amalina, Nur. “Control and Resistance in A Young Adult Dystopian Fiction: A Foucauldian Reading of Marie Lu’s Legend” University of Pendidikan Indonesia, 2015.
Literary Criticism 1: Analysis
In this literary criticism, Nur Amalina analyzes the novel "Legend" by Marie Lu, showing how Lu manages to highlight totalitarian control and hope.
To begin, Amalina examines how Lu skillfully highlights totalitarian control through the Republic in the story, The totalitarian control held by the republic is kept through a strict subject filtration system which contains three parts: written portion, physical portion and interview portion. First, the written portion is used to test ability, the least important of the three segments. Second, the physical portion is used to search for potential military recruits due to strong role military plays in the government, this is the second most important of the three segments. Third, the interview portion is used to test for any possibility of subjection, another way to detect if the body’s way of viewing things is in line with the parameter set by the officials and can be controlled under the official’s guideline; this is the most important of the three segments. The republic goal behind the use of the selection system is to find bodies that they can fully control and to be able to turn them from individual into subject. To continue, the republic also employs knowledge concealment and terror to control the people. The republic employs knowledge concealment to hide from the people selected information and what happens to failed Trial-takers, stopping any kind of uproar that could occur. The republic employs terror through public execution which in the republic is considered A “political ritual”, this ignites fear into society making the citizens conform.
To continue, Amalina examines how Lu skillfully highlights hope throughout the novel through resistance. The resistance that occurs is separated between aggressive and subtle actions. In which resistance against domination, is mostly aggressive. Whereas for the resistance against subjection, is mostly submissive. Act of resistance which are aggressive are: rule and law breaking, provocation, and verbal and physical opposition. While ones that are subtle are: hateful thought, questioning system, and rebooting belief and hacking. These all provide a sense of hope to break free from the totalitarian control.
Overall, the literary criticism calls attention to Lu’s significant impact that warns the readers about the danger of too much power in government and the hope that is created under the pressure of totalitarian control.
Source 2: Latiffa, Luthfia Ridzka. “Young Adult Dystopian And Gender Identity: A Study Of The Legend (2011) Trilogy.” University of Indonesia, 2011.
Literary Criticism 2: Analysis
In this literary criticism, Luthfia R. Latiffa analyzes the novel "Legend" by Marie Lu, showing how Lu manages to highlight gender identity.
To begin, Latiffa examines how Lu skillfully highlights the gender identity of June Iparis through feminine masculinity, her intelligence, and her logic and deduction skills. First, they show her feminine masculinity through her choice of feminine dresses while still withholding masculine traits. Second, they show her intelligence through her ability to find the cause of her Dean Secretary's injury. Third, they show her logic and deduction skills by Junes deductions of Day. To continue, Junes intelligence and logic are also relative to her emotions.
To continue, Latiffa examines how Lu skillfully highlights the gender identity of Day Wing through his intelligence, masculine femininity, and emotionalism. First, they show his intelligence through his description in which they compare his level of intelligence to be the same as Junes. Second, they show his masculine femininity through his description as "beautiful" rather than typical ways of describing a man such as handsome. Third, they show his emotionalism through descriptions from Life After Legend, a short story about the events in the epilogue of Champion from Day’s perspective in which day is very sentimental and emotional towards June.
Overall, the literary criticism calls attention to Lu’s ability to portray complex gender identity in contrast to traditional gender roles.
Source 3: Hodneland, Tora Eide. “Cities of Tomorrow - Urban Landscapes and Urban Sustainability in Marie Lu’s Legend Trilogy.” Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 115.05.2019.
Literary Criticism 3: Analysis
In this literary criticism, Tora E. Hodneland analyzes the novel "Legend" by Marie Lu and the impact of landscape.
To begin, Hodneland examines how Lu skillfully highlights referentiality which is the connections between the urban landscapes of the text and those of the real world. Lu references places such as "Los Angeles, California", "Hillsboro, Denver", and "Valencia" which are all cities in the book that share names with real world cities showing the connection between the textual urban landscapes and the real urban landscapes through city names. Although the city names are the same, Lu introduces fictionalized elements throughout her work such as North Dakota and South Dakota being referenced as Dakota and Texas being referenced as East Texas and West Texas.
Overall, the literary criticism calls attention to Lu’s ability to use landscape to impact the reader through referentiality.