Hector Martinez

Mrs. Julia Intawiwat

Writing and Inquiry prompt 3

11-29-2017

Legend by Marie Lu

In the book Legend by Marie Lu, the book is set in the Republic of America, a police

state located in the Western United States who started war against the eastern United states, the

Colonies of America, since its creation in 2054. The republic of America is led by the Elector

Primo, who has rigged elections to rule for several decades, with the capital at Denver. Other

than a huge gap between the rich and the poor, the country also forces its own citizens to take a

trial at 10 years old, which is to determine if they are capable for their army. If they fail they are

killed. But the citizens think they are sent to a labor camp. This being said, from the start of the

essay, it is implied by Day, the main character that the Western side of the United states is a

communist country, not just that but also a dictatorship country. What is Communism? And what

is Dictatorship?

Communism is a system of social organization in which the economy and social activity

is controlled by a totalitarian government. So properties are not owned by individuals, instead it

is owned by the government. Communism has been around for a very long time. Most famous

events that were related to communism was world war 2 and the Cold war. In 1917, the October

Revolution in Russia set the conditions for the rise to a state power of Vladimir Lenin's

Bolsheviks, It was the very first time any group that practiced communism reached power. The

most infamous person to be known for communism is Joseph Stalin. Some things that stalin did

were replicated in the extermination of political opponents(Garden). This was done so he

would have been the only strong political party. Now, dictatorship is where is a government is

controlled by one single person, and whatever he says will be done. The most infamous dictator

in history is Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro.

In the beginning of the book Legend, Day is introduced. He is introduced while he is

running away due to the fact that he's the most wanted criminal. He stays observing his family

because high ranking military soldiers have just entered house. (Legend Chapter 1). This is an

example of how the government owns all property and enters when they need to. As Day is

observing he remembers that his brother has turned 10 years old. In the book, when kids turn a

certain age, the age being 10, they are forced to take a test. Everyone has to take the test. The test

is a variety of exams, physical and intelligence. If you pass you enter the military no matter what,

but if you fail, you are taken away by the government and are killed. But they lie to their

families, and they lie to the citizens. They say those that fail are sent to labor camps. And the

families are paid a good amount of money to celebrate and stay quiet(Legend Chapter 1). This is

an example of both communism and dictatorship because every male is forced to take a test. The

Republic is basically full of corruptions. It is the same everywhere around the world. During the

holocaust, if you had money, and you bribed the Nazi soldiers to not get you, they wouldn't. If

you paid to be protected, they wouldn't. But at the end they would take you. In the United states,

once a male turns 18 they must register for the selective service. This can also relate to

dictatorship because during the reign of Hitler, when they kids first entered school, they were

taught that being like him was good. They were enrolled in the Hitler Youth program. Even if

parents didn't want their child to learn that, they were forced to, or they would be killed. As the

story continues, we get a more information on the government and how it works based on the

perspective of June Iparis. June is in trouble, but her being one of the highest ranking student,
doesn't get as bad of a punishment like another student would I'm willing to bet I'm the only

Drake student who's ever managed to get eight reports in one quarter without being expelled

(Chapter 2, page 11). This is an example how in the government that's run by a dictator social

class matters. If someone from a high rich class, commits a petty crime. That person will get a

slap on the wrist. Not a big punishment, but if a person from the low social, poor class commit

the same crime. He can get serious punishment and or even death. In real time, as of now, could

the United States ever turn into having a communist government? In the past, during the cold

war the United States did not want to have anything to do communism, they wanted communism

to stay out of the western hemisphere. During those time a blacklist was created that had names

of people who had ties with communism. It is possible though for the United States to turn

communist, because over the years, laws, people change. Corruption happens all over the world,

corruption is bad behavior that includes bribery. When Hitler came to power. He wanted to make

sure no other parties that were against him existed so he would kill them, or arrest them, and at

the end he was the person who had the biggest third party. In order to do this, he needed to have

a strong army of supporters. In the book legend, throughout the book it is learned that United

States has been split in half, due to the fact that people did not want to accept change. They

wanted to stay the same way the United States had been. A Democratic government. And this

cause lots of chaos, sending the western and eastern United States to go to war and creating

borders. Both countries have poor and rich side. In the poor sections, or areas. There is more

troops/ soldiers walking around, observing the perimeter, while in the rich side. It's peace and it

looks as if it were a perfect society. Yet it's heavily guarded outside the area. This works for both

in real life. Because when the time has come that the government has been overthrown, there will

always be a big change in social class. And it will be divided into poor and rich. As i was taught
in school, and from documentaries. Those that were closer to the government had a better life.

They were protected, they were well off financially, etc. While the slums were the exact

opposite. People had to fight to survive, you could barely get any food because it was hard to get

and buy them. There were many diseases going around in poor neighborhoods that had poor

hygiene. That's why I'm the book legend, in the beginning, day observes and he described that an

x mark is sprayed painted over his door house. Which means there was someone infected. And if

they knew you were sick they'd kill you. This can also relate back to the holocaust because in

the holocaust, many people died, but the nazi soldiers would continuously check up on the

Jewish people to see how their hygiene was. If it was bad they'd kill you. Going back to the

book, in chapter 1 where day is observing, he sees an infected woman try and run away but she is

shot in the head and killed. When it came to joseph Stalin and his communist country the USSR,

we were also taught in school that prior to WW2 he had helped the allies win, but after it finished

he started, not himself directly, but indirectly he started killing millions of his own citizens. It

resulted that he killed more than Hitler had killed. The Dictator of the Republic of America does

fron old age, and his son is placed in charge. But things change when that happens, the son

wasn't as tough, and well as a leader as he is. Thought the book, Day tries to cause chaos, and

almost towards the end he meets the son of the old Dictator and Day starts working for the

Republic as a general. Communism in the United States can probably happen. People can do

really bad stuff. And to end communism, that would cause so much war.

Works Citation

Garden, Tim. Review Books: Communism. ProQuest Center, The Observer, 13 May

2007, search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/central/docview/250551259/9D7901220F64113PQ/4?accountid=10008.ht

tps://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/central/docview/253916209/56E4F1755D684DF8PQ/5?accountid=10008

Berger, Daniel. Dictators Gain Power by Abusing Democracy. ProQuest Central, The

Window Star, 25 Jan. 19920, search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/central/docview/253916209/56E4F1755D684DF8PQ/5?accountid=10008

Legend by Marie Lu