Blog #5: What dystopian elements do you notice thus far in Legend? Refer back to our Powerpoint under topics for help. You only need to write 4-5 sentences, but may write more. This is not graded.
The citizens are almost always under surveillance in the city. They have army on the roofs of skyscrapers looking down at the people. They were also in a dehumanized state. They weren't doing what they want. They have their jobs chosen for them, the have certain fees for hospitals, army people coming into their houses and checking them, etc.
The citizens are controlled by the government, which I feel will play a key factor in the book. The citizens also do not follow the laws we have today, such as, breaking into someone's house or having the freedom to say what you want to say. Many people are outlawed, and the laws decide the path you will go on in your life. The army is also very controlling with some sort of plague outbreak going around. There are very strict rules of life in this dystopian world.
Some dystopian elements that I have noticed so far in Legend is that there doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to rebel against the jobs that are assigned by the government, and that the land outside of the Republic isn’t known to the civilians of the Republic. I think that it’s clear that the government is very controlling over the society, or philosophical control. The society chooses where the people work, what they do, where they’ll live, and how they’ll live. I feel like Day has more of the dystopian protagonist characteristics than June does right now, because he breaks the rules and sees the flaws in the government, and June works with the government. June and Day are different from everyone else and have a lot in common and I’m really excited to keep reading Legend!
In the beggining of the paragraph you said how outside of the Republic isn't really known by citizens. This is a big element and in Divergent and Hunger Games they don't know anything past the fences like in Legend.
This weeks blog post question is about what dystopian elements there are in Legend by Marie Lu. The book reveals itself to be set in a post-apocalyptic city in California. On element that is noticed right away is that there is a war going on between 3 different parts of the country. Another element that is noticeable is that if you are not smart enough, you are treated badly. There is also an infection going around, that commonly infects the poor, because they are not given strong medical help.
In Legend by Marie Lu citizens are almost always under surveillance. You are also kept apart from each other depending on what job you have and how rich or poor you are. Plus if you are poorer then you don't get the same treatment and resources you would get if you were rich like housing, food, jobs etc. Also when you are richer you are given yearly flu and plague vaccinations. Finally you can't express your opinion on the government unless its positive other wise you are taken into government custody for saying what you believe is true. Those are a few things that really pop out to me when I think of dystopian elements of Legend.
This is a really great analysis of the dystopian society in Legend. I thought you had a lot of similar elements as I did when I wrote my blog. The only thing I think you could improve is to add an introductory/topic sentence instead of starting right off with one of the dystopian elements. Awesome job!
There are many dystopian elements shown throughout the book Champion by Marie Lu, and one of them is the use of propaganda. There are JumboTrons scattered everywhere in the Republic, and they broadcasting morale-boosting messages to the people. Day also uses propaganda to encourage the people to help fight against the opposition. Some of the Republic’s propaganda is false information, but if they broadcasted the real information the people would feel hopeless. Both the Republic and Day’s propaganda are trying to keep up both the people’s spirits, and their resolve
Throughout the Legend trilogy, many dystopian elements are evidently displayed. One element I have noticed a lot while reading the book Champion by Marie Lu, is the usage of propaganda. Some examples of propaganda are the Jumbotrons set up all over the Republic, that are used for broadcasting messages, orders, or alerts to the people. The high officials in the rich society use propaganda to convince the people falsely of their ways of life. One of the book’s main protagonists, Day, even is convinced to use propaganda in the book. Day uses propaganda to convince the people of the Republic to fight against the Colonies, and Day knows he’s using his fame among the people to his advantage. He is aware that the people trust him, and he persuades them to do some things that they truly might not want to do. Near the beginning of Champion, Day also uses propaganda against the Elector by saying he can turn the Republic against him faster than he could blink. This implying he could possibly provide false information to the people so that they would turn on the Elector. The high officials and the Elector know that Day has the power (usage of propaganda) to do this, so they bribe him with rich, luxurious things because he is poor. In these actions, they can get him to convince the people to follow the rich society’s ways. In this dystopian society, the usage propaganda is everywhere.
Throughout the Legend, I have noticed that one of the dystopian elements is that there are JumboTrons scattered all around the city of Los Angeles telling the citizens who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. All the signs that tell people what to do and who to trust is dystopian because the government has brainwashed the citizens into thinking what they want them to think. With the JumboTrons, the government can also control the whole society that I think they already did. I predict that in the future, someone will find out about the government's control over the society and escape, a similar plot to The Giver.
I have read Champion before, but while reading Champion for the second time, I began connecting the dystopian elements from the powerpoint to the book, and I realized that how these elements fit in with every single dystopian book that I have ever read. One way that the elements fit into the powerpoint is how everything that the people search up is monitored. Each person is restricted to browsing certain areas of the web, and you have to encrypt hacks into the computer to search up information that could even seem trivial to the common eye. Everyone is allowed to know only what they need to know, and no more. Then, there is the constant presence of the Elector in homes and public places. It seems like the society is trying to establish that authority follows the people everywhere, and there is no escape. Lastly, there are the JumboTrons constantly broadcasting information. They feed people what is right, and what is wrong, and shape their views and opinions. They numb the minds of the people, and make sure people know the right thing to support, and the right thing to be against.
Great Job! If you could chose the part of society you would go into, which one would it be? Rich? Poor? It's also amazing how the book changed your view on it and how you connected the dots to the dystopian elements in the book.
I did not think of the restricted internet access, so thank you for pointing that out. You thought deeply about what dystopian elements could be seen in Champion, and that helped me see more examples of dystopia that I wouldn't have identified. Thank you for showing me your perspective.
I think you did a really great job, and you came up with some ideas I had not thought of. For example, I had never thought of how the Elector shows up everywhere, but I now realize that is true, because you always here June talking about him, and how Day said his portrait was required to be in every house. I also think you are right about the JumboTrons, and how they are always broadcasting the right thing in the society, which I had also not thought of.
Legend has been a great read so far. The fact that the characters live in a dystopian society grows more and more apparent as the plot unfolds. There are probably hundreds of little things that point to dystopia in the book, but here are just three. Most of them tend to be from Day’s point of view, because June is treated well by the Republic and has no reason to find fault with it… at least in what I have read so far. While Day is writing about his farther, he mentions the Republic’s control of information. The author declares: “…it has precision, guided by magnets and electric currents, and can accurately shoot a target three blocks away. It’s tech stolen from the Colonies, Dad once said, although of course the Republic would never tell you that.” (Lu 5). Another element of a dystopia is that things are controlled by the government, and the people within it get exactly what they want. This is obvious from the disparity between slum-sector and gem-sector (government and military officials), for example as in this quotation. “Electric lights shine from each floor [of the hospital] - a luxury only government buildings and the elite can afford.” (Lu 23). In dystopian society, leaders bend the truth and control everyone by focusing them on a common goal. Here, the Republic’s National Anthem twists the values of America; peace is replaced by war and the worship of their “Elector Primo.” Lu cleverly rewrites the United States’ National Anthem as follows: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the Colonies, to our impending victory!” (Lu 68). These are just a few ways that the author helps you to see the Republic as a dystopia through Day.
There are a lot of dystopian elements in the book Legend, by Marie Lu, like when he is watching his family get inspected for the plague. He sees that they mark an X over the door then put a line through it. “He sprays a third, vertical line on my mother's door, cutting the X in half” (10). This is like the divergents, or the “outcasts.” You don’t know much about what this weird X is like the divergents. They know it means they have the plague but what is the extra line for.
There is many dystopian elements in Legend, but propaganda sticks out to me. Propaganda sticks out because of the JumboTrons around Los Angeles. Though what I don't get is that The Republic put Day's profile to warn people to stay away if they see people, but Day can also use this as well. Day can show people that others that have higher ranks in the city isn't who you have to listen to, if they tell you something, who said that you have to listen? Day can show people to rebel against the Republic and do what they want, and that they have a helping hand. Even though it sounds like the Republic has a disadvantage by putting up a JumboTron showing Day's profile, they get some use. The Republic shows fear by expressing the trouble you get when you rebel, that it will be a total regret and you can't go back, though Day gives you a helping hand. It's weird, but so is a dystopian world.
Nick, I love how you distinguish some very clear examples of how the Republic constantly uses propaganda to control the society. If you get the chance to read Champion, look at how things change in Day's and June's worlds when propaganda comes into usage.
Some of the Dystopian elements that I noticed from the book Legend so far was technological control. In the book Legend, there were many technological uses such as using developed technology to track people, new weapons, and the use of enhanced systems. Another element I found out is that citizens of the Legend society are living in a dehumanized state. In this society, the discrimination between the poor and the rich is very significant and distinctive. This judgment is unrealistic in real life and disfavoring. Also looking at the part when the society chooses what is wrong and what is correct for the people, it is possible to say that the society uses bureaucratic control.
The book Legend has a lot of key elements of being a Dystopian society. First, the use of propaganda. In the beginning of the book it presents Day being shown on a Jumbotron, so everyone can receive information about him. Next, each member of the society is given a job, and they don't have a choice if they don't like it. Finally, the most important point is that is not Utopian. That is a broad statement, but June says herself that because of the war, we can't even have a full month of non stop electricity. The republic is not a Utopia because they can't provide everything to the citizens. In conclusion, the book legend has a lot of great elements that make up a Dystopian novel.
I like the part when you talked about how you thought that Legend was not a Utopia. I totally agree on you on that. Legend is not a perfect world. I think that another evidence to support this statement is by mentioning how the society controls both the rich and the poor. (kinda like dictatorship)
The book, legend, has a lot of elements of a dystopian society. One of those elements being that the rich are separated from the poor, thus creating a point of power. Not to mention that the rich are treated better. The fact is that this, like any other dystopian society, will have it's downfall at the hands of war.
Legend has many Dystopian elements, such as worship of a figurehead. They worship the Elector. it seems that every house has a portrait of the Elector. When June went to the principals office the Electors portrait was on the wall, like a shrine. Another element of a Dystopian society that I noticed in Legend is bureaucratic control. At the age of ten everyone must take the trial. The trial is a test to examine how intelligent you are. If you score highly on the trial, like June then you are assigned to a good school and later a good job. If you fail the trial, like Day, than you get sent away.
Some of the dystopian features in the book Prodigy, by Marie Lu, would be the government, or the way the society is run. To me, it is more of a utopia to those who live in wealth or are in some way connected to the government. They have good medications given to them, they have good clothing, plenty of food, and they get good education. The rest of the society on the other hand get the opposite of a utopia. They are under constant surveillance, hardly get enough food, have no medications to help if they're sick they, and they do not get a good education. There is a huge difference in the way each “side” is taken care of. That is the first point that really struck me when I this book the way the rich had created there own utopia, yet left the others (the poor) out.
The citizens are almost always under surveillance in the city. They have army on the roofs of skyscrapers looking down at the people. They were also in a dehumanized state. They weren't doing what they want. They have their jobs chosen for them, the have certain fees for hospitals, army people coming into their houses and checking them, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe citizens are controlled by the government, which I feel will play a key factor in the book. The citizens also do not follow the laws we have today, such as, breaking into someone's house or having the freedom to say what you want to say. Many people are outlawed, and the laws decide the path you will go on in your life. The army is also very controlling with some sort of plague outbreak going around. There are very strict rules of life in this dystopian world.
ReplyDeleteSome dystopian elements that I have noticed so far in Legend is that there doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to rebel against the jobs that are assigned by the government, and that the land outside of the Republic isn’t known to the civilians of the Republic. I think that it’s clear that the government is very controlling over the society, or philosophical control. The society chooses where the people work, what they do, where they’ll live, and how they’ll live. I feel like Day has more of the dystopian protagonist characteristics than June does right now, because he breaks the rules and sees the flaws in the government, and June works with the government. June and Day are different from everyone else and have a lot in common and I’m really excited to keep reading Legend!
ReplyDeleteIn the beggining of the paragraph you said how outside of the Republic isn't really known by citizens. This is a big element and in Divergent and Hunger Games they don't know anything past the fences like in Legend.
DeleteThis weeks blog post question is about what dystopian elements there are in Legend by Marie Lu. The book reveals itself to be set in a post-apocalyptic city in California. On element that is noticed right away is that there is a war going on between 3 different parts of the country. Another element that is noticeable is that if you are not smart enough, you are treated badly. There is also an infection going around, that commonly infects the poor, because they are not given strong medical help.
ReplyDeleteIn Legend by Marie Lu citizens are almost always under surveillance. You are also kept apart from each other depending on what job you have and how rich or poor you are. Plus if you are poorer then you don't get the same treatment and resources you would get if you were rich like housing, food, jobs etc. Also when you are richer you are given yearly flu and plague vaccinations. Finally you can't express your opinion on the government unless its positive other wise you are taken into government custody for saying what you believe is true. Those are a few things that really pop out to me when I think of dystopian elements of Legend.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great analysis of the dystopian society in Legend. I thought you had a lot of similar elements as I did when I wrote my blog. The only thing I think you could improve is to add an introductory/topic sentence instead of starting right off with one of the dystopian elements. Awesome job!
DeleteWow Kate! Your paragraph is really good I like how you pointed out what you noticed within te book. You did great job on this.
DeleteThere are many dystopian elements shown throughout the book Champion by Marie Lu, and one of them is the use of propaganda. There are JumboTrons scattered everywhere in the Republic, and they broadcasting morale-boosting messages to the people. Day also uses propaganda to encourage the people to help fight against the opposition. Some of the Republic’s propaganda is false information, but if they broadcasted the real information the people would feel hopeless. Both the Republic and Day’s propaganda are trying to keep up both the people’s spirits, and their resolve
ReplyDeleteI like how you were able to give an example then take a detail you noticed out of the book then describe it well enough that I can see it in my head.
DeleteThroughout the Legend trilogy, many dystopian elements are evidently displayed. One element I have noticed a lot while reading the book Champion by Marie Lu, is the usage of propaganda. Some examples of propaganda are the Jumbotrons set up all over the Republic, that are used for broadcasting messages, orders, or alerts to the people. The high officials in the rich society use propaganda to convince the people falsely of their ways of life. One of the book’s main protagonists, Day, even is convinced to use propaganda in the book. Day uses propaganda to convince the people of the Republic to fight against the Colonies, and Day knows he’s using his fame among the people to his advantage. He is aware that the people trust him, and he persuades them to do some things that they truly might not want to do. Near the beginning of Champion, Day also uses propaganda against the Elector by saying he can turn the Republic against him faster than he could blink. This implying he could possibly provide false information to the people so that they would turn on the Elector. The high officials and the Elector know that Day has the power (usage of propaganda) to do this, so they bribe him with rich, luxurious things because he is poor. In these actions, they can get him to convince the people to follow the rich society’s ways. In this dystopian society, the usage propaganda is everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the way your blog C.J, you show multiple examples of propaganda and explain it clearly, great job!
DeleteThroughout the Legend, I have noticed that one of the dystopian elements is that there are JumboTrons scattered all around the city of Los Angeles telling the citizens who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. All the signs that tell people what to do and who to trust is dystopian because the government has brainwashed the citizens into thinking what they want them to think. With the JumboTrons, the government can also control the whole society that I think they already did. I predict that in the future, someone will find out about the government's control over the society and escape, a similar plot to The Giver.
ReplyDeleteI have read Champion before, but while reading Champion for the second time, I began connecting the dystopian elements from the powerpoint to the book, and I realized that how these elements fit in with every single dystopian book that I have ever read. One way that the elements fit into the powerpoint is how everything that the people search up is monitored. Each person is restricted to browsing certain areas of the web, and you have to encrypt hacks into the computer to search up information that could even seem trivial to the common eye. Everyone is allowed to know only what they need to know, and no more. Then, there is the constant presence of the Elector in homes and public places. It seems like the society is trying to establish that authority follows the people everywhere, and there is no escape. Lastly, there are the JumboTrons constantly broadcasting information. They feed people what is right, and what is wrong, and shape their views and opinions. They numb the minds of the people, and make sure people know the right thing to support, and the right thing to be against.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job! If you could chose the part of society you would go into, which one would it be? Rich? Poor? It's also amazing how the book changed your view on it and how you connected the dots to the dystopian elements in the book.
DeleteI really enjoy your blog and I have had similar thoughts about Legend and I enjoyed how you wrote many examples of each point you made. Great job!
DeleteI did not think of the restricted internet access, so thank you for pointing that out. You thought deeply about what dystopian elements could be seen in Champion, and that helped me see more examples of dystopia that I wouldn't have identified. Thank you for showing me your perspective.
DeleteI think you did a really great job, and you came up with some ideas I had not thought of. For example, I had never thought of how the Elector shows up everywhere, but I now realize that is true, because you always here June talking about him, and how Day said his portrait was required to be in every house. I also think you are right about the JumboTrons, and how they are always broadcasting the right thing in the society, which I had also not thought of.
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ReplyDeleteLegend has been a great read so far. The fact that the characters live in a dystopian society grows more and more apparent as the plot unfolds. There are probably hundreds of little things that point to dystopia in the book, but here are just three. Most of them tend to be from Day’s point of view, because June is treated well by the Republic and has no reason to find fault with it… at least in what I have read so far.
ReplyDeleteWhile Day is writing about his farther, he mentions the Republic’s control of information. The author declares: “…it has precision, guided by magnets and electric currents, and can accurately shoot a target three blocks away. It’s tech stolen from the Colonies, Dad once said, although of course the Republic would never tell you that.” (Lu 5).
Another element of a dystopia is that things are controlled by the government, and the people within it get exactly what they want. This is obvious from the disparity between slum-sector and gem-sector (government and military officials), for example as in this quotation. “Electric lights shine from each floor [of the hospital] - a luxury only government buildings and the elite can afford.” (Lu 23).
In dystopian society, leaders bend the truth and control everyone by focusing them on a common goal. Here, the Republic’s National Anthem twists the values of America; peace is replaced by war and the worship of their “Elector Primo.” Lu cleverly rewrites the United States’ National Anthem as follows: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the Colonies, to our impending victory!” (Lu 68).
These are just a few ways that the author helps you to see the Republic as a dystopia through Day.
You clearly cite quotes to prove your point. That makes what you are stating a lot clearer and much more well supported.
DeleteThere are a lot of dystopian elements in the book Legend, by Marie Lu, like when he is watching his family get inspected for the plague. He sees that they mark an X over the door then put a line through it. “He sprays a third, vertical line on my mother's door, cutting the X in half” (10). This is like the divergents, or the “outcasts.” You don’t know much about what this weird X is like the divergents. They know it means they have the plague but what is the extra line for.
ReplyDeleteThere is many dystopian elements in Legend, but propaganda sticks out to me. Propaganda sticks out because of the JumboTrons around Los Angeles. Though what I don't get is that The Republic put Day's profile to warn people to stay away if they see people, but Day can also use this as well. Day can show people that others that have higher ranks in the city isn't who you have to listen to, if they tell you something, who said that you have to listen? Day can show people to rebel against the Republic and do what they want, and that they have a helping hand. Even though it sounds like the Republic has a disadvantage by putting up a JumboTron showing Day's profile, they get some use. The Republic shows fear by expressing the trouble you get when you rebel, that it will be a total regret and you can't go back, though Day gives you a helping hand. It's weird, but so is a dystopian world.
ReplyDeleteNick, I love how you distinguish some very clear examples of how the Republic constantly uses propaganda to control the society. If you get the chance to read Champion, look at how things change in Day's and June's worlds when propaganda comes into usage.
DeleteSome of the Dystopian elements that I noticed from the book Legend so far was technological control. In the book Legend, there were many technological uses such as using developed technology to track people, new weapons, and the use of enhanced systems. Another element I found out is that citizens of the Legend society are living in a dehumanized state. In this society, the discrimination between the poor and the rich is very significant and distinctive. This judgment is unrealistic in real life and disfavoring. Also looking at the part when the society chooses what is wrong and what is correct for the people, it is possible to say that the society uses bureaucratic control.
ReplyDeleteGood points, I didn't think about the ways they can track people with technology.
DeleteThe book Legend has a lot of key elements of being a Dystopian society. First, the use of propaganda. In the beginning of the book it presents Day being shown on a Jumbotron, so everyone can receive information about him. Next, each member of the society is given a job, and they don't have a choice if they don't like it. Finally, the most important point is that is not Utopian. That is a broad statement, but June says herself that because of the war, we can't even have a full month of non stop electricity. The republic is not a Utopia because they can't provide everything to the citizens. In conclusion, the book legend has a lot of great elements that make up a Dystopian novel.
ReplyDeleteI like the part when you talked about how you thought that Legend was not a Utopia. I totally agree on you on that. Legend is not a perfect world. I think that another evidence to support this statement is by mentioning how the society controls both the rich and the poor. (kinda like dictatorship)
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ReplyDeleteThe book, legend, has a lot of elements of a dystopian society. One of those elements being that the rich are separated from the poor, thus creating a point of power. Not to mention that the rich are treated better. The fact is that this, like any other dystopian society, will have it's downfall at the hands of war.
ReplyDeleteIf you could chose which part of society you would go into, which one would it be? Rich? Poor?
DeleteLegend has many Dystopian elements, such as worship of a figurehead. They worship the Elector. it seems that every house has a portrait of the Elector. When June went to the principals office the Electors portrait was on the wall, like a shrine. Another element of a Dystopian society that I noticed in Legend is bureaucratic control. At the age of ten everyone must take the trial. The trial is a test to examine how intelligent you are. If you score highly on the trial, like June then you are assigned to a good school and later a good job. If you fail the trial, like Day, than you get sent away.
ReplyDeleteSome of the dystopian features in the book Prodigy, by Marie Lu, would be the government, or the way the society is run. To me, it is more of a utopia to those who live in wealth or are in some way connected to the government. They have good medications given to them, they have good clothing, plenty of food, and they get good education. The rest of the society on the other hand get the opposite of a utopia. They are under constant surveillance, hardly get enough food, have no medications to help if they're sick they, and they do not get a good education. There is a huge difference in the way each “side” is taken care of. That is the first point that really struck me when I this book the way the rich had created there own utopia, yet left the others (the poor) out.
ReplyDelete