Legend

One of the most prominent symbols in the Legend series is the infamous Trial: a test that all citizens are required to take on their 10th birthday. The Trial uses multiple choice questions, an interview, and physical tests to determine the value of its citizens. The Trials and the subsequent scores represent the idea of value in this dystopian society: A high score means someone worthy of praise, opportunity, and safety. A low score, however, means a person has no value and is ultimately disposable.

Day goes through the possible scores, beginning with the perfect score: 1500. He assumes that if someone earns a perfect score on the Trial, they probably get “lots of money and power” (7). Higher scores yield “joy and happiness” (7) in the form of wealth, access to better educational opportunities, and safety from the so-called labor camps and dangerous jobs that await those with lower scores. Just like in the real world, this fictional version of America holds an interesting trend. According to Day, “It’s almost always the slum-sector kids who fail” (7). Children from wealthy families have access to tutors and more opportunities to prepare for the Trial, while poor children never have the opportunity to better themselves.