Prodigy

Day (15) is the other protagonist of the novel. Day’s early characterization in the series alludes to the figure of Robin Hood, as Day has a reputation as a notorious criminal in Los Angeles who redistributes stolen wealth to those experiencing poverty. He suffers leg and head injuries from the experiments conducted by the Rebellion after “failing” his Trial; these experiments usually end in death, but thanks to Day’s physical strength, drive, and ambition, he managed to escape.

While Day prefers to avoid conflict, his actions are driven by his determination to protect others and keep them safe; he aims to “never leave anyone he cares about behind” (4). After the Republic murders his mother and older brother Josh in Legend, his close family members or friends include his younger brother Eden, his best friend Tess, and June. Day’s character experiences a negative character arc in Prodigy when his anger and hostility toward the Elector and the Republic overpower his moral code, which usually prevents him from killing others. By agreeing to kill the Elector (Anden) himself, Day exhibits The Compromising Nature of Love in that he compromises his morals for the loved ones he still has the power to save. By assassinating the Elector and reinstating the United States to its former glory, Day believes Eden, Jude, and Tess can live in the utopia his father had always described.

From the outset of Prodigy, Day suffers from nightmares due to his grief over his family’s deaths. The dreams serve as motifs that support the theme of To Trust or Not To Trust; in Day’s case, his conflict centers around his complicated relationship with June. He loves her, and wants to trust her, but he still harbors a deeply rooted resentment for the part she played in his family’s deaths. Day also feels bitterness regarding June’s upper-class wealth and privilege that keeps her from fully understanding his past and his commitment to dismantling the Republic. These ongoing conflicts complicate Day’s relationship with June throughout the novel. Day demonstrates self-sacrifice in the falling action of the book when he keeps his diagnoses a secret from June and encourages her to pursue the Princeps position with Anden, effectively cutting her out of his life for her own good.

Tess (13) is Day’s partner in crime and “the orphan girl [he’s] grown up with on the streets” (4). She is the youngest of five siblings, but at nine years old, was forced out of the house by her parents because they could no longer afford to feed the entire family and never let back in. More recently, Tess has become a much-beloved Patriot recruit. Her natural inclination to care for others, whether tending wounds or putting others at ease, prompts her to become a Medic for the rebellion.

Tess’s formerly platonic relationship with Day shifts toward unreciprocated romantic feelings as she matures. Her jealousy over Day’s relationship with June creates tension in the group but also allows her to consider the potential worst qualities in June in moments in which Day cannot do so himself. Tess’s scathing critiques of June, spoken in moments of jealousy, intensify the ways in which she and June appear opposite. In this way, Tess is a foil to June.

Whereas Day struggles with connecting to June and bridging the class divide to blame for their opposing values, Tess presents as Day’s “perfect” match. Tess relates to sides of Day’s personality and his early life experiences in ways June never will, because of the disparity in their socioeconomic backgrounds; Tess “understands intimately where [he] came from. She can cheer [him] up on [his] darkest days” (112). The presentation of Tess and June as opposites preys on the insecurities Day already faces in his relationship with June; he feels as though he cannot compete with Anden, who is wealthy like June, for June’s affection. The ultimatum Tess subtly and unsubtly offers in several interactions with Day—he must choose June or Tess—helps to develop the theme of To Trust or Not To Trust, which explores how many characters in the novel must grapple with the risks and the consequences of placing their trust in the wrong people.