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Commander Jameson
John is Day’s older brother. He’s 19 and works at the local steam plant until the Wing house is quarantined due to Eden’s illness. He’s also the only member of the family who knows Day is alive, and the brothers meet regularly so that Day can pass along supplies and money to his family. Since Dad’s passing, John takes his responsibility as the oldest male in the family very seriously. Day knows that John blames himself for Day failing his Trial, and John struggles to support Eden and Mom given the poor conditions in which they live. But he loves his family, especially Day, above all else—so when June and John realize they aren’t going to be able to get Day out of Batalla Hall, John sacrifices himself so Day can escape. He looks enough like Day to fool an anxious and unsuspecting firing squad, so he takes Day’s place and is killed.
John Wing Quotes in Legend
The Legend quotes below are all either spoken by John Wing or refer to John Wing. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 13 Quotes
I pull out the sea daisies that I had tucked into my shirt’s sleeve. Some of the blossoms are crumpled now, but I prop them up as carefully as I can and gently pat down dirt around them. Mom will probably never see them here. But I know they’re here. The flowers are proof to myself that I’m still alive. Still watching over them.
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Chapter 25 Quotes
After I’d escaped from the lab and developed the habit of watching my family from a distance, I occasionally saw John sitting at our dining room table with his head in his hands, sobbing. He’s never said it aloud, but I think he blames himself for what happened to me. He thinks he should have protected me more. Helped me study more. Something, anything.
If I can escape. I still have time to save them. I can still use my arms. And I have one good leg. I could still do it... if only I knew where they were...
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Chapter 35 Quotes
I’m not a superstitious person, but when I wake up from this dream, this painfully clear memory of John, I have the most horrible feeling in my chest.
I would rather die than see them hurt you.
And I have a sudden fear that somehow, some way, what he said in the dream will come true.
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Chapter 39 Quotes
Nothing makes sense anymore. My brother was probably worrying about me while I moped in my cell like a selfish brat. John put me first, always.
“He shouldn’t have done it,” I whisper. “I don’t deserve it.”
June’s hand rests on my head. “He knew what he was doing, Day.” Tears appear in her eyes, too. “Someone needs to save Eden. So John saved you. As any brother would.”
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John Wing Character Timeline in Legend
The timeline below shows where the character John Wing appears in Legend. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...asks what gifts Day has for his family. Day has goggles for his older brother, John, who works in a smoky steam plant, and an assortment of canned goods. John is...
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Day watches Mom, John, and Eden walk around inside the house and considers what might happen if one of...
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Chapter 5
Day dreams that he’s at home with John, Eden, and Mom—and Eden is drawing soldiers breaking into the house. He wakes up, startled,...
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Chapter 13
...the porch and then the house. Through the bedroom vent, he can see and hear John and Mom discussing Eden’s illness. Eden looks very unwell: he’s green and sweaty. John leaves...
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Chapter 17
...task and not on their kiss. He can tell Mom is up watching Eden, and John is in the kitchen. John meets Day out back when he hears Day’s whistled signal....
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Chapter 21
John lifts feverish Eden, whose eyes are black—his irises are bleeding. Mom leads them and Day...
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Day hears a commotion inside, and then soldiers march Mom and John out. Medics wheel Eden out on a gurney. Using a homemade slingshot, Day shoots one...
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Chapter 22
...the thigh to disable him, and then soldiers drag him and the other young man (John) into vans. She then scolds June for questioning her—her way of getting Day out was...
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Chapter 23
...summons Commander Jameson. She taunts him, insults his family, and refuses to say anything about John or Eden. Then she saunters away, leaving June—now in a fancy uniform—to take over. June...
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...into Metias’s shoulder so he could escape. June doesn’t believe him and threatens to cut John’s fingers off, but Day stays firm in his answer. She then asks why the Republic’s...
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Chapter 24
...Day. Privately, June thinks about Day’s kiss and how kind, generous, and loving he was. John also seemed decent. The Day who killed Metias was a “cruel, ruthless criminal” who doesn’t...
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Chapter 25
...along the hallways. Day can see POWs from the Colonies in some cells, being tortured—is John being tortured too? Finally, he’s led outside into blinding sunlight and onto a tall platform....
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...the plague kills him, but he isn’t sure what they’ve done, or will do, with John. He knows John blames himself for not protecting him years ago, and Day knows he...
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Chapter 26
...swollen and clearly infected. After giving him some water, she answers his questions about Tess, John, and Eden, who are all safe for now (as far as she knows). She shares...
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Chapter 29
...Day insists the kiss was consensual. Thomas continues to beat Day and threatens to kill John and Eden if he isn’t careful. Finally, Thomas leaves.
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Chapter 31
...Thomas beat him, and June says she doesn’t know where Tess is. Both Eden and John are alive. Then, June gets a strange look on her face. She explains that she...
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Chapter 33
Day plans to try to escape tonight. He wishes June was around—without Mom, Eden, and John, Day has trouble being brave. Figuring that he has a chance if he can get...
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Chapter 34
...Patriots, but she asks for June’s plan anyway. June shares that she’s going to break John out tomorrow night. Then, on the evening of Day’s execution, the Patriots will need to...
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Chapter 35
...He suffers nightmares, the worst of which is a memory from when he was nine, John was 13, and Eden was four. John and Day are playing street hockey with brooms...
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Once the officer is gone, John scolds Day for standing up to the officer. He told Day that he’d “rather die...
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Chapter 36
...up to today. June feigns happiness, but she’s panicking. She won’t be able to get John out now, and the Patriots might not be able to help. Additionally, June wonders if...
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Chapter 37
...usually do something exciting). Day, though, just sits and thinks. He hopes June will help John too, and he wonders what happened to push her to put herself in danger to...
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...asks if he has any final requests, and mouths that he should ask to see John. Day complies, so Commander Jameson sends a soldier to fetch him. The young men are...
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Chapter 38
June pretends to just be annoyed, but she’s terrified. John is waiting in a ventilation shaft to escape with her and Day; what are they...
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...and takes stock of the situation. There’s pandemonium outside, and in the firing squad hall, John and Day are fighting a single guard. Three more are unconscious. June kicks the soldier,...
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Chapter 39
...a JumboTron. It reads that Day was executed by firing squad earlier—and the video shows John being executed in Day’s place. Day accuses June of forcing John to die, but June...
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