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Anna Giglio
Mrs. Juhan
English 9, Period 6
8 September 2016
Adelina: Villain or Virago
With the classic tragic past and troubled mind, Adelina Amouteru is definitely a main
character of The Young Elites by Marie Lu, but is she the heroic protagonist or the deplorable
antagonist? The answer can be found with exploration into her actions and thoughts throughout
the story. Adelina is the hero of her story because of her desire to protect her loved ones, her
empathy for other malfettos, and her state of mind when her decisions could be considered
villainous
Almost every action Adelina makes in The Young Elites is made with the intention of
protecting her family and friends. This consistent pattern is the reason she was vulnerable to
Teren's manipulation; she needed to protect her sister, Violetta. A villain would have left their
sister for dead, especially after Violetta gave up Adelinas location to the Inquisition, effectively
betraying her. However, she also refuses to give up the identities of the Daggers, protecting them
from Teren as well, as she reminds us when she thinks, How dare you. I protected you all,
during Dantes confrontation before his death. (Lu 269). These acts shows that she cares for her
loved ones, even if she may resent them.
Even after she is saved from her execution by the Dagger Society, Adelina still exhibits
sympathy for malfettos who are persecuted. She expresses discomfort at the fact that the Daggers
only save Elites, and leave the malfettos to burn at the stake. When their executions are within
sight, she looks away, unable to look. Later in the book, when Teren attempts to make her lose
faith in the Daggers, it is their refusal to save malfettos that makes her falter, thinking back to

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how malfettos have burned at the stake, and how the Daggers chose not to save them (Lu 261).
Her empathy for the oppressed and anger towards those who refuse to help is characteristic of
almost every superhero ever created.
Despite being the main character, Adelina isn't perfect, and some of her decisions could
definitely be seen as malicious or evil, but not when taking into consideration her state of mind
when making them. When a person is terrified, angry, and in danger, they aren't thinking clearly,
and are liable to making regrettable decisions. For example, when she killed Dante, or Spider,
she feared for her life and thus her energy, claws for freedom builds and builds Above
[her, she] no longer sees Dante, instead, [she] sees [her] father, his lips twisted in a dark smile
(Lu 270). Thus her ability to create illusions turned against her, as well as her mind. Her actions
are evidence of her powers instability and humanity, not her cruelty.
In cessation, Adelina, imperfect as she may be, is not the villain of The Young Elites. Her
decisions and thoughts reflect a desire to protect her loved ones, empathy for those who are
being persecuted, and her vulnerability to being overwhelmed by emotion. None of these
behaviors are even remotely characteristic of a cold, heartless villain, but that of a young,
impressionable hero.

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Works Cited
Lu, Marie. The Young Elites. G.P. Putnams Sons Books for Young Readers, Oct. 2014.