The Hawthorne Legacy

Avery remains the first-person POV narrator and protagonist in The Hawthorne Legacy, picking up where The Inheritance Games left off. Avery’s character speaks to the prominent theme of Class Disparities and Classism in the book: Raised in poverty, she is still ill-at-ease with the wealthy world she’s been thrust into following her inheritance. She is continually reminded that she is the star of a “Cinderella” story and that her life is very different from what it once was: “One day, I’m scrounging to pay the electric bill, and the next, I’m Cinderella” (235). Avery’s situation is used to criticize the concept of the Cinderella fairytale as she struggles to adapt to her newfound wealth—and her life is continually under threat as a result. Further, Avery may have access to the luxurious Hawthorne House, but she’s essentially a prisoner there, forbidden to leave for more than three nights in the first year after inheriting or she will have to forfeit her inheritance. Although she’s no longer the poor “Cinderella,” she has less freedom than before and sits in a gilded cage.

In addition to exploring the theme of Class Disparities, The Hawthorne Legacy depicts Avery’s Coming-of-Age, following her from a dependent minor to a self-acting adult.