identify the setting and mood of the opening scene. explain how the author creates this mood

The mood and tone of this dystopian setting is dark but made to resemble parts of society that exist today. Legend takes place in the Republic, a world very different from our own. However, there are some similarities between the Republic and today’s society. Though the geography has been distorted by natural disasters and other apocalyptic events, the Republic exists in California. This helps root the story in some sort of realism that young readers could identify with and understand. Another example is the Trial. Obviously, killing students who fail an exam is very extreme and would never occur today. That said, there are some parallels between the Trial and the SAT, which American high-school students must take before applying to college.