I Am Number Four

Light is used as a symbol in the novel for Four’s insight and connection to Lorien. The first Legacy that Four develops is the ability to generate light from his hands. In the beginning of the novel, Four is relatively in the dark—figuratively—about his past life on Lorien. He has been on the run since he was five years old, so for most of his adolescence, he has learned to adapt to life on Earth. The few points of connection Four has to Lorien are the scars on his ankles, which bind him to his fellow Garde members. Even so, Four does not know anything about the other members. At one point in the novel, Four asks Henri if he has ever considered settling on Earth and making a new life for himself rather than holding onto the hope that they will one day return to Lorien. Henri tells Four that if Four were able to remember any of Lorien, he wouldn’t be asking him that question. Four remembers little of Lorien, and what he does he may or may not just be remembering from their training, rather than from his own memories. Based on this conversation, as well as Four’s longing to finally settle in one place on Earth, Four does not feel as strong of a connection to his home planet as Henri does.