Divergent

 

Divergent, written by Veronica Roth, has got to be one of the best books I've ever read and I'm only half way through the book. Divergent is one of the most original and exhilarating plots ever. I've also saw the movie version and I'm glad I did because that opened my mind and I can picture the book. You could say this book is similar to The Hunger Games, but sorry guys I like this book a lot better. This novel is set in the future where our society has been divided into 5 factions- Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. Everyone in that society is born into the faction their parents are in, until they turn sixteen and can take the aptitude test which finds out which faction is best for you. The day after that is the choosing ceremony where you choose if you want to stay in the faction where your family is or leave them for good. Beatrice, the main character, has a lot of trouble deciding if she wants to abandon her family and be happy or if she wants to stay with her family. The Abnegation are all about trust, kindness, and selflessness. You can't even look in the mirror for two seconds without being considered vain. Abnegations color is gray. They must wear gray lose fitting clothes to not attract attention to themselves."I choose to turn away from my reflection, to rely not on myself but my brothers and sisters, to project always outward until I disappear".

People in Dauntless they believe in freedom from fear. They are pretty much the city's policemen except they're protecting them from what's outside the fence surrounding their city, which citizens don't even have knowledge of what could be behind it. My favorite faction by far is Dauntless and I would want to be apart of Dauntless because they aren't afraid of anything. Also because they seek adventure and fun. The Dauntless color is black, in which members completely dress. Dark makeup and tattoos are also recommended for members. "We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives somebody into standing up for another, we believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who can't defend themselves".

The Erudites are the most intelligent of all of the factions. They value knowledge and are big on speeches. They must wear at least one article of clothing that is blue because blue causes your body to release calming chemicals. "Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict. Therefore, we propose that in order to eliminate conflict, we must eliminate the disconnect among those with differences by correcting the lack of understanding that arises from ignorance with knowledge".

Amity is a faction that values peace above all else. They mostly have a laid back, happy mood and are often seen clapping hands and singing songs and viewed as artists. Tris ( aka Beatrice) refers to this faction when she says, " The goal of my life isn't just... to be happy". Members of this faction are dressed in red or yellow. "Give freely trusting that you will be giving what you need... Do not be angry. The opinions of others cannot damage you... The wrong is past".

Lastly, the Candor faction. This faction values honesty. The ones who can't even tell one little lie. A member of Candor can be recognized because of his black suit and tie. They see the truth as black and white so that's what they wear. "Truth makes us transparent. Truth makes us strong. Truth makes us inextricable". 


Divergence is the tendency to diverge from the norm which is, in this case, the mindset and way of thinking the factions are meant for. If you get a faction choice of more than one, you are considered Divergent. I feel like I am and some people, in present time society, are divergent in a way because I am not categorized into one "faction", I am a combination of those things and I'm curious as to why that's a bad thing in the books society.