Divergent vs. Hunger Games

 Divergent and The Hunger Games. Two of my favorite book trilogies. Divergent was written by Veronica Roth, and is about a society that was split into 5 different factions that each represent a different idea or purpose. Teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction with their families or switch to another for the rest of their lives. There is the Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, and Amity. In the novel, The Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the cruel Capitol randomly picks one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts to fight against each other in a game of survival.

 

These two book trilogies are similar because they are both set in futuristic, dystopian societies. They both include the main characters having romantic interests, Katniss with Peeta and Gale, and Tris with Four. They are both based on stories of how the government and society could go wrong and how different we could end up if the safety and power over people relied on the wrong people like the Capitol and the leaders of Erudite. The main characters Tris and Katniss are both brave and love and protect the people they care for and would risk everything for their safety and well being. I look up to Katniss and Tris and am inspired by them because of how strong- willed and independent they are.

 

What was different about them is that they had two completely different plots. In the Hunger Games the situation seemed scarier and worse (than divergent) then it really was because there's more overall effect in Divergent. There was a bigger effect with Divergent because if they didn't stop Erudite from trying to take over then Abnegation would die suddenly. Also because you don't know whats behind the fence and I like how your sort of left hanging.

My favorite, out of the two, would have to be........*drum roll*.......Divergent!!! I picked Divergent because I put in more interest in its plot than in the hunger games. Divergent didn't have a love triangle like The Hunger Games but it still won me over.

 

Blogging Assessment #1

My post, http://nazsreadingblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/divergent.html , really demonstrates my strong, authentic voice because while I was writing it I put in my personal opinions and thoughts to share with the readers and audience.

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 paragraph shows how I can have different and unpopular opinions. Sometimes I write with slang or sometimes I am more elaborate with my diction and my 'writer's voice', this is because I want to connect with my readers and keep them interested in what I'm saying. The type of diction I used in that quote was low and informal diction. I used low and informal diction to make my post really easy to read and understand. Also otherwise it would be boring. For syntax, I use a lot of quotes to let the reader see what I'm refering back to and to fully understand what I am trying to describe. Also, I use a lot of fragments to really draw in the reader and it's nice because fragments are just really easy to understand rather than really long borning and elevated sentences.

I picked this post to assess because I really showed the readers that it is a fun and really interesting book while keeping the audience entertained and focused on my post.

Characterization {Divergent}☯

   Tris Prior ☯ Tris Prior, born as Beatrice Prior, is the main protagonist and narrator of the Divergent Series. As a sixteen year old she is strong- willed and loves her family more then anything but that comes into question when the choosing ceremony comes up and she has to choose if she wants to stay with her family or if she wants to leave and express her true personality. Tris was born into the Abnegation faction. They are selfless and kind. But Tris never felt like she was a true abnegation. She is even more confused when she gets an inconclusive test score to see what faction she should be. Tris ends up picking dauntless because of how much fun they seem to have and how free they were.
                                                                
Favorite Quote by Her: "Beatrice was a girl I saw in stolen moments at the mirror, who kept quiet at the dinner table. This is someone whose eyes claim mine and don’t release me; this is Tris"

 Four ☯ Tobias Eaton, more importantly known as Four because of his four fears. He is the instructor for the transfer initiates. He becomes the love interest of Tris Prior. He comes off as a really mean and tough guy but on the inside he's the opposite. Being with Tris really opens him up and lets the reader fully see his emotions. After he figures out what Tris really is, he decides to keep it a secret and wants to help her. This shows how loyal he really is to Tris. 

Favorite Quote by Him: "I don't want to be just one thing, I can't be. I want to be brave and I want to be selfless, intelligent and honest and kind."

Christina ☯ She transferred to Dauntless from Candor, and was Tris Prior's first and best friend during her initiation into the faction. She was first introduced when she helped Tris onto the train after the choosing ceremony. Christina befriends Tris and becomes a vital part in the beginning of Tris' new life in Dauntless. 

Favorite Quote by Her: "I'm used to saying whatever is on my mind. Mom used to say that politeness is deception in pretty packaging."

Out of these 3 characters and all of them in the Divergent Trilogy which one is your favorite and why? Mine is Tris because she is strong and brave and also because she's divergent which is pretty cool to me. 

Krista Ramsey

The column I chose was, Raising kids to embrace the world, then they do, by Krista Ramsey. This column is told from a parents point of view about the sadness of your child finally growing up and living on their own. I chose this column because I wondered how parents feel when their children are ready to leave the nest. I would describe this column as pathos because it makes me feel sad for the parents of the kids and sad when I'm going to have to go through that when I decide to have kids.

URL: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/03/06/krista-ramsey-young-adults/6144909/

Krista's writing style touches the hearts of many which is her main goal, I think. She adds emotion and depth in her sentences and words and makes her columns interesting so it is easy to read and understand. She wants to make the reader feel as much emotion as they can so they can know and feel what the parents in the column are feeling so they can really comprehend the text more.

"On our best days, we silently congratulate ourselves for raising children who really were ready for the world. On our worst, we want to clarify that we meant the world within a two-hour drive of us." This quote really impacted me because it made me realize that when parents want you to go out and live your life and go on adventures around the world they were kind of lying because while they want you to really make your life fun and memorable they don't want you to go away because it'll make them feel older and lonelier. I probably don't understand the parents point of views that much since I'm not a parent yet but even though you're going to miss your kids you've got to let them live their own life, own adventures, and someday a family of their own. 

My questions to Krista are: 
What inspired you to become a columnist?
Why did you want to write a column on this subject in particular?

Characterization of Clarisse

Fahrenheit 451 is set in the future in the United States. Clarisse, one of the main characters, is a seventeen year old girl who describes herself as crazy in the beginning of the book. She has voluminous blonde curly hair, she's really pale, and thin. Clarisse isn't like the girls who are her age. She is out of the norm and she seems to be one of the few people who know about the past and questions why books are burnt. In the book she meets a fireman name Guy Montag. Montag sees Clarisse as having no manners and being really odd but he loves to have conversations with her. On page 11 she says, "You know, I'm not afraid of you at all." then Montag replies "Why should you be?". After that Clarisse says "So many people are. Afraid of firemen, I mean. But you're just a man, after all...". This quote shows that Clarisse is a lot different than most people.

The most important quote said by her is, "Strange. I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames." This quote is very important because it tells you that Clarisse knows more then what she should know. My favorite character is Clarisse because she is the person that makes Montag question whether he's happy or in love or if he even enjoys burning books. Soon he realizes he doesn't enjoy burning books but learns to appreciate them and try to gain knowledge from them by secretly collecting books. What I don't understand is, is why Clarisse died so early in the book when she was such an important character.

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.