Lauren’s Library Nook: Divergent

Most books that have movie adaptations, I read and watch both — in whichever order. Now, very few of these movies exceeded or at least lived up to the book because we all know that it’s impossible to squeeze hundreds of pages worth of details into a two-hour movie. But there are a few that come close. 

“Divergent” is one of those movies.

I won’t review the movie or the series in its entirety — although I have watched and read all of them. I’m here to talk about the first book in the trilogy, “Divergent,” by Veronica Roth and its dystopian model that immediately captured my attention.

The dystopian society of “Divergent” divides everyone into five factions, with each faction correlating with a unique virtue. These factions are Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (intellectual), Dauntless (brave), Candor (honest) and Amity (peaceful).  At the age of 16, each person takes the aptitude test, a virtual simulation that evaluates personalities and desires, that determines which “class” would best fit the individual.

Although most individuals choose the faction from their aptitude test or the faction they were born into, they have the freedom to choose any of the five — but what they choose is permanent.

In the book, what complicates the story is the protagonist, Beatrice (Tris) Prior, who takes the aptitude test and instead of getting the result of one faction, her results are inconclusive. This leads Tris to find out she is divergent: rare to find in humans and a threat to those who hold power in society.

The moment Tris realizes the danger she poses to society was the moment that threw me further into the story.

After all, I thought, “Why is being divergent so bad?” 

When I read the book, I tried to envision what faction I would choose. I would like to think I’d pick Dauntless because it seems the most impressive and exciting. After all, they do crazy, daredevil activities like jumping onto trains. But if I were honest with myself, I don’t think I would have what it takes to live up to the faction’s namesake — I just don’t have such a risk-taking personality.

While reading, I was in awe of the fear simulation that the Dauntless must undergo. A person initiated into Dauntless must be injected with a serum that forces the brain to come face to face with its fears — whether consciously or unconsciously known. I know the fear serum only creates a made-up reality, but somehow, I feel that the simulation would become my worst nightmare. I’m not so sold that I would be able to endure it. 

There’s a quote from the book where the two main characters discuss what it’s like to be Dauntless. Their conversation goes, “‘You’re afraid of heights,’ I say. ‘How do you survive in the Dauntless compound?’ ‘I ignore my fear,’ he says. ‘When I make decisions, I pretend it doesn’t exist.’ I stare at him for a second. I can’t help it. To me there’s a difference between not being afraid and acting in spite of fear, as he does.”

I think I would choose Amity. Those in Amity want nothing more than peace between themselves and others. Thus, they live in a peaceful society with meaningful relationships, coming to a compromised agreement on everything in order to preserve the peace.

As an enneagram type nine (the peacemaker), I feel that Amity would suit me well. 

Veronica Roth is brilliant with her words and through the way she crafts the story of the faction leaders and their fear of losing power to those who can outsmart them — which is exactly who Tris is. Divergents cannot be controlled in their way of thinking, and instead they see beyond the limits that the factions impose. 

So, what do the leaders do to the divergents they find? They eliminate them.

As “Divergent” is a dystopian novel, I really appreciate the abstract concepts of society that are brought to the pages and how the society that exists within it seems absurd and too far-fetched to ever become true. 

But it always makes me think, could our society one day end up this way?

Shank is the Editor-in-Chief. Follow her on Twitter

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