The story that unravels in Veronica Roth’s dystopian fiction, Divergent, displays themes
of fear, conformity versus rebellion, will to survive, and self-discovery. Published in 2011,
Beatrice, otherwise known as Tris, struggles to deal with life after her aptitude test when she is
forced to choose what faction she will live in based on her personality. In choosing her faction
Beatrice is forced to set aside her fear as she must do from that moment forward, not becoming
fearless but becoming capable of facing her fears. Along the way she faces a constant struggle to
survive, the blooming of a relationship, and Tris must discover who she is.
Roth begins by setting the scene of Beatrice’s life in the Abnegation Faction, where her
family resides and it becomes evident how different she is from everyone there. Regardless of
how hard she may try, Beatrice is incapable of fitting into this faction where everyone must
disregard themselves and put others first, always. So after learning about her divergence,
Beatrice is forced to hide her individuality from her family and friends, leaving her old faction to
take a more dangerous route- Dauntless. After an exhilarating jump off of a building, changing
her name to Tris, meeting the mysterious Four, and foregoing initiation, Tris must now struggle
to surpass the other initiatives but stay under the radar. If her divergence is discovered, she will
The Essay on Fear motivation
If you remember the movie Office Space, you might remember this great line where Peter (the guy trying to get fired) says “If you motivate people by fear, they will do just enough to get by and not get fired. This is the saddest of all motivational factors. Fear of rejection, fear of loss of respect, loss of money and country club status. It’s related to the above motivations, but from a ...
end up a broken doll at the bottom of a mountain. Even when it’s still a secret, an initiative
named Pete attacks her anyway once she makes the rankings as number one and as he is dangling
her life over a cliff, a knight in shining armor arrives. By the end of the book a transformation
has overcome Tris and what was once a girl trying to fit in is now a woman who has accepted her
singularity.
The book intensifies emotions as it wraps the reader into its pages, pulling them into the
story of Beatrice, and allowing them to relate to her character regardless of how strong her
personality is. Divergent is a one night read; a book that once you pick up, you will not be
putting down until you have read every word. Fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ,
Matched by Allie Condie, and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare with fall into the story.
Readers feel the tension, the love, the fear, the adrenaline, the angst, and the strength that lies in
the characters. For anyone who is an avid reader it is a must-read. Worthy of a 4.5 stars out of
5, Veronica Roth has outdone herself building the characters and the relationships within this
book.
