Chapter ∞ - The One Where I Tell It How It Is

Well... we made it! Allow me a moment to congratulate myself. GO ME! WOO!

Okay. Not that I've gotten that out of the way, let's be serious. We should all feel accomplished. If you are reading this, I assume that you are one of my fellow classmates and you too have finished your own blog. If not, GO AWAY! FINISH YOUR OWN! I think we can all agree that during the blogging process, we all got overwhelmed by this thing. It was harder to write about some chapters than others, but we all made it! Mazel tov!

If you read my blog, you most likely noticed that I was pretty critical of this book and that I more often pointed out flaws in the plot and writing style than complementing the novel on the things that it got right. So I'll do both right now!

First off, I have to give credit where credit is due. The author of Divergent, Veronica Roth, completed this entire novel as a college student. That is nuts! I can't imagine producing something so successful during my time in college, so I commend her for that. While the writing style was nothing too outstanding, it was executed well and paired with an intriguing plot. And plus, (that one was for you, Ms. Redmond!) I was impressed by her ability to create an entire new universe in only 487 pages. A wide array of characters, dystopian factions, and an altered version of present-day Chicago combined to form a plausible universe.

Now, it's time for a little bit of criticism. I won't get too carried away, I promise. I will keep name calling to a minimum. First off, I understand that the plot was well written, but at times I believe the romance took too much of a spotlight. I get that a love interest is becoming almost a necessity in today's literature, but the wreck of a relationship that Tris and Four had seemed to detract from the main plot. Not only did the two only know each other for about a month, the way the two interacted screamed "trainwreck". I love Four! I hate Four! I love Tobias! I hate Tobias! I'm just saying. It never works like that. But, call me biased. I wasn't too thrilled about the scenes where Ms. Roth was trying to make me imagine playing tonsil hockey with Four.

Overall, I can see why someone would enjoy this novel. The plot was outside of the norm and the author certainly did a good job of making the action jump right off of the pages. However, the plot holes and excessive romance storyline kind of hindered my opinion of this book. I'd consider reading the second book of the series and then see where it goes from there in regards to reading the third, but I won't necessarily make a point of it. However, I am interested in watching the film in order to compare and contrast the novel with the feature film. I might need someone to cover my eyes during the "Tris and Four" scenes. TAG outing, anyone?

The feels are strong with this one

-------------------------------

On a personal note, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for an amazing year in TAG. The time I spent with you guys this year was some of the best that I had. The positive atmosphere that is present every day I walk into class is irreplaceable. While I may not be returning to TAG next year, I want to make sure that you know it has nothing to do with the people I see in that classroom. I'll still see you guys in the halls and in other classes. And I'll make sure to comment on all of the groceries you buy, Ms. Redmond!

So, I guess that's all I have. Thank you all for making this year one to remember.

- Rhedt

Chapter Thirty Nine - The One Where It Ends

"The shot doesn't come."

Tobias somehow breaks out of the simulation. Never underestimate the power of the divergent, folks! The two lovebirds share an embrace and Tobias starts sobbing because he feels bad about everything that has happened. He claims that he was able to shake the simulation because he could hear Tris' voice. How dreamy? They kiss and stuff for a minute.

They notice a monitor and see that Peter, Caleb, and Marcus are surrounded by soldiers. Tris begs Tobias to end the simulation. He does so just in time and the three are saved.

The Dauntless all snap out of the simulation and realize the destruction that they have caused. Everyone is placing blame on each other. This is getting out of control.

Tobias and Tris grab the hard drive with the simulation on it. They meet up with Peter, Caleb, and Marcus. When Marcus and Tobias end up in the same space, it gets awkward fast. Tris threatens Tobias with the gun, but no shots are fired. I guess you'll have to read book 2 to see what happens between father and son.

The group rides the train and are headed to the Amity HQ. I feel like Amity has been the forgotten faction in all of this. Amity was covered very little in this book. Possibly book 2 will be focused more on this faction.

One thing is for sure: life as Tris knows it is completely different now.

"I have no home, no path, and no certainty. I am no longer Tris, the selfless, or Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either."

Chapter Thirty Eight - The One Where Tobias Is Going To Kill Tris

So... Tobias is now brainwashed by the simulation serum. Now he has Tris as his target. Tris tries to fight back, but Tobias is far stronger than she is and the serum makes him a merciless hitman. She breaks down into tears. She tries to snap him out of the simulation, but cannot. She hopes that she can find a way to not be killed by Tobias. I bet the "horizontal tango" doesn't sound so bad right now.

She realizes what she must do. He isn't leaving the simulation anytime soon. She has the gun in her hands. If it was anyone else, the bullet would have gone through their skull a long time ago, but this is different. It's Tobias. She can't kill him. She's running out of loved ones. She decides that she can't kill him because she knows that he wouldn't kill her if he were in her position.

"I can't kill him. I am not sure if I love him; not sure if that's why. But I am sure of what he would do if our positions were reversed. I am sure that nothing is worth killing him for."

She hands over the gun to Tobias. Thinking back to the fear landscape, she has conquered her fear of choosing to shoot a loved one or be shot. This should bring good results, but it doesn't look good right now. She feels his heartbeat for the last time. This is it. Tobias slides the bullet into the barrel...

Chapter Thirty Seven - The One Where An Enemy Becomes An Ally

The Priors and Marcus head to the Dauntless HQ. The group relives the first day of Dauntless initiation as they have to jump on and off of the train and then jump off of the roof into the net. When they reach the HQ, they see Peter. He is guarding the Pit. The leaders didn't have him become a "sleepwalker". Or is he divergent? Not likely.

The destination: The control room

Tris shots Peter in the arm as payback for all of the torture he has put her through during initiation. After being shot, Peter agrees to help them as long as they don't leave him behind. He admits that he is afraid of what the Erudite are doing, too. Peter takes the lead and guides them in the right direction. Tris fights through some of the control room guards. One of the guards happens to be divergent and helps Tris. Everybody engages in the combat, even Tris' father. He leads some of the guards away from Tris, but accidentally ends up in a dead end, where he meets his untimely death. With this, both of Tris' parents are now dead.

There is no time to waste, Tris keeps moving on.

"For every second that I waste, another Abnegation member dies."

She finally makes it into the control room. Sitting at the computers she finds... Tobias.

Chapter Thirty Six - The One With The Family Reunion

Get over it, Tris. There are more important things right now

There are two soldiers who follow Tris after she leaves her mom. She kills the first one, but the second isn't so easy. She knows the second one. It's Will. Well... kind of. It is "sleepwalker Will". He is about to shoot at Tris, but Tris places a bullet right into his skull. Tris immediately loses her cool. Real brave of you, Tris! You know what would be even braver? GETTING OUT OF THERE ALIVE! THEY ARE AFTER YOU! STOP WASTING TIME!

After she gets over killing Will, she makes it to the building where her family is and does the knock pattern. I was expecting her father to answer, but it is Caleb who opens the door. He is back in his Abnegation gray. After researching the simulation serum and finding out about the war on Abnegation, he left Erudite and became factionless. Now that takes bravery. He could have easily lived his life, but he threw it all away because he knew what side he needed to help. Good on you, Caleb!

The two men help remove the bullet from Tris' arm. Tris tells them about her mother's death. Her father takes it pretty hard, but doesn't let it be known. Tris also explains how Erudite is now in control of all of the Dauntless and how they need to get them to regain consciousness to the real world.

"Eric called Al's death brave, and he was wrong. My mother's death was brave."

Marcus, Tobias' father, is also in the building. He comes up with a plan to destroy the computers that are controlling the simulations on the sleepwalkers. If the computers can be destroyed, the war will be over.

Chapter Thirty Five - The One Where Tris Might Die

Tris is in a container with water rising around her. Really? This again? This time there is a video camera present. She starts to freak out, but then realizes the inevitable truth: there is no way out. At this point, Tris accepts death and will not struggle. As she starts to die, she relies on her religion. She remembers her mother at her baptism.

Plot twist in 3..2..1..

Abnegation: the safest of them all... Well, not anymore

Apparently in Divergent-world, if you think about something, it has to come true. I say this because none other than Tris' mother shows up right in the nick of time. She breaks the container and rescues Tris. She has guns, a tattoo that Tris has never noticed, and has been shooting guards. Tris' mom is one Bad Mother.... nevermind. Apparently, Tris' mother had seen the sleepwalking soldiers earlier and knew she needed to find and save Tris.

Another plot twist: Tris' mom is divergent! She chose to leave Dauntless and join Abnegation because she needed to find a safer life and was afraid that she wouldn't last in Dauntless as a divergent. She reveals that the divergents are dangerous because they can't be easily controlled like the others.  

"You're my daughter... I don't care about the factions... Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again."

Tris' mother tells her to run and find the rest of her family and that she will be a decoy to buy her some extra time. Tris doesn't want to leave, but once her mother runs into a group of Dauntless soldiers, she knows that she needs to find the rest of her family.

"Be brave, Beatrice. I love you."

Chapter Thirty Four - The One Where Jeanine Tells Them Everything

After being caught, Tris and Tobias are taken to Jeanine, the woman behind this whole revolution. She was expecting Tris to be divergent, but didn't seem to expect Tobias.

I'll kill you, but first let me tell you my diabolical plan

Jeanine goes through her entire diabolical plot so Tris and Tobias can hear it before they die. They already are well aware of the first step: get rid of Abnegation. Once they are out of the way, Jeanine plans to take control of the entire city and form a government up to her standards. With herself in power, she believes everyone will be very rich. I don't see it like that. I see a long line of people fanning her with big leaves just so they can have a drink of water. I think she is looking for some sort of totalitarian government.

Jeanine doesn't understand why a lot of Abnegation turn out to be divergent. This has been a big deal throughout the book. I believe it is because I believe selflessness encompasses a lot of different traits. I believe that to be selfless, you also have to be peaceful, at least somewhat intelligent, honest, and last but not least, you need to show bravery at times.

Jeanine makes the decision that Tris is useless to her now and decides to kill her. She will, however, keep Tobias alive in order to try to eventually understand how to control the divergent as well.  Tobias, being the bold Prince Charming he is, kisses Tris and attacks Jeanine.

Jeanine is able to fend off Tobias and injects him with a serum that makes him turn his attack toward Tris. This serum isn't quite as developed as the "sleepwalking soldier" serum, but it seems to be working so far. After being injected, Tobias seems like an entirely new person. Tris is taken away. Bye Tris! Don't worry about it. I bet you'll get out of this.

"Take her to room B13."

Chapter Thirty Three - The One Where Everyone Sleepwalks

When Tris is sleeping in the dormitory, she wakes up and notices everybody getting ready in a hurry. There is something weird here. Everybody's eyes are glazed over and their movements are in unison. It's as if everybody is sleepwalking at the exact same time. Tris realizes that this must be the tracking serum in work and that she is not effected because she is divergent. To avoid getting in trouble, Tris emulates the moves of the "sleepwalkers" and follows along with them to the train.

All of the sleepwalkers arm themselves with guns. Tris notices Tobias. She hopes that he is not a sleepwalker because then she would be wrong about being divergent. All of a sudden, Tris feels his hand grab her's. Yay! Tobias is divergent! The two play along and when they reach the Abnegation HQ, Tobias says to run away, but Tris doesn't want to leave her home faction behind.

Meanwhile, the sleepwalking soldiers are mindlessly killing Abnegation civilians. The war has begun. When the group walks by Eric, he threatens to shoot Tobias because he is supposed to be a sleepwalker. This reveals just how much Eric truly liked Tobias. He couldn't stand him, and the same could be said by Tobias.

Instead of watching her beau die, Tris takes action. She takes her gun and points it at the temple of Eric. Shooting Eric in the head would cause too much of a problem. She needs to keep him alive, but prove a point. She decides to shoot him in the foot. Tris and Tobias make a run for it.

While trying to escape, Tris is shot in the shoulder (everything has to do with the shoulder in this book) and falls to the ground. Tobias tends to her and they are caught by the Dauntless leaders.

"Divergent rebels, surrender your weapons."

Chapter Thirty Two - The One With The Welcoming Banquet

Today is the day where every Dauntless initiate will find out where their future is headed; the final rankings will be announced. Tris sits with her friends and tells them about her fear of intimacy from the fear landscape (she conveniently leaves out Tobias) and they all give her a hard time about it.

This Eric guy is a hoot

Eric starts the banquet with a joke about Erudite. Tris finds it funny that he would joke about the faction he is from. She thinks that no one would laugh at the joke if they realized that Eric truly is Erudite. The speech goes on with all of the generic Dauntless stuff. Just get on with the rankings. Ok!

1) Tris (surprise, surprise)
2) Uriah (yay!)
3) Lynn
4) Marlene
5) Peter (boo!)
6) Will (yay!)
7) Christina (yay!)

Those are all of the important ones. Molly and Drew are the two initiates who will become factionless. Good riddance!

To celebrate, Tris and Tobias share a kiss right in front of everybody. So if their relationship was a secret to anyone, it isn't anymore! While they are kissing, Tris has a sudden moment of clarity. The injection from earlier is going to help the Erudite use mind control to make the Dauntless fight. Here we go!

"But I do know how Erudite will get us to fight."

Chapter Thirty One - The One With The Revenge Of The Horizontal Tango

The fear landscape is over! Yay! Go Tris! From the reactions of the Dauntless leaders, it seems like it went pretty well.

After a little bit of congratulatory chatter, Eric has Tris injected with another serum. This serum is some sort of tracking device. Don't do it, Tris! It's a trap! She realizes that she has to, or else people will get suspicious.

All of the factions should live as one

Later, Four congratulates Tris on only having seven fears. He still beat her, though. 4 < 7. To celebrate, the two of them start to "bow chicka bow wow". But Tris is having none of it. Her and Tobias get into a fight over her fear of getting intimate with him and Tris threatens to leave. Tobias tells her to stay and things start to settle down again.

Tris decides to show him the tattoo of the Abnegation symbol on her shoulder. Tobias reveals that he has that tattoo as well, in addition to all of the other factions. Ok. He's divergent. There is no question. He respects all of the values of each faction and he talks about all of them as if he personifies each one of them.

"I think we've made a mistake... We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and honest."

After the tattoo conversation, the two "get back to business".

Chapter Thirty - The One With Tris' Fear Landscape

In Tris' fear landscape, the first few simulations are repeats of ones that she has had to face before. She conquers her fear of birds by imagining that she has a gun and shoots a few of them. She conquers the fear of drowning by telling herself she is strong enough to break the glass. She also has a similar fear where she is in an ocean with roaring water and she conquers this by pulling herself onto land.

Not exactly what I meant

Now she is faced with new fears. She is burned at the stake by some of the other initiates led by Peter. She imagines rain and it begins to fall to extinguish the fire. The next one is being stalked by the man from her aptitude test. She decides to hide in the closet. The next fear is a little... different. She is afraid of "doing the horizontal tango" with Tobias. I'm not going to get into this one. The last fear she faces is having to choose between having Jeanine shoot her family or herself. She chooses to do the selfless thing and takes the bullet herself.

"Shoot me instead."

I'd have to say the scariest fear to me is the last one. I wouldn't want to have to choose who to shoot and who not to shoot. I'm not a big fan of weapons in the first place. So I'd rather just avoid the situation completely.

That's all folks!

Chapter Twenty Nine - The One With The Initiation Ceremony

We are all divergent

This is a very short chapter. The fear landscape is coming up in the next chapter, and Tris is nervous about anything and everything. Tris has an identity crisis of sorts. Is she Abnegation? Is she Dauntless? What is she?

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the whole faction thing. There is no way that every person is going to perfectly fit in a given faction. Tris is a perfect example. She is divergent. We all have different traits that define us. We can't just be categorized by our thoughts. The way we think is changing constantly. The world is Divergent.

Now it is Tris' turn for her fear landscape. She is injected with the serum. She has an open mind. She is ready.

"I imagine that the serum is liquid adrenaline rushing through my veins, making me strong."

"Ready?"

Chapter Twenty Eight - The One Where Tris Runs Away

After the little incident with Four, Tris decides to leave the Dauntless HQ to clear her mind. If you didn't know by now, this is a huge no-no. Initiates are supposed to be under surveillance by leaders at all times. Oh well, ain't nobody got time for that.

She decides to go to the Erudite HQ to see her brother, Caleb. Instead of having a heartfelt reunion, they bicker with each other. It seems like the two of them have really grown apart. Anyway, before they go their separate ways, Tris tells him to research the simulation serum, like her mother told her to do. When Tris leaves, she is taken away to Jeanine's office. Oooh... this doesn't look good. Jeanine has a lot of questions for Tris about the aptitude test. Oooh... Tris better be a good liar! Or this could get really bad.

From the answers Tris gives, it seems like Jeanine is still a little suspicious, but not enough to label Tris as divergent yet. Jeanine also asks about the articles and if Tris agrees with them.

"Wholeheartedly."

Tris is escorted back to the Dauntless HQ and meets up with Eric. I have a feeling Tris is going to get a stern talking to. However, Eric is acting very calm, nothing like his usual persona. He is almost scarier when he is this well under control. It is clear that he is an Erudite trapped in the wrong faction right now. Don't worry! Here comes Four to the rescue! He gets her out of trouble and the two work out their problem from before.

"For the first time, I recognize Eric for what he is: an Erudite disguised as a Dauntless, a genius as well as a sadist, a hunter of the Divergent."

Four and Tris go on the train and "kiss and stuff". They end up at the Erudite HQ and notice that the Erudite don't turn off their electricity at night. Four investigates the files on the computer server and discovers that the Erudite are planning on a war with Abnegation. DUN! DUN! DUUUUUUN!

Chapter Twenty Seven - The One With The Slap

Tris wakes up and cannot stop smiling because of her previous night with Tobias. She heads to the dining room and sits with her friends. When Tobias walks in, he has shorter hair and doesn't even acknowledge Tris. This has to break her teeny-weenie little heart. She actually does start to become mad because she feels like he is deliberately trying to ignore her.

"For a second, his eyes shift to mine. His stare is unfeeling. Then he looks away."

All of the initiates are summoned to the fear landscape room. As a practice, each one needs to go through the initiate trainer, Lauren's, fear landscape. When it is Tris' turn, she panics. One of the fears transforms from one of Lauren's to one of Tris' and she gets overwhelmed. Four stops the simulation and yells at Tris for  being so weak. Tris gets really embarrassed and slaps Tobias across the face. Ignore that, FOUR!

Chapter Twenty Six - The One With The Kiss

Tris and Four talk to each other while holding hands. Is it official? Are they an item? Does it really matter? We all know they will sooner or later.

Tris finds out that Four's aptitude test result was Abnegation. Makes sense to me. I see him as the selfless-type. He tells her that he left Abnegation because he needed to get away from his father. I understand this, I wouldn't want to be around my parents if they were abusive. Four also describes his view on selflessness and bravery, and says that he believes that they aren't all that different. I'd have to agree with this. With only the five factions, there is bound to be some gray area, and I believe this is one of the debates that can be justified.

This chapter is all about.... FEELINGS

Tris is curious as to why Four has been watching her, and he tells her that he likes her. About time he admitted it! He also tells her to refer to him as Tobias and not Four. Tris doesn't believe him at first, but she is soon proven wrong when he kisses her. I know this is supposed to be a big moment in the book, but I don't understand what the big deal is. The two have already held hands, he's kissed her forehead, she has stayed at his apartment twice. This is just another step and it was easy to see coming.

Anyway, Tris becomes more relaxed and kisses him again. While doing so, she thinks about what could have happened.

"For a few minutes we kiss... I realize that if we had both chosen differently, we might have ended up doing the same thing, in a safer place, in gray clothes instead of black ones."

Chapter Twenty Five - The One With Four's Fear Landscape

Tris gets her third tattoo in this chapter. At, first she thought it was a risky move, but then she decided to go ahead and get the Abnegation symbol on her shoulder. Tris also takes the copies of the reports that attack her family and throws them into the chasm. While doing this, she notices Four climbing into the fear landscape room. She assumes that he wants her to follow him, so she does.

This blog post is brought to you
by the number 4!

When she meets up with him, he asks if she wants to go into his fear landscape. Because she likes to spend every waking second with him, she agrees. From the fear landscape, Tris learns that Four has four fears. Well look at that! Four = name. Four = # of fears. Coincidence? I think not.

Four's fears are heights, confinement, shooting/killing a woman (possibly his mother), and his abusive father, Marcus. Wait.... what? Marcus? The same Marcus from Abnegation? For once, I didn't see something coming in this book. Well played.

While Four was being beat by his father in the simulation, it is revealed that his name is Tobias. I am assuming that this is what he wants her to call him from now on.

Once the simulation is over, Four tells her there is something else he wants to show her. But not now. We'll be waiting...

"It's easy to be brave when they're not my fears."

Chapter Twenty Four - The One With The Funeral

Here lies Al the Coward

Christina wakes Tris up and tells her that something has happened to Al. They head to the chasm and see Al's body being hoisted over the ledge. Tris leaves and talks to Tori for a bit about her brother, Georgie, again. After a while, they have to leave to attend Al's funeral.

During the funeral, Molly brings another report about Tris' father to everyone's attention. This time, the article even has to do with "the real reason Tris left Abnegation". Tris becomes enraged and attacks Molly. Will breaks up the fight between the two while Eric gets everybody's attention for a speech about Al. During the speech, Eric says that Al's suicide was brave. This makes Tris mad. Tris doesn't believe that the suicide was bravery at all, she believes it was just Al being a coward and finding the easy way out. I however have a different theory. I believe that Al did not commit suicide, I believe he was murdered by Dauntless officials (bear with me). Relating back to the story of Tori's brother, Georgie, the two deaths are very similar. They both died in the chasm. Both deaths were reported as suicide. Was Al divergent? Interesting...

"Courageous?... Pride is what killed Al, and it is the flaw in every Dauntless heart. It is in mine."

When Tris leaves the funeral, Four calls her name. The two talk for awhile and Four informs her that "they" are watching her. "They" as in the Dauntless leaders. Tris is still scared about her divergence and feels like it is sometimes stamped on her forehead. Speaking of people watching Tris, Four admits that he has been watching her too. And he likes what he sees. The two talk about Al and other goings on in Dauntless-land. Then, Four kisses her on the forehead. And stays there. For a long time. I'm just gonna lea.... I'm just... I'm...

Chapter Twenty Three - The One Where Tris "Acts" Weak

Tris stays the night with Four again. Tris admits to herself that she likes Four. Was this supposed to be a big deal? We have known that since around Chapter 3. Now we'll have to wait another fifteen chapters for her to admit it to Four. Oh well!

When they are both fully awake, they walk to the dining hall. Tris goes in first and Four follows a few minutes later so it doesn't look like they were together. Tris reminds herself to act weak around her friends. She tells them about everything that happened to her and they seem to actually sympathize for her. Or show as much sympathy as possible, they are Dauntless after all.

Four leads the initiates to the fear landscape room. He introduces Stage 3 of initiation, the fear landscape. The fear landscape is different for everyone who goes into it. Each person's fear landscape is specially designed based on each person's greatest fears. The number of fears for each person varies, so some might be in the landscape longer than others. When they are talking about the fear landscape, Peter seems very upset. Four acknowledges this with a little bit of a cheap shot (still funny).

"I understand why you're worried Peter. The events of last night certainly proved that you are a miserable coward... So now we all know, that you are afraid of a short, skinny girl from Abnegation."

The catch to the fear landscape is that the people are supposed to know that they are in a simulation and need to find a way to defeat the fear. Yes, Tris. We are all looking at you.

After the Stage 3 introduction, Al tries to apologize to Tris. The apology catches her off guard. At first she wants to forgive him, but then decides against it
.

"Never come near me again. If you do, I swear to God I will kill you, you coward."

Chapter Twenty Two - The One Where Tris Can't Call Four "Four"

The day after the attack, Tris wakes up in Four's apartment. Ow Owwww! Tris notices the signs of wear and tear from the attack on Four. His knuckles are bleeding and his lip is cut. He informs her that Peter and Al were able to run away, but Drew has been put in the infirmary. 

Tris is feeling the burn

After contemplating it a bit, Tris decides that she doesn't want Four to report them. It'll probably be better for her in the long run anyway. Four tells her to show some vulnerability. That shouldn't be really hard. Tris can barely move. He also says to at least pretend to rely on her friends to protect. Once again, this is something Tris almost has to do. She doesn't want to show weakness, but is soon convinced by Four. 

"It is more important for you to be safe than right for the time being. Understand? But please, when you see an opportunity... Ruin them."

Speaking of "Four"... He has decided that he doesn't want her to call him that anymore. Things are getting serious between these two. First, she stays the night. Now, he wants her to call him by a different name. What is it? Sweetie-pie? Pookie? [insert pet name here]? I guess we will have to find out later.

Chapter Twenty One - The One Where Al Is A Meanie

Tris is #1! Tris is #1!

Tris spends time alone in the net. This sounds like what I'd want to do sometimes if I was in Dauntless. I like to keep to myself and spend time alone, so I could myself in this situation. While here, she reflects on the articles that the Erudite are writing about Abnegation. Even though she has nothing to do with Abnegation anymore, she is letting the articles get to her.

After another of Tris' simulations, the rankings are posted for Stage 2. In a (not really) surprising turn of events, Tris is ranked #1. This doesn't really bode well for her whole "go unnoticed" routine, but that doesn't seem to be an issue at the moment. On the opposite end of the rankings, Al comfortably resides in the last spot.

Later, when Tris and Four are talking, they hold hands for a moment. It's kind of a big deal. For all of you on the edge of your seats in anticipation of a relationship to form between the two, just hold your horses and give them some space. They're getting there.

"You belong here, you know that? You belong with us. It'll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?"

That night, Tris has trouble sleeping. She leaves to get a drink. Let's think about this... It's a night scene. She is alone and completely vulnerable. She's getting attacked. I just know it. Before we get to that, Tris eavesdrops on a conversation she can hear through the wall. She hears Eric talking and comes to the conclusion that Eric is on the hunt for divergent initiates. *gulp* This isn't good. And to make things worse, Tris is grabbed from behind. She recognizes that the person that is escorting her is none other than Al. He is accompanied by Peter and Drew. Tris can't believe that Al would betray her like that. But you know that saying: "If you can't beat them, join them." Al is just tired of losing, so now he has aligned himself with the "bad guys".

The three attackers take Tris to the chasm and dangle her over the metal railing. When it looks like the worst is to come for Tris, none other than Four comes to save the day. Four fends off the attackers and tends to Tris. How dreamy? He's her Prince Charming. Aww.....

Chapter Twenty - The One With The Danger Of Divergence

There is another wave of simulations for the initiates in this chapter. Tris' second simulation is where she is trapped in a glass box that starts to fill with water. After freaking out a little bit, she remembers that it is all a simulation and breaks the glass in order to escape. When the simulation ends, Four warns Tris. From watching the footage from her simulations, Four knows that she is divergent because regular initiates are not aware that they are in a simulation. Four deletes the footage, but warns Tris to try to hide it better in the future.

"You manipulated the simulation; you're Divergent. I'll delete the footage, but unless you want to wind up dead at the bottom of the chasm, you'll figure out how to hide it during the simulations!"

If we've learned anything yet, it is
"Don't be divergent"

Tris is still unsure of why being divergent is dangerous, so she decides to visit Tori. While the two talk, Tori tells Tris about a former initiate named Georgie. Georgie's aptitude test had an inconclusive result (like Tris). He was very good at the simulations (like Tris). On the last day of Stage 2, a Dauntless leader came in to supervise his simulation. The next day, Georgie was found dead in the chasm. It was reported as a suicide. Georgie was divergent, just like Tris.

So now we know why being divergent is so dangerous. But why do the divergents have to be killed? Do they pose as a threat to something? I don't know.

Stay tuned.

Chapter Nineteen - The One Where Four Tells Tris That She Looks Good

Why can't the Erudite report
about important stuff

When Tris walks in to the dormitory, she hears Peter reading an article written by an Erudite reporter. The article is attacking Tris' father and the Abnegation government as a whole. I'm finding more and more ways to dislike this Peter fella. Molly had done an interview for the article and claimed that Tris' father was abusive. Will has to physically restrain Tris from getting into a fight with Molly.

Later that night, Tris gets her second tattoo. This one is on her shoulder and is the Dauntless seal. I am assuming that this is a sign of Tris going all in with her attempts in training. If she shows the dedication to have   Dauntless represented on her skin, she should have no problem with proving her worth throughout training. 

When Tris and her friends are hanging out in the Pit, they notice Four and some of his friends near the Chasm. When Four notices her, he approaches her. It is obvious that he is drunk. But that is normal in Dauntless, just not for Four. The two then have a short conversation and Four tells her that she looks good and winks at her. Is this the alcohol talking? Yes and no. Four usually wouldn't say anything like this when he is sober, but it is common to see someone telling the truth (or their version) while under the influence of alcohol. Either way: ♫Foourr liiiikess Triiiiss. Foourr liiiikess Triiss.♫

"You look good Tris."

Chapter Eighteen - The One With The Simulations

Today marks the first day of Stage 2 of initiation. Everyone is sitting quietly in a hallway and Four is calling each person individually after long intervals of time. Eventually, Tris is called and Four leads her back to a room. Four explains that it is a simulation room and she will have to face her fears and control her emotions. Four injects her with the simulation serum and it is go time.

"Be brave, Tris."

See? They aren't so bad

The fear Tris faces in her first simulation involves a swarm of crows. For whatever reason, this really scares her. All of a sudden, she is furiously pecked on every inch of her body by the swarm. Ohhh. Now I get why she is scared. This simulation takes a really long time (to her) to get over. When she can finally calm herself down in the simulation, she regains consciousness in reality. She notices that she had been crying and she is really shaken up from it. She gets angry when she thinks that she had been in the simulation for a long time, but Four tells her that she had only been in it for a few minutes. Really? Only that long? The others took about half an hour on average. That's impressive.

Tris needs assistance from Four to leave the room. When they reach the room to the dormitory, Tris thanks Four and asks if she looks like she had been crying.

"No Tris, you look tough as nails."

Chapter Seventeen - The One With An Initiation Ritual

Don't look down Tris!

Tris decides to spend time alone because she doesn't want to revisit the memory what happened to Edward. Uriah notices Tris and invites her to come with the Dauntless-borns to go on an adventure. Yay! Tris is making friends!

They leave the Dauntless HQ and end up at the Hancock Building. They take the elevator up to the top of the building, where there is a zipline. Tris instantly becomes nervous. A few people go before her and by the time it is her turn, she is filled with a mixture of fear and anxiousness. When she finally goes, she has a blast.

When the group returns, Tris' friends see her with the Dauntless-borns and become jealous of her popularity.  While Tris was gone, there was an Erudite member asking questions about the Abnegation leaders. Christina stands up for Tris and Abnegation.

When Tris looks back over at the Dauntless-born initiates and realizes how much she wants to live the Dauntless life. After today, she feels like she is finally starting to fit in. It looks like she will use this as her motivation to continue to be successful in her training.

"It's the first time I have been really eager to be one of them. Which means I have to survive the next stage of initiation."             

Chapter Sixteen - The One With The First Rankings

Tris returns to the dormitory and finds Al, who had been hiding from his family. He tells her that he is hiding because he doesn't want to have to tell them how badly he has been doing. What a baby! Seriously, somebody get this kid a pacifier! What made him think that he would ever fit in at Dauntless? Now to make things worse, Al tries hitting on Tris and is totally shut down. Tough luck Al. Tris goes for the bad boys, not pathetic crybabies like you.

She is almost as bad as this guy

Wow. I got a little carried away there. Anyway, at dinner that night, Tris and her friends talk about their aptitude test results. Seriously? That was one of about three rules I can think of since the beginning of the book and here everybody is breaking at all willy-nilly. Of course Tris is going to lie about her test results because she can't let them know that she is divergent (oh, so she won't break this rule). Christina, being the Candor that she is, sees right through her lies. Tris tries to cover it up and says that she got Abnegation as a result (which is half true), but I don't think Christina is completely convinced.

When the initiates meet up with Four, the first training results are announced. They are as follows:
1) Edward
2) Peter (boo!)
3) Will
4) Christina
5) Molly
6) Tris (eh... could be worse)
7) Drew
8) Al (well this isn't looking good)
9) Myra

With cuts coming tomorrow, Al is as good as gone.

When the initiates are sleeping later that night, Edward is stabbed in the eye with a knife. The only two initiates missing are Drew and Peter. They aren't so good at this whole "not getting caught" thing. But this is Dauntless. They won't be punished. If anything, they'll be rewarded.

Will and Tris take a walk. Will reads some of the Dauntless manifesto to her. The two come to the agreement that the current Dauntless has swayed from the beliefs of the original Dauntless and that it is Eric's fault.

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

When they return to the dormitory, Tris notices the bunks of Myra and Edward are empty. Christina informs her that they quit. This allows the rest of the transfers to stay without any additional cuts. You got lucky this time, Al.

Chapter Fifteen - The One With Visiting Day

It's Visiting Day! Yipee! Hooray! Eric visits the dormitory and tells Tris that he was impressed by her victory over Molly. Tris feels a little bit guilty about it now.

"For the first time since I beat Molly, guilt pinches my gut. If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong."

 The initiates are reminded by Eric to not forget the golden rule: Faction Before Blood.

Tris doesn't think anyone from her family is going to show up. She sees family members of Peter, Will, and Christina. Then she notices her mother, Natalie. Tris is really happy to see her mother and the two of them share an emotional embrace. Awww! 

I don't understand what is so hard about shaking hands.
Even a fish can do it

Her mom informs her that her father was too busy to come and that she is not able to visit Caleb right now because of the feud between Abnegation and Erudite. Tris introduces her mother to Four. Tris realizes how awkward Four's handshake technique is. She comes to the conclusion that Four was a faction transfer because of the way shaking hands doesn't come naturally to him. This reminds me of the origin of the handshake. In our society, shaking hands was originally a way to show someone else that you do not possess a weapon. 

Now that my history lesson is over, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Mmm.... chocolate cake

Next, Tris introduces her mother to Christina and Will. While they are trying to getting to know each other, Will's sister is very rude to both Tris and her mother. Natalie, being the Abnegation she is, takes Tris with her, away from the conflict. They go into a dark hallway and Natalie seems to know where she is going without a second thought. Hmm.... She asks Tris how the training has gone and also about her results from the aptitude test (that's a no-no). Without being told directly, she understands that Tris is divergent and tells her that it is common to find them from Abnegation. Her advice to Tris is to stay towards the middle of the pack and not draw any unneeded attention to herself. Before leaving, she tells Tris to visit Caleb and tell him to research the simulation serum. And also to try the chocolate cake; it's delicious.

After her mom leaves, Tris realizes what we did about 10 pages ago.

"My mother was Dauntless."

 DUN! DUN! DUN!    

Chapter Fourteen - The One Where Tris Goes Too Far

BREAKING NEWS: One of my predictions has come true yet again. This is getting too easy. Tris discovers that she has started to gain some muscle.She comes to this realization while she is looking in the mirror after a shower. When she returns to the dormitory, she is met by Peter, Molly, and Drew. They begin taunting her and when she tries to run away, Peter grabs the towel from her body. I have a feeling this scene is going to be a little awkward in theaters...

Don't look!

Back in the arena, there is another slew of matches. Will defeats Myra. Christina defeats Al after Al basically concedes the match. What is his problem? Does he want to be factionless? Because he is on the right track so far. In another match, Edward defeats Peter. Yay! Go Edward! Boo Peter!

NOWWWWWW! IT'S TIIIIIIIME! FOR THE MAAAAAIIIIIN EVENNNNNT! In this corner, from Candor, MOLLY! (boo!) And in this corner, from Abnegation, TRIS! (yay!) 

Tris is going to need her newly found muscles for this one. Molly has been referred to as "a tank" in a previous chapter, so it seems like Tris has her work cut out for her. Tris uses her quickness to her advantage in this one and soon finds herself with the upperhand. She keeps attacking her. And attacking her. And attacking her. And attacking.... And... You get the point. But she didn't. Tris would not stop beating Molly senseless. After it was clear that Tris had won, Four had to pull her off of Molly just to end it all. It is very clear that Four does not approve of this. 

"I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did. I don't."

Unlike Tris, I know when to stop. So I will be ending this blog post right............ NOW!  

Chapter Thirteen - The One With The Knives

The next component of the initiates' physical training is learning how to throw knives. This lesson is taught once again by none other than Four. Seriously, what can't this man do?

Everyone struggles with this new skill at first. After awhile, Tris is the first person to successfully hit the target. Fast forward a bit. Everybody except Al has now successfully hit the target. Eric is enraged with Al's lack of success and punishes him by making him stand in front of the target as Four throws knives at the target. It's not looking so good, is it all? Wait, here comes Tris to the rescue! Whaddya know? The Stiff is sticking up for someone else. Surprise, surprise.

Tris ain't scared of no
knives

Tris takes Al's punishment instead. She nervously awaits the knives, hoping she won't be gored with one of them. Four throws a few knives past Tris and they stick successfully into the target. With the last knife, Four nicks Tris' ear, resulting in blood to begin to spurt. Tris is furious. Eric, however, approves of the bravery that Tris showed by standing in for Al. Tris doesn't exactly know how to respond to his approval.

After the group clears, Four and Tris talk. Tris accuses Four of hitting her on purpose. Four confirms that he did and claims that he did it to help her. Hold the phone! How does injuring her give her any kind of benefit? I don't know personally, but I'm not one to doubt Four. He seems to have his reasons.

"If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have already?"

Chapter Twelve - The One Where They Play Capture The Flag

Tris' second fight is against Myra. Unlike her first pathetic attempt, she wins this fight. Yay! She did it!

This chapter is full of SUCCESS!

The next morning, the initates are woken up and told that they are going on another field trip. Yay! This is a happy chapter so far! When everyone is ready, they all receive a paintball gun and are informed that they will be split into two teams for a game of Capture the Flag. One team, chosen/led by Eric, is made up of the physically stronger initiates (Edward, Peter, Molly, Al, and Myra). The other team, chosen/led by Four, features the more intellectual initiates (Tris, Christina, Will, Drew, Uriah, and Marlene).

Four leads his team to the Navy Pier to hide their flag at the carousel. While the team fights about how they should go forth with their attack, Tris climbs up the ferris wheel in order to get a better view of where Eric's team is hiding their flag. Tris soon notices that Four is following close behind her.

Ooooh! ♫Tris and Four! Climbing up a carousel!♫

Well that was awful.... Anyway, because Tris and Four won't acknowledge that they like each other, there is a ton of awkward tension during this scene. We also find out about Four's fear of heights. So he is human after all! After Tris discovers Eric's flag is at the park, the two lovebirds begin their descent back down the ferris wheel. On the way down, one of the support beams gives out under Tris, leaving her dangling. Four, being the valiant hero he is, is able to save the day. Some people might call this... SELFLESSNESS.

"Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames."

"I am aware of how little space there is between us - six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should be smaller."

Four's team is victorious in the game when Christina retrieves Eric's flag. Christina seemed really mad at all the attention that Tris has been getting. Speaking of attention, it seems like Tris is starting to gain more respect from Four and also the Dauntless-born initiates. She is finally starting to fit in.  

Chapter Eleven - The One With The Fence

Tris is woken up by Christina the next morning. I'm not surprised that Christina had to physically wake Tris up.Wait, what? Let me get this straight. Christina, a former member of Candor, just did something for the sole purpose of helping another person. Hmm.......
She is covered in bruises and is definitely feeling the effects of fight with Peter. Christina helps tie Tris' shoes because she knows that Tris is too sore to do it heself.

"Maybe there is some Abnegation in everyone, even if they don't know it. Well, in everyone but Peter."

When everybody is out of the dormitory, Four leads all of the transfers to the Fence. When they arrive there, Tris sees Robert; Susan's brother from Abnegation. She discovers that he has transfered to Amity and he is at the fence with his faction picking apples. What a happy reunion! Nice knowing you, Robert. Have fun not being mentioned at all the rest of this book (it's just a guess).

Tris gets advice from Four on how to be more successful in the Arena next time. Tris is mad about this because she feels like Four didn't even care about her fight. While she is mad now, I am sure she deeply appreciates the advice.

One last thing. I noticed something Tris said in this chapter that seems to be more foreshadowing (one of this book's many talents). I'm just going to leave this right here:

"The lock is on the outside... Why would they lock the gate from the outside and not the inside? It almost seems like they don't want to keep something out; they want to keep us in."

Stay tuned.

Chapter Ten - The One With Tris' First Fight

This is Peter. We don't like him.

When Tris returns to the dormitory after using the restroom, she finds that someone has spray painted "Stiff" on her mattress. It is pretty obvious that it is Peter. I don't like that guy. Tris gets pretty shaken up about this. I feel bad for her because there is nothing she can do about her Abnegation past. She is trying to reinvent herself but no one will give up the whole "stiff" thing.

Back in the arena, the next fight is between Molly and Edward. Edward wins in convincing fashion. This guy is going places. Tris finds her name on the board for the first time, and she is paired up with her good ol' pal Peter. This should be interesting. Four leaves the arena right before the match. Tris is enraged with this. She thinks that Four left because he is not interested in the fight. In reality, Four did this because he thinks Tris is a cutey and doesn't want to see her pretty little nose end up by her left ear.

"You okay there, Stiff? You look like you're about to cry. I might go easy on you if you cry."

I wish I could tell you that Tris gave a valiant effort, but this fight was over before it started. Peter manhandled Tris. She showed very little sign of strength. Peter was far too strong for her. The next thing she knows, Tris wakes up in the medical facility. Her friends are there to check on her. Not wanting to give Peter (or anyone else) any satisfaction, she returns to the dormitory later that night.

"The only thing worse than letting Peter put me in the hospital would be letting him put me there overnight."

Chapter Nine - The One Where Christina Gets Into Trouble

Phase I of initiation begins with bouts between two transfer initiates. The fights are monitored by Four and Eric and the results of each match will impact their rankings. The first match is between Will and Al. Al earns an impressive victory in this match. I didn't know Al had it in him, to be honest. I thought Al was too soft to be a factor, but I was proven wrong when Al was declared the winner and Four had to escort Will to the medical facility. The initiates are left alone with Eric. This is not going to end well.

"Leaving us with Eric is like hiring a babysitter who spends his time sharpening knives."

The next fight is between Molly and Christina. Molly earns the upper hand in this match, dominating the match so much that Christina begs for it to be stopped. Eric is not pleased with this. He believes that he made it clear that a fight can only end when one competitor is physically unable to compete. As punishment, Eric orders that Christina must hang over the Chasm for five minutes. Well, it was nice knowing you, Christina. After being beat to a pulp, she has no chance of hanging onto a railing for five minutes.

Could you do it? Prove it! Do a front plank for five minutes using this digital clock! No cheating!  ------------------->

Both Tris and Al show their support for Christina. Time goes by and Christina is not in good shape. This is going to be a close one. Christina does in fact last the whole five minutes and Al helps her back over the railing. She may have won this battle, but one thing can be learned from all of this: do not get on Eric's bad side.

Chapter Eight - The One Where Tris Gets A Tattoo

To start their training, Four teaches the initiates how to shoot a gun. Tris struggles at first, but seems to get the hang of it after a while. The gun training is followed by lunch. Tris sits with her newly-made friends: Christina, Al, and Will. These are the only people I have noticed so far that don't give Tris such a hard time for being Abnegation. I have a feeling she will build strong friendships with each one of these guys (and girl in Christina's case).

After lunch, the initiates are led to the Training Room where they will begin to train for the first part of their initiation: hand-to-hand combat. As of right now, I don't think Tris has a shot. But we all know how it goes. Tris will somehow become exponentially stronger in no time (I'm thinking either steroids or a vigorous strength training program run by Ms. Redmond) and then will beat the biggest and baddest fighter in all of the land. Or something like that...

"...you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself."

Christina decides that Tris needs to start looking more Dauntless. They go out and buy Tris new clothes, change her hairstyle, and visit the tattoo parlor. While there, Tris recognizes one of the artists as Tori, the woman who administered her aptitude test. She asks Tris if she would like a tattoo. After a little hesitation, Tris decides to get one on her collarbone of three ravens; each one representing a member of her family. Even with this tattoo reminding her of her past, Tris is convinced that she is recreating herself in Dauntless.

"It will be difficult to break the habits of thinking Abnegation instilled in me... but I will find new habits, new thoughts, new rules. I will become something else."

Chapter Seven - The One Where Tris Has Her First Hamburger

A visual representation of the Chasm

The transfer initiates are taken on a tour of the Dauntless HQ by Four. They visit the Pit (the main area with stores and entrances to the other sections), the Chasm (a slippery railing over a river several stories below), and the Dining Hall (this one is pretty self-explanatory). A common theme of the Dauntless HQ is danger (obviously). The pathways are narrow and there is very little lighting in the majority of the headquarters.

"The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!"

Mmm..... Burgers

At dinner, Tris sits by Christina and Four. This evening marks a very important moment in every young girl's life. This is the night Tris has her very first hamburger. All kidding aside, I find deeper meaning in this simple event. I believe Tris having her first hamburger this late into her life symbolizes the change the world has made between now and the time that Divergent takes place. In our society, the hamburger is one of the most common foods. For someone to go 16 years before having one would be odd, so I think this symbolizes the change of society in Divergent.

This chapter marks the first time that we see the Dauntless leader, Eric. Eric leads the initiates to the dormitory, the place where they will be staying throughout initiation. The Dauntless Initiation consists of three different stages, with the initiates being ranked after each. Only ten initiates will become members after initiation, so it appears like Tris has her work cut out for her.

"You chose us. Now we have to choose you."

At the end of the first night, everyone sleeps in the dormitory. Tris becomes emotional about moving on from her family into her new life, but she keeps to herself in order to not appear weak. The largest of the initiates, Al, isn't so subtle about missing his family. Tris can hear his heavy sobs from across the room. Suck it up Al! After awhile, Tris somehow manages to ignore the blubbering baby and drifts off into sleep.

Chapter Six - The One Where We Meet Tris

She is Natalie Prior and she
approves this decision

After Beatrice makes her choice, she looks to see how her family reacts. Her father is furious. That is easy to understand. He was most likely convinced that Beatrice would stay in Abnegation after Caleb had chosen Erudite, but he was sadly mistaken. Her mother, however, was smiling. She was very supportive of Beatrice and was probably proud of her daughter for making her own choice.

Beatrice follows the rest of the Dauntless and they sprint after a train. To board the train, each person must leap onto the train, which is moving at full speed. After a bit of hesitation, Beatrice boards the train with relative ease. On board the train, Beatrice meets Christina. Christina is a former member of Candor and isn't afraid to have her opinion heard. Judging by the way they introduced Christina, I have a feeling that she will be an important character in the long run (I'm just full of hints, aren't I?).

Next, the Dauntless have to jump from the train onto the roof of the Dauntless HQ. Beatrice is even more nervous about this jump. She musters up the courage to make the jump and lands successfully. A rush of adrenaline runs through her as she sticks the landing. I think she is going to like it in Dauntless.

"I am proud. It will get me into trouble someday, but today it makes me brave."

You're from Abnegation! Ha Ha!

The group is told to jump down a hole in the rooftop. Everyone is very hesitant to do so. Beatrice steps up and is met with a lot of ridicule from some of the others due to her being from Abnegation. She jumps down the hole into a large net. She is helped out of the net by a man named Four. Four? Hmm... What an interesting name. Speaking of names, Beatrice is asked what her's is.

A new place, a new name. I can be remade here. "Tris," I say firmly.

Chapter Five - The One With The Choosing Ceremony

The Choosing Ceremony has finally come and Tris is about to make the choice that will change her life forever. The ceremony this year is conducted by Tris' father's coworker Marcus. This responsibility rotates each year by faction and this year was Abnegation's turn. Each of the sixteen year-olds that are going into new factions attend the Choosing Ceremony to make their choice in front of the entire city. Each sixteen year-old (it's not politically correct to call them members yet) is called up individually to make their choice. While Tris is nervous about making her choice, her mother is very supportive.

"I love you. No matter what."

The actual choosing of the factions is what I found pretty interesting. Instead of just walking up to a podium and verbally announcing their future faction, the choosing procedure is much more unique.
The person walks to the middle of the arena where five bowls are present. Each bowl has a specific type of material that personifies each faction. Gray stones for Abnegation, water for Erudite, dirt for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor. The dependent must then slice their hand with a knife and drop blood into whichever bowl indicates the faction of their choice. The whole time I was reading this I was wondering what happens if someone is scared of sharp objects. Or blood. Or large bowls. Ok, maybe not the bowls, but you get the idea.

Anyway, the dependents begin to make their choices. There are some cheers by the factions they select, and some jeers from the factions they are betraying. Anyone who transfers factions is seen as a traitor. I feel like this is kind of shallow because the person has the right to make their own choice and it shouldn't matter what others think about it.

Caleb is the first of the Priors to make their choice. The boy who had put others before himself all of his life walked up calmly and dripped blood onto the dull gray stones of Abnegation. Wait a second! Caleb's blood does fall into a bowl, but it falls into the water of Erudite. Erudite? The same Erudite that is Abnegation's biggest enemy. It sounds crazy, but if you don't take everything for face value while reading, you could have guessed something like this was going to happen. But for those of you who just fall right into the author's trap: OH MY GOSH! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!

Tris kept calm (kind of) and
chose Dauntless.

Beatrice is up not much longer after Caleb. She walks up with the intention to drop blood onto the stones and be the child who stays in Abnegation. But then she starts thinking. (That was her mistake. Save the thinking for the Erudite) In the heat of the moment, Tris chooses Dauntless.

"I am selfish. I am brave."

This is another instance where some of you will be surprised and others will have seen it coming. I fall into the latter category yet again. First off, I want to say that I have enjoyed this book so far, but the author's writing style involves foreshadowing that makes this book very easily predictable at times. However, I am sure there are plenty of surprises coming up in the next chapters as Tris begins her life as Dauntless.    

Chapter Four - The One Where A Decision Must Be Made

Tris feels that her father
is pressuring her to choose
Abnegation

The most important rule when it comes to the Aptitude Test is to not tell anyone the results of the test. And that means anyone. She couldn't tell her mom, dad, or Caleb anything about the test. This was eating at Tris because she was very nervous about being Divergent and was dying to get some clarity on what exactly it all meant. Tris knows the easy thing to do is to stay in Abnegation, but also realizes that maybe she should consider the other factions as well. I agree with this reasoning. I feel that it is important for her to survey all of her options before making her decision. It would be terrible to make a choice and regret it for the rest of your life.

"Beatrice... We should think of our family... But. But we must also think of ourselves."

Another important event in this chapter is the report by an Erudite attacking the character of Tris' father's coworker, Marcus. Tris' father is a member of the government, which is almost solely comprised of Abnegation members. Having selfless people in charge of the government sounds like a decently safe bet to me. With people thinking of everybody else before themselves, it would make sense that they would be the ideal people to make sound decisions. However, the Erudite don't believe that at all.

Erudite: The Intelligent

The Erudite are the faction that value intelligence. The Erudite and Abnegation have one of (if not) the most heated rivalries between the five factions. The Erudite believe that they should be in control of the government, not Abnegation. There is only one representative of Erudite in the government: Jeanine Matthews. She was selected to become the Erudite representative solely based on her IQ. Jeanine was the person who made the report attacking Marcus' character. The rivalry the two factions have makes sense to me. I understand why the intelligent would want to be in control of the government as they see themselves as intellectually superior to the other factions and feel they would make smarter decisions than the ones Abnegation are making. I have a feeling the tension between these two factions will become more intense in the coming chapers (hint, hint...... again).

"Valuing knowledge above all else results in a lust for power, and that leads men into dark and empty places. We should be thankful that we know better."

Chapter Three - The One With The Test Results

In this chapter, Beatrice's aptitude test is finished and she receives her results from Tori. At first, Tori tells Beatrice that the results are "perplexing". I found this to be kind of strange because I was assuming that the aptitude test results are pretty straight forward, but it turns out that in Beatrice's case they were everything but straight forward.

Now we know how it got its name. Or do we?

Tori erased the results from the computer and reentered them manually. Why would she do that? Tori then informs Beatrice that the results reveal that she is Divergent. Ah. Now we know how the book got its name.

But what exactly is Divergent? Beatrice doesn't even know. Tori informs Beatrice that her results came back inconclusive and that she was equally strong in multiple different categories, which is very rare. The results rule out Candor and Amity, leaving Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless to choose from. Beatrice is still not completely sure what being Divergent really means; all she knows is that, according to Tori, being Divergent is very dangerous and she is not to tell anyone about her results. Apparently it is so important to keep being Divergent a secret that Tori recorded Beatrice's results as Abnegation just to keep her safe.

"It's my choice now, no matter what the test says. Abnegation. Dauntless. Erudite. Divergent."

After the test, Beatrice walks home. Along the way, she goes through the factionless sector. The factionless are all of the people who failed the initiation of whatever faction they had chosen. The factionless are the ones who do all of the undesirable jobs; they become janitors, construction workers, garbage collectors, etc. The factionless remind me a lot of the homeless people in our society. Just like homeless people, the factionless were unable to successfully find their niche in society and then were delegated to live empty lives.

The man Beatrice encountered was missing
his front teeth

Anyway, back to Beatrice. She meets a factionless man on her way home. The man asks her if she can spare him something to eat. Initially, she wants to ignore him, but that wouldn't be the Abnegation thing to do. She offers the man some food she had with her, but the man instead grabs her by the wrist. The man starts to say very creepy things to her, as if he is hitting on her. It's kind of gross. She imagines elbowing the man and running away, but he is still gripping her wrist. The man thinks she is very young, but Beatrice informs him that she is sixteen. The man then realizes that she has a big decision to make the next day. He takes the apples and releases her wrist.

"Choose wisely, little girl."