Divergent

While many of the initiates have gone to the Pit, Tris returns to the dormitory in Chapter 16 to find that Al has avoided seeing his family—he knows that he is not doing well in initiation and does not want to talk about it. Al is a markedly fragile figure who does not seem cut out for Dauntless, and one might imagine that he did not join of his own volition. Al admits that his father wanted him to join Dauntless, in contrast to some other parents, who view transferees as traitors, but states that it was ultimately his own decision. His issue is that his definition of Dauntless differs from the one propagated by Eric. To him, bravery is about standing up for people and protecting them; not hurting them for no reason. His comments echo Four’s grievances, and one wonders if Al might have settled in better in the Dauntless of old.

Despite the connection that she feels with Dauntless, Tris cannot completely forget her Abnegation background. Though there is nothing substantial that she can do to help Al, she remembers her father telling her that being with someone can itself be helpful. Rather than eschewing every aspect of her old faction, Tris feels glad to demonstrate the empathy that her father values; after all, she did not leave Abnegation to spite her family or get away from them.

The situation becomes awkward, however, as it seems that Al has developed a crush on Tris. Tris is not interested in Al in a romantic sense, and leaves the dormitory while trying to seem as casual as possible. Still, when she is alone, Tris thinks that it is nice to be liked. This consequently shows that, even where there is no mutual attraction, Tris finds the idea of affection appealing; especially since she hails from a faction that encourages detachment rather than openness and intimacy.

Later, when the other initiates start discussing the aptitude test, Tris becomes nervous. We learn from this conversation that most of the initiates chose the knife in the scenario with the savage dog, and this would seem the standard choice for someone who is Dauntless. Tris manages to tell some half-truths about her results before the conversation moves on to more lighthearted matters. Still, her secret Divergent status is always at the back of her mind—even though she still does not know why it is dangerous.

It is in this chapter that the first stage rankings for the initiates are posted, and we learn that Tris is currently ranked sixth. Tris surmises that her fight with Molly boosted her ranking, but, unfortunately for Tris, Molly is also aware of this and is far from happy. Peter’s quietness is also troubling, and Tris knows that both of them will be gunning for her now. As for Al, he is ranked eighth and, from his demeanor and behavior throughout initiation, it seems that his chances of making the cut are negligible.

The posting of the rankings highlights the competitiveness of the initiation process, and some initiates adopt this mindset outside of training hours. The cutthroat nature of such individuals is made clear when the initiates are woken one night by a scream. They are then confronted with the sight of Edward with a blade jabbed in his eye, and Tris once again displays her empathetic qualities by trying to soothe him.

When Tris notices that Peter and Drew are missing, we are aware who the culprits are. Even so, Tris knows that the Dauntless leaders will not do anything about it. Whereas the faction used to possess integrity, it is now a place of violence and ruthless competition. There may be rules about attacking other initiates, but they are seemingly no longer enforced. Here, Tris reflects that other factions would deem it brave to tell someone what has happened, while Dauntless—the faction that prides itself on bravery—does not. Dauntless in its current state is hardly the same as the Dauntless that Tris read about in the faction manifestos.

At the end of the chapter, we learn that Edward and Myra have quit initiation and this has had a knock-on effect on the rankings. Tris has moved up one place to fifth while Peter is ranked first; despite being a bully and on the most likely suspect in Edward’s attack. Peter may not embody traditional Dauntless values, but he is an ideal match for the faction in its more vicious, brutal guise.

In Chapter 17, Tris joins some other Dauntless members for an initiation ritual, which entails zip lining down the side of a tall building. On the way to their destination, Tris gets chatting with another girl who comments that Four used to give her private lessons in fighting. Tris’s reaction of “half wanting to punch her for no apparent reason” (214) is further indication that she is attracted to Four and feels jealous about his affection.

Further demonstrating her love of excitement, Tris relishes the adrenaline rush that comes from zip lining down the building, as well as the sense of camaraderie with the other Dauntless. As she observed earlier, this is not the same as the bland uniformity found in Abnegation. This experience hardens Tris’s resolve to get through initiation and become a fully-fledged member of Dauntless.

Stage two of initiation begins in Chapter 18 and shifts the emphasis away from physical training. Now, the focus is on facing one’s fears using simulation exercises, much like those featured in the aptitude test. When her turn comes around, Tris finds herself being accosted by a flock of crows and she initially feels frightened and helpless. However, she reasons that this is only a simulation and wills herself to calm down and let the crows envelop her. This prompts the simulation to vanish, but Tris remains shaken. However, as Four reminds her, overcoming cowardice is not easy. The simulations are intense experiences that are designed to push initiates to their limit, and the point of this stage is to work through one’s fears.

Four makes an important point here, commenting that initiates are not expected to be fearless. Indeed, he believes that fearlessness is impossible. The goal is to face one’s fears and manage to overcome them. Four even admits that he himself has not managed to do so completely. He has already demonstrated his fear of heights, but he also mentions another fear, which is more a case of “who” than “what.” Four only offers up these details when questioned by Tris and is reluctant to talk about them. It is not until later that we learn the truth about Four’s identity and his fears.

During their conversation, Tris once again feels the electricity that she had experienced on the Ferris wheel. We are therefore conscious that she continues to feel attracted to Four. Four also confirms that initiation is not what it used to be. He explains that it was changed six years ago to be more brutal, and Eric was trained to embody this trait. Surprisingly, though, Eric was not the top-ranked initiate. This honor went to Four, thus raising the question of why Four never became leader. However, being well aware of Four’s caginess, Tris refrains from asking him about this.

In Chapter 19, Peter and his cohorts taunt Tris, with Molly reading out some of the Erudite reports attacking Abnegation. Naturally, Tris is angry, and Will tries to calm her down, but Tris rightly states that Erudite are no longer just criticizing Abnegation but calling for the whole government to be overthrown. Will gives little thought to the significance of these reports, but Tris is aware of their seriousness and the intention behind them.

When Tris and Christina accompany Will and Al to the tattoo parlor, Al still seems heavy-hearted. This seems to have become his characteristic state and it worries Tris. Tris also runs into Four, who seems to be intoxicated and appears more youthful than usual. Indeed, as Tris observes, it is sometimes easy to forget that Four is not just a rigid training instructor but a teenager himself. Even so, Tris finds his drunken state out of character and somewhat unsettling. As the alcohol has caused him to be less inhibited, Four tells her that she look good. Tris feels that he is probably too drunk to know what he is saying, but her attraction to him is such that her heart leaps nonetheless.

Tris tries to downplay her exchange with Four when she rejoins her friends; especially since she does not want to upset Al any further. Still, as they proceed to chat and tease one another, Tris once again feels a kinship with Dauntless. Abnegation was peaceful but it is in Dauntless that she finally feels free.

Tris experiences another simulation in Chapter 20; this time imagining herself in a glass box filling up with water. Upon noticing a crack in the glass, she beats against the wall of the box until it shatters and the simulation ends. Her response to this simulation has had an unintended effect, however: it has confirmed to Four that she is Divergent.

Tris is shocked at the suddenness and bluntness of Four’s assertion, as she has kept her pledge to never speak of Divergence. As the simulations show, however, a person does not need to speak in order to inadvertently give away their Divergent status. This is the case here, with Four having observed Tris’s ability to manipulate a simulation. Like Tori, Four knows how dangerous being Divergent is and he tells Tris that he will delete the footage. He warns her, though, that she will need to conceal this trait from the other members of Dauntless. On this note, it would seem that Dauntless is an especially dangerous faction for a Divergent individual to choose. Tris may have an affinity with it, but the brutality and ruthlessness of this faction indicates that Divergents will not be shown any mercy.

Tris now knows a key piece of information about Divergence: it entails the ability to manipulate simulations. She wonders how Four knows this, but she feels that her best course of action is to visit Tori. As was the case in their previous discussions, Tori is guarded. This time, however, she goes beyond cryptic references and states outright that the Dauntless will kill Tris if they find out what she really is. Tori knows this from experience, as her own brother was killed and his death disguised as suicide. Here, we learn the extent to which the Dauntless are willing to go in order to eradicate Divergence. The reason is not clear, even to Tori, but it seems that the ability to manipulate simulations is not perceived as dangerous in itself. Instead, it is a symptom of something bigger and more involved.