The Divergent book-movie trilogy depicts a dystopian Chicago city split into five factions, each resembling a different set of qualities and values.
1. Abnegation: The act of renouncing or rejecting something. This faction blames selfishness as the root cause of evil. To combat this the members of Abnegation act selflessly towards others. This makes Abnegation most suited to lead the city government because truly just leaders put themselves at the service of the people. In fact, in order to become a member of Abnegation one must first complete 30 days of community service. Once a member of Abnegation you reject looking at yourself in the mirror and wear gray clothing as a sign of humility and indifference. This leads outsiders to name call them as “stiffs” because they come off as boring, conventional people. It is interesting to note that Tris is originally born into this faction.
2. Amity: A friendly relationship. This faction thinks that war and violence cause disharmony in society. To counter this the members of Amity act in peace and kindness. They recognize the beauties of life and often tell one another, “go in happiness.” Their biggest responsibility is to till the fields and grow the crops for the other factions. In doing so the members of Amity sing joyful songs and dress in comfortable red and yellow clothing that symbolize life, energy, and happiness.
3. Candor: The quality of being open and honest in expression. This faction condemns dishonesty and deception because openness can lead to a more wholesome and peaceful society. The members of Candor wear formal black and white clothing to signify that the truth is always black and white. In order to initiate into Candor one must pass a series of lie detector tests and then reveal to everyone your secrets with the help of “truth serum.” This allows Candor to produce sound men and women of the Law.
4. Dauntless: Showing fearlessness and determination. This faction blames fear for the problems that society faces today. To overcome fear the members of Dauntless act expressively and out of bravery. They value courage and physical strength. This makes Dauntless the most reliable faction to defend the city and extinguish any potential dangers. Initiation into this faction requires completion of three levels of strength—physical, emotional, and mental. After completing these three stages of initiation members flaunt tattoos, piercings, and weird hairstyles and wear black clothing as a sign of death for any dangers that cross their path.
5. Erudite: Having or showing great knowledge or learning. This faction attributes human ignorance to the problems that society faces. The members of Erudite believe acquiring knowledge is the only logical solution to combat this. Nicknamed the “know is all’s,” Erudites are in constant pursuit of knowledge. They wear glasses to express their intelligence and blue clothing to signify their infinite intellectual curiosity since the color blue is thought to stimulate the brain. Therefore, members of Erudite make for good teachers, doctors, and scientists.
Among these factions we find truths about each and every one of us today. We are all capable of working selflessly like Abnegation, fostering peace like Amity, demonstrating honesty like Candor, acting fearless like Dauntless, and pursuing knowledge like Erudite. Nevertheless, our character is like a pot of stew filled habits, and tendencies, and interests that vary depending on the circumstances, but gravitate towards one corner of the pot. Therefore, is it unreasonable to divide society into five separate groups that each exhibit particular qualities and hold specific values? Do you feel that would you fit into one of these five factions? Natural selection would require you to fit in since survival of the fittest is a theory that allows those who “fit in” to survive and reproduce time and time again. Otherwise you would become factionless, and society would set you out to dry for not conforming to standards. Unless, of course, you suppose that you are divergent.
6. Divergent: Tending to be different or develop in different directions. Society views Divergents as a major threat because they do not file into a specific cabinet. They are not easy to understand nor control because they think independently and choose not to conform. In fact, there is even a campaign to find and kill off all the Divergents because of their eminent danger. However, Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews finally realizes she will need to find the one person who is 100% divergent to open the mysterious box (this is only found in the movie Insurgent). When Tris successfully completes each of the five simulations to open the box a message from Edith Prior appears:
“We believe there will be those among you who transcend these factions. These will be the Divergent…they are vital to humanity’s survival…the time has come to join us…mankind awaits, with hope, beyond the wall.”
This very moving message demonstrates the power of being yourself and standing up for who you were created to be. Tris revealed that she was scared of being Divergent because she thought that she really was the problem that plagued society. She nearly took a bullet to her head before even attempting the five simulations because she thought this would solve the problem. This would have been the easy way out for her, but it would have only solved her own short-term struggle. Rather, she stands up for herself and fights for the common good. Don’t give up because it is the easy way out; stand up because that is what leaders do.
