Post #6: What point is Veronica Roth trying to make through writing Insurgent?

As the main characters move from faction to faction throughout the Divergent series, Veronica Roth shows readers that although everyone is different, there is always something to learn from one another.

Tris is one of the main characters in the series. She grew up in Abnegation, a faction dedicated to selflessness. She transferred to the Dauntless faction, a faction committed to bravery and fearlessness. When an attack was launched on the Abnegation faction and the city was left in chaos, Tris took refuge at the Amity compound. The Amity are peaceful, kind, forgiving, and self-sufficient people. The Erudite faction, the ones who lead the attack on Abnegation, tries to be knowledgeable and intelligent.

On page 269, Tris says, "Sometimes I feel like I am collecting the lessons each faction has to teach me, and storing them in my mind like a guidebook for moving through the world. There is always something to learn, always something that is important to understand." In this quote, I think Tris captures the importance of learning from one another. In her society, people are not encouraged to learn from one another. They are supposed to live with the faction they most agree with for their whole lives, and not have any interaction with the other factions. Eventually, the factions break out into war against one another.

I think this shows the importance of learning from one another, even if you don't always agree with them. If you're only exposed to people with the same opinions as you for your whole life, when you actually do come in contact with someone who has different views than you, you won't know how to react to them. I think that's part of why the factions are at war with one another in the book.

Veronica Roth wants readers to realize that they need to be exposed to different types of people and learn from them so that fighting doesn't occur when disagreements happen.

Post #5: Connections to Insurgent

Text-To-Text:

In Insurgent, Tris Prior is a lot like Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. They are both main characters in their books, and they both have to fight against a corrupt government. They have love lives that are stretched to the limit due to the fighting and conflict within each book. Their personalities are also very similar because they’re both willing to risk their own lives to save the lives of others. They both have a strong will to persevere when faced with opposition.

Text-To-Self:

If I were to choose a faction to live in, I would probably choose Abnegation, but Amity would be my second choice. I would choose Abnegation first because I admire their selflessness and love of peace. They seem like very kind people, and I think I would feel at home in that faction. Amity would be my second choice because the people there seem like very fun-loving, creative, peaceful people. They love color and happiness and the outdoors. But most of all, I like that they respect and care for one another.

Text-To-World:

Throughout both Divergent and Insurgent, the “Factionless” are mentioned. To me, they are the equivalent of homeless people in our world. The Factionless are exactly what their title says; without a faction. They are without a faction because they either didn’t choose one or failed initiation. They roam the streets and have little food except for what the members of the Abnegation faction bring them. They don’t have very clean or desirable living conditions.

Post #4: Insurgent (WARNING: SPOILERS FROM DIVERGENT!!!)

I finished Divergent by Veronica Roth over winter break, and let me just say, it was a spectacular book! It was full of suspense, friendship, and romance- but it wasn't overly sappy. Now, I'm reading the next book in the series, Insurgent, by Veronica Roth.

I'm only on page 38, so the setting could drastically change by the end of the book. Right now, the attack against the Abnegation has stopped, but the factions are in a state of complete chaos and disorganization. Four, Tris, and several other Dauntless and Abnegation members have fled to the Amity compound- the only faction still in tact.

The group feels rather strange in their new surroundings. The people of Abnegation don't indulge themselves with lavish foods, colorful clothing, or fun activities. The people of Dauntless are not quite as strict, but they're known to be very tough. These two lifestyles are completely contrary to the lifestyle of the people of the Amity faction. They love music, color, friendship, and are known for their success in agriculture.

As the disheveled group arrives at the compound, they are shocked at what they see. Orchards and greenhouses cover the grounds. People are friendly towards one another and they love peace.
The Amity always try to reach a state of mutual consensus when making big decisions by working together and making compromises. These living conditions are very different from the other factions.

Here's a passage with some great imagery that describes an orchard the group travels through upon arrival. "Before we can reach them, we have to walk through an orchard. My feet sink into the ground, and above me, the branches grow into one another, forming a kind of tunnel. Dark fruit hangs among the leaves, ready to drop. The sharp, sweet smell of rotting apples mixes with the scent of wet earth..." (Roth 4).

I'm curious to see what places the rest of the book will lead the characters to!