Chapter Four

Abnegation all live in equality. They all dress the same, have the same houses, have the same rules, and they all think that simplicity is most comforting. Although, dystopian societies often don't have religious beliefs, they still pray to god before they eat their meals. I assume that all of Abnegation have these same beliefs also.

When Beatrice is walking home after her test, she runs into her brother, Susan, and Robert, Susan's brother. Beatrice has noticed the Flirtationship between Caleb and Susan for years and assumes that they will get married eventually and have kids. Beatrice also thinks that if she stays in Abnegation, she'll marry Robert and have kids, just like they're supposed to. We also discover that after the choosing ceremony, you can only see your family one time, if they decide to come, they might be too betrayed. Otherwise, you never see them again. There's no reasoning with Abnegation, there's only one way and that's their way. This must be the reason that I'm in Candor and we constantly argue.(:

At dinner, Beatrice's father talks about his day at work. The council is made up of 50 Abnegation because of  selfless ways. There are also four other representatives from each faction in case there are any other problems that need to be dealt with. Beatrice has been taught that if the people aren't grouped into factions that it will result in war. Except.... I disagree, because the tests split people into factions based on their personalities. Personalities decide on what your political views are, your religious beliefs, and whatever is thought to create wars, etc. (What we were discussing in class today.) I believe that each person is different, and even if they believe in one thing that agrees generally with their personality, that not all the beliefs will be the same and because of this, still cause dispute and war.

This represents the different personalities that everyone has. No one will ever be the same. Ever.

Beatrice is recognizing who she is slowly. At dinner she is more curious than any Abnegation should be and I'm exactly the same way. If someone mentions something that i'm interested in, I have to find out more. But, when Beatrice does this she gets shunned. The fact that she can't talk to anyone about the test would be so difficult for me. I can't figure out anything unless I talk to someone about it. I couldn't do that....

"It will require a great act of selflessness to choose Abnegation, or a great act of courage to choose Dauntless. And maybe just choosing one over the other will prove that I belong."

Personality Test

Chapter Three

Tori, Beatrice's test giver, says that her test results are strange and she needs to go talk to somebody. Once she comes back she states that Beatrice's test results are inconclusive and Beatrice becomes agitated and scared. Tori states that Beatrice is Divergent. This means that she isn't one faction or the other, she is three factions combined. Beatrice is Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation. Beatrice doesn't see a problem in this until Tori explains that she can't tell anyone, ever about the tests results. Being Divergent is Dangerous and she needs to just pick one faction.

But, picking one faction over the other means, faking who she is the rest of her life, or leaving her entire family behind. She knows she has to pick. She just doesn't know what yet.

Beatrice is unhappy to make a decision but she says she'd pick any faction over being factionless forever. Those people end up living on the streets and being bus drivers or janitors. Beatrice says she'd rather die than be factionless.

On her way home from the test, she runs into a factionless male who says she looks young to be alone. She tells him that she's sixteen and he asks if her ceremony is tomorrow. As she nods he say, "Choose wisely, little girl."

Those words seem kind of haunting because it feels as if he knows something that she doesn't. Something that could really influence her behavior and choice.


DIVERGENT = DANGEROUS




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

 


Chapter Two

Beatrice is going to school to see what faction she is and it turns out, all kids are terrified of this test. Like completely scared that they won't turn out to be who they think they are. That's the best part of the test though, is figuring out who you really are and finally being able to be where you belong. There's no point in suffering in a place where no one understands you. I wish that there was a test like this in real life, it would make things a lot easier. Like, I wouldn't want to make any big decisions over it, but it would be nice to have it as a safety net.

The testing rooms are covered in mirrors, although this doesn't seem fair because Abnegation aren't supposed to look in mirrors more than once per like three months.

Once again the time period of this book doesn't seem to be right. They're still using dentist chairs and electrodes and it's just bothering me that the technology isn't as advanced. Except during the test when they give her this specific dream and can talk to her, that seems to be pretty advanced.

Beatrice is in the lunchroom that she was previously in. She's alone and she could hear the woman's voice. She had an option between the knife or cheese and then this random, angry dog comes in to attack her. (If I haven't annoyed you yet with this, I have just been bitten by a dog on Saturday and it isn't very much fun.) After she calms the dog down, a little girl runs in and she tackles the dog, trying to save her. Then a new scenario pops up and she's on the bus with a strange man that's very mad at a murderer in the paper. He asks Beatrice if she knows him and she lies and says no.

According to this test you can decide what faction you are... Candor- what you say to the man on the bus, Abnegation- saving the little girl, Dautless- picking the knife, Amity- picking the cheese, and Erudite- if you didn't pick the cheese of knife, you had to calm the dog down.

Ali has just taught me that dogs apparently love cheese? It's apparently very odd that I didn't know that. Also another random thought that I had was when they asked her to drink the liquid and lie down, it sounded exactly like a colt. I probably would have never drank the liquid without knowing what it was first.

Update:



Candor- Doesn't give the test even though it would make sense that the honest people give the tests.










Abnegation- Beatrice is nothing like her brother and her brother is Abnegation.

Dauntless- Make fun of Abnegation, jump off trains, and have crazy clothing and style.

Amity- Always wear red, orange, or yellow.

Erudite- Wear glasses and look very intelligent. Always carry around books, always want to know more.









"I press air from my lungs and tip the contents of the vial into my mouth. My eyes close."

Chapter One

In the beginning of this book, Beatrice has scheduled meetings so she can see herself in the mirror. It's turns out that because she's Abnegation, she can't look at herself in the mirror. Abnegation is all about being selfless, right? Since when does looking in a mirror make you a selfish person? Beatrice says that she also isn't supposed to look at herself because of the curiosity of it all. But why does being curious make you selfish? Being curious is a natural thing to all humans, it is one of our needs to know more about things. To not allow Abnegation to be curious, is a little ridiculous.


Humans will always have the curiosity to know more..

Beatrice is an Abnegation, yet she's going to take an aptitude test in a couple days...Apparently even if you grow up with your family in one faction, you still can change to another. But, woudn't it be most likely that if two Abnegation had a kid that they would also be an Abnegation? Beatrice's is convinced her brother is an Abnegation, and he is older. Why are they taking the test on the same day? Are they like twins or something?

If the setting of this book is supposed to be in the future, why are we still driving buses, cars, and trains? Don't you think things would have advanced a little more quickly than that? What kind of future is this? And it isn't possible that this is the near future because this is so far away from how the government and schooling works now.

This is what the future should really look like. (:

I found it a little odd that all the factions dress differently and hang out in their little cliques during school. It's also pretty ironic that Abnegation gets discriminated against, considering they are the ones that only do things for other people.

Update:
Candor = Honest. (Wear black and White clothing.)
Abnegation = Selfless. (Wear gray robes, seem to all have blonde hair, don't look in mirros, don't celebrate birthdays,  and aren't supposed to be curious.)
Dautless = Brave.
Amity = Peaceful.
Erudite = Intelligent.


"The Candor man wears a black suit with a white tie- Candor standard uniform. Their faction values honesty and sees the truth as black and white, so that is what they wear."