In Defense of Divergent

A scene from Divergent (2014) where Tris breaks the rules to look at herself in the mirror

Divergent (2011) by Veronica Roth plays second fiddle to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in the YA dystopian fiction category. Divergent follows the story of 16 year old Tris Prior in a futuristic Chicago. In this society there are five factions named after SAT vocabulary words that emphasize a particular virtue: Candor, Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. Our protagonist belongs to Abnegation, but she doesn’t feel she is selfless enough to remain in the faction. Fortunately, she soon learns that she doesn’t belong to any one faction because she is divergent, meaning that she can fit into all of them. Unfortunately, divergents are forbidden and she has to hide her identity but eventually overthrows the authoritarian government in the usual dystopian fashion.

Despite the drastic differences between Divergent and The Hunger Games the two novels are frequently compared to each other, most likely because the novels both feature female protagonists. It’s common practice for society to pit women against each other ever since the original sin of Ginger vs. Mary Ann. If anything, Divergent shares more similarities with The Maze Runner by James Dashner (another dystopian novel also released during this era) since both novels contain sci-fi elements. However, where Divergent and The Hunger Games are alike, where it matters the most, is that they are both novels featuring female protagonists in a dystopian world written by women. 

In this context, Katniss is Ginger, popular and generically brave from the beginning. Tris is a genuine heroine, her becoming brave along with, selfless, honest, intelligent, and kind, is a part of her development. Katniss is a reluctant hero thrown into a fight for peace but every action Tris took was a conscious choice. On purpose, Tris chose to dismantle the dictatorial structure she lived in.

The Divergent series is less politically charged than The Hunger Games and focuses more on ethics. Each faction was created to be the solution for social disorganization. Tris’ original faction, Abnegation, believed selfishness was the cause for all of society’s problems so its members dedicated themselves to selflessness. However, this selflessness extended itself beyond helping others to completely denying one’s own well being. Members of the faction weren’t allowed to look in the mirror, exercise, or wear jewelry because that would all be vanity. This kind of selflessness didn’t come easily to Tris, she still had the natural pull to her desires. Self care was not a concept in Abnegation. Consequently, self care is now believed to not only be important for one’s own personal well being but for those around them; you cannot care for others if you are not cared for first. The “stiff” standards left Tris discouraged from remaining in the faction and instead choosing to become Dauntless.

This choice was inherently brave because not only was she leaving behind her family but taking the risk of failing the initiation and becoming factionless. The Dauntless believe that cowardice was the downfall of mankind. They dedicate themselves to bravery and protecting the city. This dedication doesn't stop the Dauntless from glorifying brutality and recklessness. The weak were not protected; once the elderly reached a certain age they were expected to take their own life to not burden the rest of the faction. Suicide is considered an act of bravery for the reason that one was entering the unknown realm of death instead of seeking help for mental health struggles. You know, because mental health issues can only be a form of weakness and not a legitimate concern. Meanwhile, Tris upholds the true principle of bravery, being afraid but not allowing fear to rule over her. This kind of courage allowed her to confront the Erudite conspiracy whilst still hiding her divergence. Divergents are deemed dangerous, if Tris was discovered she would be eliminated. Instead Tris uses her divergence to her advantage, resisting Erudite control.

The rest of the factions are explored more in the second book, Insurgent (2012). The Candor value unadulterated honesty and they represent people who take pride in their “brutal honesty”. These people are unkind and lack the self awareness to tell the truth in a necessary format. If honesty is the actual goal it can still be told in a way that uplifts, as the saying goes: “the truth will set you free”. The Candor put Tris under a truth serum to compel her to be truthful but because of her divergence she is able to resist its effect. However, Tris chooses to be transparent about her past and motivations. Unlike the Candor, Tris weighs the impact the truth would have and tells it anyway because it is better than deceiving those she cares about.

Then while taking refuge among the Amity, Tris learns the price of passivity. The Amity neither choose to help the insurgents or Jeanine and the Erudites. They do this in the name of their peaceful lifestyle that includes remaining euphoric daily, avoiding confrontation. Pacifism doesn’t lead to peace but complacency in the face of injustice. Tris saw what a peaceful life could be and fought for it. 

Finally, in Allegiant (2013) there is a full circle moment when Tris sacrifices herself for the entire country. Christian doctrine (which Roth made multiple references to) states that laying down one’s life for others is the greatest act of love and sacrifice. Roth identifies as Christian herself and may have used teachings as an inspiration for the plot. Tris mentions how her parents encouraged her to be religious and baptized her as a baby. Baptism is meant to be a declaration of faith as well as a cleansing of sin. The expectation is that an individual will not conform to this world but renew their heart and inhibit the morals the novel discusses. Furthermore, Divergents don’t fit into any one faction because they possess qualities from multiple factions. The end of the series establishes that divergence was the true solution for social disorder. Factions were too one dimensional to make a lasting difference, they would focus on one moral good while committing another moral wrong. Once the society was dismantled leaving people to exercise their freewill, there's a hope that people will also be more ethical. Now that people are able to make the decisions that represent their own personal identity which is far more natural. Although killing off the protagonist isn’t popular, it was necessary for Tris to die to complete her character arc and the theme of the series: individualism. 

Fanart of Tris in Allegiant

Aesthetics prove that Divergent currently has cultural relevance. Aestheticism was originally a philosophy that art only existed to be beautiful. Aesthetics can be more than art, it can be attitude and appearance too, which is primarily how it is used in this millennium. Phrases like “dark academia” and “cottage core” are meant to capture not only a “look”, but an identity. The dark academia aesthetic includes wearing dark neutrals and “smart” attire to pursue educational excellence. The drawback is the elitism this aesthetic perpetuates. Not everyone can afford clever pleated skirts or perfect off white button ups, and the education to go along with the attire is another extreme expense. Education is a right, but right now it is an exclusive luxury. In similar fashion, the factions dressed according to their principles. Abnegation wears gray to ward off attention; Candor wears black and white because that’s how they see the world. The visual representation of personality is used to shoulder some of the labor of exhibiting character. 

People crave one single word to describe themselves, since taking the time to actually express themselves requires too much self reflection that many people aren’t vulnerable enough to do. Divergent’s lesson may seem like a generic after school special, as if being yourself can save the world. Fortunately, the true lesson is that one ideal shouldn’t overarch all the others. An individual should not restrict themselves to one singular identity or label because that would be a caricaturization of themselves. Life is meant to be lived in plurals.