Line #14 Literature/Divergent


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11	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/divergentseries.jpg]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} One choice can transform you.\
13	One choice can destroy you.\
14	One choice will define you.]]'']]
15	->''"Every time I think about the word 'Divergent', I hear Tori's warning—and now my mother's warning too.'' '''''Don't tell anyone. Dangerous'''''''."''
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17	''Divergent'' is a trilogy of {{young adult}} {{dystopia}}n thriller novels written by Creator/VeronicaRoth.
18
19	In a dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a different personality trait:
20	* '''[[BrutalHonesty Candor]]''' values honesty, plain-speaking, and impartiality. Members are extremely social, tactless and see everything in black and white terms. They wear black and white. Most of the Candors work in law and civil administration.
21	* '''[[AllLovingHero Abnegation]]''' [[IncorruptiblePurePureness values selflessness and self-effacement]]. Members are sombre, reserved, trained to place themselves at the services of others at every possible opportunity, and bear any abuse from others with good grace. They wear gray. The leaders of the city are chosen exclusively from within [[PurityPersonified Abnegation as they are widely considered to be incorruptible.]]
22	* '''[[FearlessFool Dauntless]]''' values courage and fearlessness. Members are trained in combat and to suppress fear. They wear black. Most Dauntless work as police or as soldiers protecting the city walls.
23	* '''[[ActualPacifist Amity]]''' values peace and cooperation. Members are much more laid-back than the other factions. They wear bright colors, normally yellow and red. Most Amitys work in farming, and they use a notably different political structure from the rest of the city, as well as being located largely outside the walls.
24	* '''[[InsufferableGenius Erudite]]''' values intelligence and knowledge. Members are rigorously educated in science and elocution, and the faction's emphasis on reading is almost fetishistic. They wear blue. Most Erudites work in science and to maintain the city's technological infrastructure.
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26	Every year, sixteen-year-olds must select a faction to be a member of for the rest of their life, lest they become [[CrazyHomelessPeople factionless]]. Beatrice "Tris" Prior grew up in Abnegation, unable to think of herself. But when she takes an aptitude test to decide what faction she fits in the most, her result is that she is a Divergent, qualifying for more than one faction. Therefore, she rejects her heritage and joins Dauntless, renaming herself Tris. As she takes the highly competitive initiation test, the conflict that threatens to rip apart the society gradually unravels before her.
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28	The namesake first book in the trilogy was released on April 26, 2011. The second book, ''Insurgent'', was released on May 1, 2012. The third and final book, ''Allegiant'', was released October 22, 2013.
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30	Between 2014 and 2016, the trilogy was adapted into a film series titled ''[[Film/{{Divergent}} The Divergent Series]]''. Creator/ShaileneWoodley and Creator/TheoJames respectively starred as Tris and Tobias "Four" Eaton, and the supporting cast included Creator/AnselElgort, Creator/ZoeKravitz, and Creator/MilesTeller. The first two books both received their own films; ''Allegiant'' was [[DividedForAdaptation split into two films]] (the first film retained the book's name, and the second was titled ''Ascendant''), but the critical and commercial failure of the first part eventually led to the cancellation of the second.
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32	A series of four [=eBooks=] that show Four's story from his point of view was also released: ''The Transfer'' (Sept. 3, 2013), ''The Initiate'' (Dec. 17, 2013), ''The Son'' (Jan. 21, 2014), and ''The Traitor'' (Feb. 11, 2014). These stories were then collected in the book ''Four: A Divergent Collection'', released on July 8, 2014. A short story titled ''We Can Be Mended'', which serves as an epilogue to the series, was released on January 17, 2017.
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34	Compare and contrast with Roth's later work ''Literature/PosterGirl'', which also takes place in a dystopian society, yet from the perspective of the regime's elite after they have been overthrown by a rebellion.
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36	----
37	!! Tropes applying to the books:
38	* AbsurdlyYouthfulParents: Seems to be pretty heavily implied as the norm in ''Allegiant'', given that Natalie and Andrew [[spoiler:were together before they entered Abnegation together]], and that [[spoiler:the Bureau requires that all persons entering the experiment promise to have a minimum number of children to ensure the survival of their "corrected genes"]].
39	%% * ActionGirl: Tris and any other female Dauntless initiate. [[TrainingFromHell Or else.]]
40	* AfterTheEnd: The series is implied to be after a major war. [[spoiler:Subverted with ''Allegiant'' where its revealed that while there was a war, society is still somewhat intact with the US Government still existing but as a shadow of its former self. Though half the US population is dead, many of the Metro areas are filled with crime and fantastic racism. It's also revealed that Chicago is a closed off experiment, one of a few in the Midwest. It's also implied that the west coast is either uninhabited or possibly isolated. (It's not clear as the fringe groups don't go there because the terrain is too rough to traverse.)]]
41	%% * AmbitionIsEvil: The viewpoint held by Abnegation. This puts them at odds with Erudite.
42	* AncientConspiracy: [[spoiler:The Bureau, responsible for [[TheMasquerade the constructed, faction-based community in Chicago]] for at least eight generations]].
43	* AnyoneCanDie: The trilogy kills off major characters in every book, and the last book ''Allegiant'', even kills off [[spoiler:Tris, the main character]].
44	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Tris has trouble putting on her pants in chapter 14 because she's built so much muscle in her legs. This takes place one week after the Choosing Ceremony. No matter how hard you train, you will not build that much muscle in that short amount of time.
45	%% * AssholeVictim: Anytime something bad happens to Peter.
46	* AtrociousAlias: Molly nicknames herself "The Tank."
47	* AxCrazy: Most of the Dauntless characters at the end of the first book [[spoiler:are BrainwashedAndCrazy to invade and essentially invoke a FinalSolution on the Abnegation faction]].
48	%% ** [[spoiler:Except for [[JerkAss Peter]], who was awake during the simulation because the Erudite figured he was homicidal and wouldn't mind killing a few hundred people while awake]].
49	* BadassCreed: The Dauntless manifesto from the extra materials.
50	-->We believe that peace is hard-won, \
51	that sometimes it is necessary to fight for peace.\
52	But more than that: \
53	We believe that justice is more important than peace.\
54	We believe in freedom from fear, in denying fear the power to influence our decisions.\
55	We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.\
56	We believe in acknowledging fear and the extent to which it rules us.\
57	We believe in facing that fear no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our sanity.\
58	We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.\
59	We believe, not just in bold words but in bold deeds to match them.\
60	We believe that pain and death are better than cowardice and inaction because\
61	We believe in action.\
62	We do not believe in living comfortable lives.\
63	We do not believe that silence is useful.\
64	We do not believe in good manners.\
65	We do not believe in empty heads, empty mouths, or empty hands.\
66	We do not believe that learning to master violence encourages unnecessary violence.\
67	We do not believe that we should be allowed to stand idly by.\
68	We do not believe that any other virtue is more important than bravery.
69	%% * BattleCouple: [[spoiler:Tobias and Tris]].
70	* BabiesEverAfter: [[spoiler:In ''We Can Be Mended'', Zeke and Shauna are expecting a child. Tobias and Christina fight over who get to name it, but no one end up getting the right.]]
71	* BeautyEqualsGoodness: A noticeable trend throughout the series, all the good guys are described as pretty or beautiful. Averted with Peter, who is a complete jerk, but is repeatedly described as being good-looking.
72	%% * BigBad:
73	%% ** Jeanine in ''Divergent'' and ''Insurgent'',
74	%% ** [[spoiler:[[BigBadEnsemble Evelyn and David]]]] in ''Allegiant''.
75	* BigDamnHeroes:
76	** In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:Tris's mother shows up to save her from being executed]].
77	** In ''Insurgent'', [[spoiler:Tobias leads a counter attack just as Tris is rebelling against her captors]].
78	%% ** Somewhat subverted in ''Insurgent'' when [[spoiler:Tris tries to save Jeanine from Tori]].
79	%% * BigBrotherIsWatching
80	* BittersweetEnding:
81	** In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:Tris manages to stop the mind control device and rescues her boyfriend. Unfortunately, many members of Abnegation and Dauntless have been needlessly killed, both of Tris's parents (as well as Will) are dead, she has little chance of befriending Christina again, and Jeanine is still out there]].
82	** And ''Insurgent'', [[spoiler:Tris and Tobias have reconciled and they got the information, but Evelyn has staged her coup and Tris, Cara and Christine are seen as traitors]].
83	** And then we have ''Allegiant'': [[spoiler:Tobias negotiates a peaceful resolution between Evelyn and the Allegiant, Chicago rebuilds, and the Bureau are all mindwiped to no longer distinguish between GP and [=GDs=], but Tris dies]].
84	* BlatantLies: Peter, who is from ''Candor'', claims he is not murderous when being held at gunpoint by [[spoiler:Tris]] in ''Divergent''. He had previously claimed that he was only trying to scare her by [[spoiler:throwing her down the chasm and molesting her]].
85	* BlueIsCalm: The Erudite faction is associated with the colour blue and each member must wear at least one article of blue clothing per day, as it is a "calming color that helps stimulate the brain".
86	* BlueMeansSmartOne: Blue is the signature colour of Erudite, the faction dedicated to knowledge and intelligence. Most Erudites wear at least one blue clothing item in their outfits, as the colour is supposed to aid their concentration.
87	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In Divergent, Eric injects a serum containing transmitters into the Dauntless members that allows him and Jeanine to control the Dauntless, intending to use them to wipe out Abnegation.
88	* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:'''Inverted.''' ''Allegiant'' reveals that the Chicago walled community was an experiment to restore humanity back to normal after years of selective breeding caused what they considered to be "damaged genes" in humans, making them prone to certain vices and violence.]]
89	* BrutalHonesty: The Candor faction holds the virtue of honesty, as they believe deception is what caused the wars that ruined the world. Candor never hold back their opinion, and most don't bother to sugarcoat their words.
90	* ButtMonkey: Drew is basically a walking punching bag. Peter beats him up during the first stage of initiation, [[spoiler: he's put in worse shape by Four when he helps Peter dangle Tris over the Chasm. He fails initiation and becomes factionless and is later beaten up by Edward.]]
91	%% * CantKillYouStillNeedYou: This is the ''only'' reason that Tris spares [[spoiler:Peter]] at the end of ''Divergent'', although she does shoot him in the arm to make him cooperate.
92	* CataclysmBackstory: Of the "no one knows" variety, something has caused Chicago to isolate itself from the rest of the world, turning the society into the five virtue-based factions in the story.
93	%% * ChekhovsSkill: Tobias mentions early on that he is good with computers. Not surprisingly he uses this in the end.
94	* CityInABottle: The people of Chicago, having resided there [[spoiler:for eight generations]] believe that Chicago is the last remaining bastion of humanity, and that what lies beyond the outer gates is desolate wasteland. [[spoiler:Averted in ''Allegiant'', when it's revealed that not only is Chicago not the only bastion, the US government still exists, albeit as a FallenStatesOfAmerica. Half of the US population is dead, but other peoples still exist in other cities, some of which were also formerly used for experiments to produce more GP population. In fact, Tris' mother, Natalie was a refugee from one of those cities: Milwaukee.]]
95	* {{Cliffhanger}}: ''Insurgent'' ends with an epic one, with the revelation that [[spoiler:Chicago was walled off as part of an experiment to restore humanity to a war-torn world, and that once there are enough Divergent people among them then they should open the gates and reenter the wider world]].
96	* ColdBloodedTorture:
97	** Tris quickly learns that people are more willing to share information after they've been shot.
98	** Also used by the Erudite on [[spoiler:both Tris and Tobias]] in ''Insurgent'', in a bid to gather information on the factionless safehouses. Doesn't work until they [[spoiler:force Tobias to watch Tris undergo the torture instead via a dose of fear serum]].
99	* ColorCodedCastes: It's very easy to tell who belongs to what faction based on their attire:
100	** Candor typically dresses in black and white, reflecting their [[BlackAndWhiteMorality mindset]].
101	** Abnegation dresses in grey, rag-like clothing, reflecting their humility and putting others before themselves.
102	** Amity dresses in bright colors, usually yellows and reds, reflecting their laid-back, free-spirited nature.
103	** Dauntless members can usually be spotted sporting black combat uniforms.
104	** Erudite dresses in blue formal attire [[BlueMeansSmartOne befitting their intellectual nature]].
105	** As expected, the Factionless subvert this trope; they dress in whatever they can get their hands on, and it's exactly this lack of uniformity that makes them so easy to tell apart from those in a Faction.
106	* CommonalityConnection: In ''Allegiant'', [[spoiler:Christina and Uriah become very close because both of them lost someone important to them]].
107	* CrapsackWorld: [[spoiler:A war caused by a disastrous attempt to correct human genes that [[GoneHorriblyWrong went wrong]] claimed half of the US population and turned most of the environment into rough, uninhabitable wasteland. The entire human race is now sorted according to whether [[FantasticRacism they are genetically pure or damaged]], and being sorted into the latter is...not nice. This predictably resulted in violence that erupted in the metropolitan areas, which are practically the only places where people live. The United States is now [[FallenStatesOfAmerica a shadow of itself]], agreeing to a plan by a certain Bureau which necessitated entire cities to be transformed into giant experimental bottles with the intention to produce more pure people. That goal is not noble by itself, but then the Bureau isolated them for eight generations and counting, which resulted in the people inside forgetting why they live there and actually ''flipped'' the racism upside down, so that now the genetically pure (or as they call, Divergents) are persecuted, ensuring that the experiment will go on for a while.]]
108	* CrapsaccharineWorld: The faction system is hyped up as the reason that the Chicago society can prosper in a world where everywhere else is practically uninhabitable wasteland and everyone considers it as the right thing to uphold. The first thing signifying that there is a ''major'' problem is the existence of the factionless, people who are not accepted in any faction and thus have to live as subhumans, yet everyone accepts it as natural, even the protagonist Tris. Then, Tris receives the results of her Aptitude Test which shows that she does not fit in any faction because she is a Divergent, a status which will earn her certain death should the superiors find out about it. This "prosperous" world slowly [[FromBadToWorse goes downhill from that point]], eventually ending up straight into the CrapsackWorld territory by the events of ''Allegiant''.
109	* CreepyCrows: As Tris goes into a simulation designed to emulate her fears she is attacked by a large number of crows. These turn out to be representative of something else as Four points out that she isn't really afraid of crows.
110	%% * DeathEqualsRedemption: Tris at first refuses to forgive [[spoiler:Al]], but she realizes she should have [[spoiler:after he kills himself]].
111	* DisapprovingLook: Beatrice mentions her brother has one that she's memorized.
112	* DisproportionateRetribution:
113	** [[spoiler:Peter]] does whatever he can to get rid of potential rivals in the initiate ranking, from stabbing [[spoiler:Edward]] in the eye to trying to [[spoiler:throw Tris into the chasm]].
114	** Also Molly, who [[spoiler:feeds lies about Tris's father to Erudite]] because Tris beat her in a fight and ranked higher than her.
115	* {{Dystopia}}: The city of Chicago has split into five factions based on the virtue they believe needs to held up to stop society falling into ruin again. Everyone who turns sixteen must take a test to see which faction they best fit into, and those who fail the initiation or refuse to join become homeless. Anyone who is considered Divergent is hunted down for threatening the system.
116	* EasilyForgiven: Tris's parents forgive her for going into the Dauntless regime, [[spoiler:especially when her father has to go into hiding with the Abnegation]].
117	%% * EvilutionaryBiologist: [[spoiler:The Bureau, or at least how they ended up. Which is ironic, considering they exist to correct the genetic manipulation done by a previous group of Evilutionary Biologists.]]
118	* TheEvilsOfFreeWill:
119	** In this {{dystopia}}, teens are forced to take an aptitude test that matches them with a "faction": Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, or Erudite. The faction they choose, however, is where they end up for the rest of their lives. If they choose no faction, then they become factionless and are forced to be homeless. Also, if their test results do not match with any particular faction, then they are seen as Divergent, meaning they don’t necessarily conform to the thought patterns of their respective factions and therefore can't be trusted.
120	** There are shades of this in Abnegation. Basically, any part of free will that serves the self is prohibited.
121	** This is also in [[spoiler:Amity, due to "happiness serum" being put in bread and given to everyone without them noticing. Anyone who acts negatively will be taken to a room and given some directly.]]
122	* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Edward]] is on the receiving end of one via a butter knife [[spoiler:[[DisproportionateRetribution because he ended up first on the initiate ranking]]. Peter does not like being in second place]].
123	%% * FaceYourFears: A major component of Dauntless initiation.
124	%% * FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:George and Amar, done by The Bureau to protect them and bring them to the outside world]].
125	* FalseUtopia: Meta-example; Veronica Roth has stated that she only realized after she had started writing that ''Divergent'' was her own personal utopia, and then later realized that her "utopia" was a horrible place to live.
126	* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: Invoked and lampshaded. When war breaks out, [[ActualPacifist the Amity sector]] is not given real guns, but stun guns that can just take people down.
127	* FateWorseThanDeath: Becoming factionless, who live in poverty and are ostracized, is considered this by most of the characters. [[spoiler:Subverted in ''Insurgent'', when Tris gets to interact with them]].
128	%% * FantasticCasteSystem
129	%% * FinalSolution: [[This is how Erudite attempt to get rid of the Abnegation in the first book. They fail]].
130	* {{Foil}}:
131	** Eric and Four. The former preaches all-out combat with no mercy rules, while the latter preaches fair fights with protective rules.
132	%% ** Many of the factions serve as this to one another. Amity vs Dauntless seems obvious, (peace vs war), but Candor isn't too fond of Amity either, as the believe Amity would lie to keep the peace.
133	* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Tris in ''Divergent'' takes a while to forgive Christina and Will for not protecting her [[spoiler:when Peter, Drew and Al kidnapped her, molested her, and tried to throw her down a chasm]]. By the time she does, she realizes that she can't trust anyone in the Divergent army except for Four.
134	* FriendshipStrainingCompetition: Despite Tris making friends with Al during training in ''Divergent'', her skill in training made her a threat, and he was at the bottom of the list. The need to rise in the ranks led him to join Peter in attempting to [[spoiler:murder her, along with kidnapping and molesting her]]. When he tried to apologize, she furiously refused to accept it. His guilt for hurting her over the competition led him to [[spoiler: commit suicide,]] and led her to question if her refusal to forgive him was right.
135	%% * GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Does this for Tobias in ''Allegiant''.
136	* GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: In ''Insurgent'', we learn that one of the reasons members of the Amity faction stay so calm and happy is regular doses of a calming drug. After getting into a fight with Peter in Amity, Tris is given the drug, but because of her slight build, it has a stronger effect, temporarily blissing her out. Also, [[spoiler:the entire Amity compound's food supply (specifically the bread) is infused with small amounts of it]].
137	* GreaterScopeVillain:
138	** It's revealed that Jeanine Matthews, the BigBad of the first two books, obtained the serums used for execution and mind controlling Dauntless members from [[spoiler:the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, the mastermind behind the experiment in Chicago and several other metropolitan cities for more than eight generations]].
139	** It's also revealed that [[spoiler:the experiment was done to produce genetically pure children from the genetically damaged, who were the subjects of an earlier experiment to "correct" human genes of their "imperfections". So, ultimately, whoever had the insane idea to do the "correction" in the first place is this]].
140	%% * GreyAndGrayMorality: Nobody's motives are purely evil or purely good. Candor tends to view everything in terms of BlackAndWhiteMorality, but Tris realizes that this is not the case.
141	* GroupedForYourConvenience: Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue. When the factions were formed, however, each gained a negative and a positive trait. The factions are: Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity, and Candor. On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives after taking an aptitude test.
142	* HeroicBSOD: In ''Allegiant'', after [[spoiler:Tobias]] finds out [[spoiler:that Tris is dead]], all he can do is stand still and say nothing.
143	* HiddenPurposeTest: The aptitude test. Tris mentions that students don't even know what the test entails, and Tori informs Tris that she cannot tell her what's going to happen during it.
144	* HookedUpAfterwards: [[spoiler:''We Can Be Mended'' details how Tobias and Christina move on from their sorrows of losing Tris and Will, respectively, and end up becoming a couple. It's also mentioned that Cara and Matthew hooked up and are planning to marry.]]
145	* HopeSpot: In ''Allegiant'', [[spoiler:just when it looks like Tris is going to shrug off the death serum and survive, David fatally shoots her. She still manages to get her HeroicSacrifice off, though]].
146	* HufflepuffHouse:
147	** From all of the factions, Amity gets the least mentioned in ''Divergent''. None of the transfer to Dauntless are from it (one tried, but chickened out of the initiation almost immediately), and only one named character is a member of it. They have a slightly more important role in ''Insurgent''.
148	** Candor also has a minor role in ''Divergent'', although they also get elevated in ''Insurgent''.
149	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: The names of the first two books end in 'gent'. Subverted by the last book which ends in 'giant', but is pronounced the same way.
150	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Said word-for-word in ''Divergent'' when Tris [[spoiler:confronts Tobias while he's under the effects of a mind-controlling serum]].
151	* ILetGwenStacyDie:
152	** [[spoiler:After Tris shoots a brainwashed Will to defend herself in ''Divergent'', she angsts about his death for the rest of the series after it happens, and never fully forgives herself]].
153	** [[spoiler:Uriah slips into a coma, brain damaged beyond hope after being caught in the rebellion attack in ''Allegiant''. Four blames himself, since he participated in the attack, and like Tris with Will he never really lets go of his guilt]].
154	* INeedAFreakingDrink: Subverted in ''Divergent'', Tris's fellow initiates pass around a silver flask with something strong [[spoiler:right before Al's funeral]]. She refuses to partake in it.
155	%% * InsufferableGenius: Erudite in general, and their leader, Jeanine.
156	* IOweYouMyLife: [[spoiler:Why Peter saves Tris' life]] in ''Insurgent''. He claims to only think in term of debts, and couldn't conceive of doing anything for someone unless it was to get them to owe you a favour.
157	* {{Irony}}: Jeanine is convinced that Divergents threaten society. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Divergents were the ''point'' of this particular society's creation in the first place]].
158	* {{Jerkass}}:
159	** Peter. He goes out of his way to make Tris's life miserable, from throwing petty insults to outright [[spoiler:sexually assaulting her and [[DisproportionateRetribution trying to kill her]]]].
160	** Molly. To get back at Tris for wounding her pride, she [[spoiler:feeds lies to the Erudite about Tris's father and Abnegation]].
161	** Drew is constantly backing up Peter and even [[spoiler: helps in his plan to throw Tris into The Chasm]]
162	%% ** With his extreme teaching methods [[spoiler:and betrayal]] Eric is this.
163	%% ** Jeanine.
164	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:The serum associated with the Abnegation can erase memories]].
165	* LaserGuidedKarma: Peter in ''Divergent'' receives a whopping heapful of it. After spending most of the book bullying others, sabotaging or [[spoiler:attempting to murder]] anyone who does better than him in the trials, he ends up injured courtesy of [[spoiler:Tris]], begging for his life and [[spoiler:forced to assist in undoing the brainwashing simulation]] knowing that everyone can see him for what he really is.
166	%% * LivingLieDetector: Some people from the Candor faction. Tris is worried that Christina, who transferred from Candor, will be able to tell that Tris [[spoiler:killed Will, Christina's boyfriend]].
167	* MassOhCrap: The Dauntless army in ''Divergent'' when [[spoiler:Tobias breaks the brainwashing on them, stopping them in the middle of an Abnegation massacre]]. To say that are angry, horrified, and traumatized is an understatement, and they quickly turn on each other.
168	* MeaningfulEcho:
169	** In ''Divergent'', Tobias is [[spoiler:mindcontrolled into attacking]] Tris. She thinks that her [[spoiler:IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight]] is failing, and prepares herself to [[spoiler:die.]]
170	--->''Can I be forgiven for all I've done to get here?\
171	I don't know. I don't know.\
172	Please.''
173	** Then in ''Allegiant'', Tris prepares for her [[spoiler:[[TheHeroDies real]] HeroicSacrifice]].
174	--->''Can I be forgiven for all I've done to get here?\
175	I want to be.\
176	I can.\
177	I believe it.''
178	* MeaningfulRename: This is significant as characters changed their names to abandon their old faction identity:
179	** The main character Beatrice becomes known as 'Tris' instead of Beatrice. While this is a nickname, it's meaningful because it is significant in the character adopting a Dauntless rather than Abnegation identity.
180	** Four decided to call himself 'Four' because [[spoiler:he only has four fears in the fear landscape. His original name was Tobias, but as he was abused by his father that's also one reason he wanted to abandon that identity]]. The prequel novella shows that the nickname was given to him by his Dauntless mentor -- and that his using it is a mark of accepting kindness from someone else.
181	* MilitaryCoup: In ''Insurgent'', [[spoiler:Evelyn ensures that the Factionless are armed and leads an insurrection, becoming the de facto new leader of the Chicago walled community]].
182	* MindControlDevice: [[spoiler:The "tracking" chips placed in every Dauntless member controls them and ultimately leads to the Dauntless members, aside from Divergents, being controlled into attacking Abnegation]].
183	* MotiveDecay: {{Discussed\|Trope}}. The Factions were founded with good intentions, to uphold just virtues and lead society to a better place than what had lead everyone to war. But over time, the Factions began to corrupt what they originally stood for.
184	** Four discusses how the Dauntless used to value teamwork and brotherhood as parts of bravery. In recent times, it is competition and ferocity that most of the Dauntless leadership respect and teach their initiates.
185	** Will, who was born Erudite but transferred to Dauntless, tells Tris how the Erudite used to seek knowledge for the sake of bettering humanity. Now, they seek knowledge for personal ambition and power.
186	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
187	** Tris reacts this way in ''Divergent'' [[spoiler:after Al dies from suicide as a result of her refusing to forgive him]], though she eventually learns to live with the fact that she's not a forgiving person, and no one blames her given [[spoiler:Al assisted in an attempt on her life and molestation]].
188	** The Dauntless army as a whole [[spoiler:reacts this way along with MassOhCrap when Tobias ends the simulation brainwashing them as a mindless army, forcing them to remember the senseless murder they've just committed]].
189	* NeckLift: [[spoiler:When Four interrupts Peter, Drew, and Al's attack on Tris Peter lifts Tris over The Chasm like this.]]
190	%% * NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Part of the Dauntless initiate training. Peter utterly serves Tris in one fight, but Tris delivers total ownage to Molly in another.
191	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname:
192	** Tris and Four -- Beatrice and [[spoiler:Tobias]] are their real names, respectively.
193	** Nita from ''Allegiant''. Her full name is Juanita.
194	* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: In ''Divergent'', it is implied that the Abnegation faction, a faction of society that lives much like the Amish, is the only section of society that still believes in God. However, ''Insurgent'' shows that the Amity Faction practices some sort of naturalistic religion.
195	* TheOutsideWorld: ''Three times'' throughout the series, from the perspective of Tris:
196	** In ''Divergent'', she learns that the world does not function in the same selfless and slow way like that of her Abnegation home when she decides on Choosing Day to transfer to Dauntless, which is anything but slow.
197	** In ''Insurgent'', she learns about how the other factions other than Abnegation and Dauntless function when she is forced to go on the run and has to take refuge in Amity and Candor, and then finally takes a step in the insurgency against Erudite.
198	** Finally, in ''Allegiant'', she learns that [[spoiler:Chicago is not the entire world; there's much, ''much'' more beyond that. She also learns why the mindset of the Chicago population is engineered to think that they are isolated from the outside world: [[GovernmentConspiracy they're being used in an experimental project sanctioned by the US government.]]]]
199	* PartingWordsRegret: The last thing that Tris says to [[spoiler:Al]] is that [[spoiler:if he comes near her again, she'll kill him]]. He [[spoiler:dies from suicide the evening after]], and Tris wonders if she was too hard on him.
200	* ThePowerOfLove: In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:Tobias, under Jeanine's mind-control, becomes horribly close to shooting Tris, but the sound of Tris's voice makes him snap out of it]].
201	* PretendToBeBrainwashed: Comes up in ''Divergent'', where the Dauntless faction is mind-controlled into attacking Abnegation. The Divergent are resistant to this; Tris and Four blend in while another Divergent, not knowing what is going on, is shot dead.
202	%% * ThePsychoRangers: [[AxCrazy Peter]], [[ManipulativeBitch Molly]] and [[YesMan Drew]].
203	%% * RedShirt: In ''Insurgent'': [[spoiler:Fernando]].
204	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Four gives a brutal but effective one to Peter when the latter complains about the unfairness of the fear trials, saying that of course it's unfair given Peter [[spoiler:tried to murder Tris the night before]] and everyone knows that Peter is a coward.
205	* RejectedApology: Al is bawling when he attempts to apologize to [[spoiler:Tris for assisting in an attempt on her life, after she ranked first]]. She says that [[spoiler:if he ever comes near her again, she'll kill him]].
206	* SecondLove: [[spoiler:''We Can Be Mended'' reveals that Tobias and Christina eventually become this to each other, following the deaths of Tris and Will.]]
207	* ScienceIsBad: In the first two books of the series, most of the bad guys come from the Erudite faction, the faction for scientists and knowledge-seekers. Many of the Erudite characters that we see are villainous [[spoiler:even Caleb turns out to be a traitor]]. Most of the bad things that happen in ''Divergent'' and ''Insurgent'' (e.g. the Abnegation Genocide) are a result of the devious scheming of the Erudite leadership, and it's implied they have a hand in corrupting members from other factions to their cause. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20170613070752/http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/on-erudite-anti-intellectualism-and.html Even the author admits her book's anti-intellectual slant, though she has rightly pointed out that her portrayal of the Erudite became more nuanced, and even positive as the series went on]].
208	* SevenDeadlySins: Present within the factions:
209	** Erudite represent '''Greed''' in their search for knowledge and their eventual seizing of power.
210	** Dauntless represent '''Lust''' in the form of adrenaline. They're reckless and will do anything for a high.
211	** Candor represent '''Wrath''' in the form of BrutalHonesty -- telling the truth without regard for anyone's feelings.
212	** Amity represent '''Sloth''' as they try to stay neutral during the conflict, despite innocent people dying all around them.
213	** Abnegation represent '''Pride''' as they try to live without sin, which is itself a form of pride. Marcus Eaton in particular is very concerned with his public image.
214	** Factionless represent '''Envy''' as they resent being forced to live on the streets.
215	** The Bureau represent '''Gluttony''' as [[spoiler:the Faction system causes a huge waste of human life in their experiment to find 'Pure' beings]].
216	* ShamefulStrip: In ''Divergent'', after {{shower\|Scene}}ing, Tris is trying to get dressed, but notices that she's beginning to develop muscles she never had before, and her clothes no longer fit. So she walks back to the dormitory from the showers wearing a ModestyTowel but crosses path with [[TheBully her bullies]] along the way, Peter, Molly, and Drew, who immediately begin taunting her. Peter manages to [[StrippingSnag snag away her towel]], leaving her [[NakedFreakOut naked and humiliated]] and she's forced to go {{streaking}} the rest of the way [[TheFreelanceShameSquad while they laugh at her]].
217	* ShootTheDog: In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:Tris has no choice but to shoot Will, who, under mind control, was trying to kill her]].
218	* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Intentionally invoked by the intellectual Erudite. PurelyAestheticGlasses are part of their "uniform."
219	%% * TheSociopath: [[JerkAss Peter]], [[EvilGenius Eric]], and [[BigBad Jeanine]] all have shades of this, but we see the most of Peter.
220	%% * TheSpartanWay: Dauntless initiate training. From [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown fights]] to knife-throwing to fear simulations, it's not pleasant.
221	%% * TheSpock: What the Erudite aim for, especially Jeanine.
222	* TearsOfRemorse: In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:after Al almost kills Tris, she next sees him bawling his eyes out with regret]].
223	* ThisIsUnforgivable: Will, Christina and Tris treat [[spoiler:Al this way after he assists Peter and Drew in attempting to kill Tris]]. They become more ambivalent after [[spoiler:Al kills himself]] but never speak of it again.
224	%% * TraumaCongaLine: From the ending of the first book onwards, almost every character crosses this.
225	* TruthSerums: The serum associated with the Candor faction is, of course, truth serum, used for trials, interrogations, and Candor initiation.
226	* TwoPartTrilogy: A lot of readers feel the trilogy is one of these; the difference being that it's the ''third'' book, ''Allegiant'', that seems to feel out of sync with the other two, to its discredit —- alternating between two narrators where the first two books were told entirely in Tris's voice, ([[spoiler:Tobias actually concludes the narrative after Tris' death]]) sacrificing the narrative energy of the first two books for a lot of exposition which shouldn't really be necessary at that point.
227	* UrbanSegregation: Chicago is split up in five factions and five corresponding living areas -- with the slums left for the [[CrazyHomelessPeople Factionless]].
228	* VigilanteExecution: In ''Insurgent'', [[spoiler:the Candor Court decided to spare Eric's life, but Dauntless decides, on its own, to kill him for his crimes, and the execution is performed by them. So technically, it may count as a subversion since Eric ''was'' a Dauntless.]]
229	%% * VirtualRealityInterrogation: Jeanine tries this in ''Insurgent''.
230	* WhatTheHellHero:
231	** ''Divergent'':
232	*** {{Subverted\|Trope}} when [[spoiler:Al commits suicide following Tris's]] RejectedApology. Four doesn't call [[spoiler:Tris]] out for that, since her anger is reasonable given the circumstances, though he does ask if her anger at [[spoiler:Al is useful after his death]] but for sticking out like a sore thumb and risking trouble.
233	*** Tris's dad calls her out for [[spoiler:shooting Peter in the arm]]. Though she points out that, despite being Dauntless, he is cowardly and borderline psychopathic and lives depended on it. She knows he will give in quickly once he is in pain.
234	** In ''Insurgent'', Tobias calls out Tris multiple times of being suicidal. In return, Tris calls out Tobias for being a hypocrite. He tells her that she's strong enough to take her scolding, but still tries to "protect" her. He insists she be open and honest with him, while still insisting on the right to keep his own secrets. He says he trusts her perceptiveness, but refuses to listen to her warnings about people ''repeatedly''. Thankfully, the both of them get better. Eventually.
235	* WorthyOpponent: In ''Insurgent'', Tris might be the enemy, but the Dauntless will still honor her for [[spoiler:walking to her execution]].
236	* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: When Tris loses control and beats Molly bloody during their fight during testing, Eric congratulates her. She decides that she doesn't want to be congratulated for something like that by someone like him.
237	%% * YourMindMakesItReal: [[spoiler:The second round of testing]] consists of this.
238	* YouWouldntShootMe:
239	** In ''Divergent'', [[spoiler:Tris shoots both Peter and Eric, but they had doubted she'd do it since she's a Stiff. Both end in [[{{OnlyAFleshWound}} some non-fatal injury]]]].
240	%% ** During the events of ''Insurgent'', [[spoiler:Tris injures Eric again, this time with a knife]].
241	----
242	->''Since I was young, I have always known this: Life damages us, ever one. We can't escape that damage.''
243

Context Literature / Divergent