Young Adult Dystopian Fiction: Divergent
The recent popularity of Veronica Roth’s Divergent is to be expected when compared to similar dystopian fiction novels of its day such as the Hunger Games. The female protagonist, Tris Prior, is an exceptional individual in that she is “divergent,” or she does not fit perfectly into one of the five factions of futuristic dystopian Chicago government system. She does not singularly exhibit selflessness, bravery, intelligence, compassion, or justness but a combination of these characteristics, and that makes her a threat to the distinctly ordered society. It is the amalgamation and expression of these traits that give her the tools and the power to recognize corruption and thwart injustice. The book’s implicit message is like that of many dystopian fiction novels in that it underlines the political potential of adolescents in their society and emphasizes more specifically the threat and power held by those exceptional ones.
Of course, what makes Tris initially exceptional is her divergence. Her faction aptitude test yielded results for Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), and Erudite (intelligent). She must keep her divergence a secret from everyone, because it makes her a threat to the segregated society. Tris’s mother, also divergent, explains their divergence as not being confined to one way of thinking. Because a divergent mind moves in many different directions, it cannot be controlled. Therefore, it threatens the faction system and terrifies the leaders because as long as there are Divergents, there will always be natural rebels that will hinder the system’s purpose – to achieve peace through strict control. In the presence of injustice, Tris’s exceptionality calls her to act politically in order to save the people she loves and fight for what she believes is morally right. The fact that she possesses this threatening trait adds to her potential to greatly affect the political system under which she lives...