Allegiant
Chapter Sixteen
by Roth, VeronicaTobias wakes at midnight, restless and overwhelmed by thoughts, while Tris sleeps beside him. He wanders the unfamiliar wooden hallways, contrasting them with the stone and chasm sounds of the Dauntless compound. His mind drifts to a memory from his initiation, when Amar encouraged him to join a game of Dare, leading to his first tattoo—a painful yet meaningful experience. The chapter sets a reflective tone as Tobias grapples with his past and present, highlighting his internal turmoil and the weight of his memories.
Tobias finds himself in an atrium filled with suspended plants and a towering tree with exposed roots, evoking the Amity greenhouses. Amar surprises him, revealing he had followed Tobias from the hotel. Their conversation shifts to Amar’s unexplained survival, which Tobias had already suspected was faked. Amar explains that he and other Divergent were secretly saved from execution by Jeanine, with Natalie Prior’s help. The revelation underscores the hidden machinations within their society and the sacrifices made to protect the Divergent.
The mood darkens as Tobias learns that Tori’s brother, George Wu, is alive, while Tori died just hours before their escape. The tragic irony of their missed reunion weighs heavily on Tobias, leaving him speechless. Amar’s explanation about the use of memory serum to fake his death adds another layer of deception to their world. Tobias’s initial anger fades as he processes the cruelty of being deceived into grief twice—first with Amar and earlier with his mother. The emotional complexity of the scene highlights the cost of lies and the fragility of trust.
By the chapter’s end, Tobias’s resentment gives way to relief as he reunites with Amar, embracing him despite his usual reserve. Amar teases him for his lingering Abnegation traits, lightening the mood. The chapter closes with a mix of sorrow and hope, emphasizing the enduring bonds of friendship amid the chaos of their fractured world. The lush, impractical beauty of the atrium serves as a stark contrast to the harsh realities they face, symbolizing the duality of their existence.
FAQs
1. How does Tobias’s initial reaction to discovering Amar is alive reveal his emotional state and past experiences?
Answer:
Tobias initially reacts with anger upon learning Amar is alive, which stems from his complex feelings about being deceived and grieving unnecessarily. The text reveals this is the second time he’s experienced “trick grief” (first with his mother, now with Amar), making him resent the manipulation. His anger also reflects his broader frustration with the world’s hidden complexities (“the world had become such a complicated place”). However, his eventual acceptance—marked by grinning and acknowledging “So you’re alive”—shows his capacity to process emotions and value relationships despite betrayal.2. What symbolic significance does the atrium’s tree hold in relation to the chapter’s themes?
Answer:
The tree suspended in water with visible roots serves as a powerful metaphor for truth and hidden realities. Its “strangely human, like nerves” roots parallel Tobias’s uncovering of buried truths about Amar’s survival and the Bureau’s manipulations. The extravagant, impractical plants contrast with the utilitarian flora Tobias knows, mirroring the stark differences between the controlled city environment and the outside world’s revelations. This imagery reinforces the chapter’s exploration of deception, memory, and the fragility of perceived reality.3. Analyze how Amar’s explanation about faked deaths connects to larger conflicts in the Divergent universe.
Answer:
Amar reveals that Jeanine’s persecution of Divergents led the resistance (including Natalie Prior) to fake deaths using memory serum and planted bodies. This exposes three key conflicts: 1) The ethical dilemma of altering memories (“reset” witnesses) to save lives, 2) The ongoing power struggle between factions and leaders like Jeanine, and 3) The tragic irony of Tori dying hours before learning her brother George survived. These details underscore the systemic violence against Divergents while highlighting how characters navigate moral ambiguity in a dystopian system.4. How does the author use sensory details to contrast Tobias’s Dauntless past with his current environment?
Answer:
Roth employs vivid sensory contrasts to emphasize Tobias’s displacement. The “creak of wooden floors” feels alien compared to Dauntless’s “scrape and echo of stone” and “roar of water in the chasm.” Similarly, the atrium’s “smell of wet earth” and ornamental plants differ from Amity’s practical orchards. These details reinforce his cultural disorientation while subtly critiquing the Bureau’s privileged aesthetics. The tattoo memory—with its “agonizing” pain that he “relish[ed]“—further contrasts his Dauntless identity with his current vulnerability.5. Evaluate how the revelation about Tori and George Wu deepens the chapter’s emotional impact.
Answer:
The tragic near-miss between Tori and her supposedly dead brother George amplifies the chapter’s themes of grief and irony. Tobias’s visceral reaction (“Oh God… I lean into the tank wall”) conveys the weight of this revelation. The timing—”just a few hours” separated their reunion—creates heartbreaking dramatic irony, as Tori died believing Jeanine murdered George. This subplot underscores the human cost of the faction conflicts while making the abstract concept of “memory manipulation” painfully personal, as George will forever bear the knowledge that his sister died unaware of his survival.
Quotes
1. “Tricking someone into grief is one of the cruelest tricks a person can play, and it’s been played on me twice.”
This powerful reflection from Tobias captures the emotional core of the chapter, revealing his pain at having grieved for both his mother and Amar when they were actually alive. It highlights the theme of deception and its psychological consequences.
2. “People can’t really be trusted to lie consistently. Never thought I would say that phrase—it’s true, anyway.”
Amar’s observation about memory manipulation and deception speaks to the larger themes of truth and control in the story. This quote reveals how the Bureau maintains its secrets through technological rather than human means.
3. “I was so accustomed to the Dauntless compound that I am not used to the creak of wooden floors beneath me—I am used to the scrape and echo of stone, and the roar and pulse of water in the chasm.”
This sensory-rich passage illustrates Tobias’s displacement and nostalgia, contrasting his old life with his new reality. It serves as a poignant reminder of how much the characters have lost and changed.
4. “Once a Stiff, always a Stiff.”
Amar’s teasing remark about Tobias’s enduring Abnegation traits despite his Dauntless affiliation touches on the novel’s exploration of identity. This brief exchange reveals how core aspects of personality persist despite faction allegiances.
5. “Whatever this place is, it has not needed to be as pragmatic as our city.”
Tobias’s observation about the Bureau’s extravagant plants versus Chicago’s practical ones subtly critiques the different value systems at play. This contrast hints at the privilege and wastefulness of the outside world compared to the faction system.