Four: A Divergent Collection
The Traitor
by Roth, VeronicaThe chapter opens with Four reflecting on past Visiting Days, which he previously avoided by training alone. This year, however, he chooses to go to the control room, avoiding the emotional reunions in the Pit. He observes the mixed-faction families, particularly noting the transfers, and briefly wonders about Peter’s parents. The scene highlights the tension between familial bonds and the Dauntless mantra of “Faction before blood,” as well as Four’s detachment from such gatherings.
While on his way, Four pauses at the chasm, reminiscing about moments spent there with friends like Zeke and Shauna. His solitude is interrupted when Tris arrives with her mother, Natalie Prior, an Abnegation woman. Four becomes anxious, fearing Natalie might recognize him from his past. Their interaction is tense yet polite, with Four deflecting questions about his nickname and Tris’s progress in training. Natalie’s probing gaze and cryptic comments unsettle him, though she doesn’t reveal any recognition outright.
Returning to the control room, Four’s supervisor, Gus, remarks on his unusual presence on Visiting Day. Four brushes off the comment, focusing instead on monitoring security footage. He secretly pulls up saved footage of Max, the Dauntless leader, and confirms his password. Four suspects Max’s involvement in Amar’s death and plans to investigate further by accessing Max’s computer. He manipulates the security feeds to conceal his actions, ensuring his colleagues won’t notice his unauthorized activities.
The chapter concludes with Four leaving the control room to execute his plan. He heads to Max’s office, carrying a flash drive and relying on his confidence to avoid suspicion. The tension builds as Four prepares to uncover secrets that could expose corruption within Dauntless leadership. His determination to seek justice for Amar underscores his loyalty and moral conflict, setting the stage for further revelations.
FAQs
1. How does Four’s attitude toward Visiting Day change throughout the years, and what does this reveal about his character development?
Answer:
Four’s attitude evolves significantly over three years. As an initiate, he avoided Visiting Day by training obsessively with a punching bag, showing his discomfort with family relationships and tendency to isolate himself. In his second year, though colleagues invited him to join their families, he repeated this avoidance behavior. By the third year, he actively chooses to work in the control room instead, demonstrating growth—he’s no longer merely escaping emotions through physical exertion but channeling his energy into meaningful investigation. This progression reveals Four’s increasing maturity and purposefulness, though he still struggles with emotional connections.2. Analyze the significance of Four’s interaction with Natalie Prior. What tensions and revelations does this scene create?
Answer:
This charged encounter reveals Four’s hidden Abnegation origins and creates dramatic irony—readers know his true identity while Tris doesn’t. His panic (“what if Natalie knows who I am?”) shows deep-seated fear about his past being exposed. Natalie’s probing questions (“you look familiar”) and unflappable demeanor suggest she may recognize him, creating suspense. Four’s defensive coldness (“I don’t associate with Abnegation”) contrasts with Natalie’s warm laughter, highlighting his unresolved faction conflict. The scene also foreshadows future revelations about their connected histories while demonstrating Four’s skillful deflection under pressure.3. What does the control room sequence reveal about Four’s investigative methods and the broader political tensions in Dauntless?
Answer:
The control room scene showcases Four’s strategic intelligence as he manipulates security systems to access Max’s office undetected. His attention to detail—memorizing Max’s password (084628), removing footage from rotation, and moving purposefully—demonstrates meticulous planning. This covert operation reveals deep political corruption, as Four suspects Max’s collaboration with Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews in Amar’s murder. The empty control room (“only the oldest ones work on Visiting Day”) emphasizes how Four exploits others’ complacency. His actions reflect growing faction tensions and the need for subterfuge to uncover truth in a surveillance state.4. Compare Tris’s physical and emotional transformation from initiation to Visiting Day through Four’s perspective. What key changes does he notice?
Answer:
Four observes striking contrasts between Tris’s initial fragility (“should have shattered her”) and her current stability (“ready for anything”). He notes her physical resilience through visible bruises and confident posture, markers of Dauntless training. Emotionally, her happiness with Natalie (“color in her cheeks”) contrasts with earlier isolation. However, her lingering anger over the knife incident reveals retained Abnegation sensitivity. Four’s admiration for her growth (“doesn’t look fragile anymore”) shows his investment in her development, while his use of her birth name (“Beatrice is so wrong for her”) underscores how fully she’s embraced her new identity.
Quotes
1. “Faction before blood, after all.”
This quote encapsulates the central tension of the Divergent world, where faction loyalty is meant to supersede family bonds. It highlights the protagonist’s observation about how Visiting Day reveals the gradual erosion of family ties in favor of faction allegiance.
2. “But most of the time, people aren’t that easy to explain, I guess.”
A profound reflection from Four about human complexity, showing his growing understanding that people’s behaviors and personalities can’t be reduced to simple explanations like their upbringing or faction background.
3. “I don’t look anything like the boy she knew, lanky and slouched and buried in fabric.”
This reveals Four’s transformation from his Abnegation past to his Dauntless present, while also creating tension about whether Natalie Prior will recognize him. It speaks to themes of identity and reinvention.
4. “She doesn’t look fragile anymore, with the shadows of bruises on her face and a new stability in the way she stands, like she’s ready for anything.”
This observation about Tris shows Four’s admiration for her growth during initiation, while also demonstrating his perceptiveness about people’s transformations - a key theme in the novel.
5. “Ever since I realized that Max was working closely with Jeanine Matthews, and began to suspect that they had something to do with Amar’s death, I’ve been looking for a way to investigate further.”
This quote reveals Four’s secret mission and motivations, showing his detective-like qualities and setting up the conspiracy plot that drives the story forward.