Roth, Veronica — Divergent 01 — Divergent
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
by Veronica, Roth,The chapter opens with the protagonist waking up and immediately recalling the previous day’s events, marked by tension and violence. She observes Molly’s injuries and dresses quickly, noting the somber mood among her peers as they prepare for visiting day. Eric, a Dauntless leader, delivers a stern warning about showing attachment to their families, emphasizing the faction’s principle of “faction before blood.” His words carry an implicit threat, reinforcing the pressure to conform to Dauntless ideals. The protagonist feels a pang of guilt when Eric praises her, suspecting his approval means she has compromised her own values.
As she leaves the dormitory, the protagonist notices Christina and Wil laughing together, but she hesitates to join them, sensing an unspoken boundary. She searches for Al but doesn’t find him, adding to her unease. When she reaches the Pit, she observes the families of other initiates, contrasting their Dauntless appearances with her own Abnegation upbringing. She spots Peter with his Candor parents and wonders if they know his cruel nature. The sight of her mother, standing alone and out of place, overwhelms her with emotion, and she rushes to embrace her, relieved yet conflicted.
The reunion with her mother is bittersweet, filled with quiet affection and unspoken regrets. Her mother admires her physical transformation and insists on focusing the conversation on her daughter, a rare departure from Abnegation selflessness. The protagonist learns that her father chose not to visit, and her mother’s uncharacteristic criticism of him shocks her. She also discovers that Caleb, her brother, is isolated in the Erudite compound, where Abnegation visitors are barred—a sign of escalating faction tensions. The news troubles her, stirring sympathy for Caleb despite their past conflicts.
The chapter closes with the protagonist grappling with her mixed emotions: gratitude for her mother’s visit, sadness over her father’s absence, and concern for Caleb. The encounter highlights her struggle to reconcile her Dauntless identity with her Abnegation roots. The faction’s rigid expectations weigh heavily on her, and Eric’s earlier warning lingers in her mind. As she stands with her mother, she feels the ache of lost connections but also a tentative hope for the future, even as the divisions between factions grow deeper.
FAQs
1. How does Eric’s advice to the initiates about family visits reflect Dauntless values and faction loyalty?
Answer:
Eric’s warning to avoid showing strong attachment to visiting family members underscores the Dauntless principle of “faction before blood.” His statement implies that emotional ties to one’s former faction could be seen as disloyalty to Dauntless, which he describes as “shameful.” This aligns with the Dauntless emphasis on complete commitment to their new identity. The threat in Eric’s tone suggests that displays of Abnegation behavior (like familial affection) would be punished, reinforcing the faction’s demand for conformity. His praise of Tris for beating Molly—an act she now regrets—further illustrates how Dauntless values aggression over compassion.2. Analyze the significance of Tris’s conflicting emotions when seeing her mother. What does this reveal about her transition to Dauntless?
Answer:
Tris experiences intense relief and guilt upon seeing her mother—relief because her mother came despite faction tensions, and guilt because she abandoned her family. Her instinct to suppress tears and revert to Abnegation manners (“You first”) shows lingering habits, while her defiant thought “Who cares if they approve?” about her Dauntless clothing demonstrates her growing faction identity. The contrast between her mother’s gentle touch (a rarity in Dauntless) and Eric’s earlier warning highlights Tris’s inner conflict: she craves her old life’s warmth but is adapting to Dauntless’s harshness. This tension underscores the difficulty of fully severing her past.3. How does the chapter use physical descriptions to emphasize faction divisions? Provide specific examples.
Answer:
The chapter highlights faction differences through deliberate visual contrasts:- Abnegation: Tris’s mother wears a “gray jacket buttoned at the throat” with a “simple twist” hairstyle, appearing “out of place” amid Dauntless’s boldness.
- Dauntless: Tris notes her own exposed collarbone and tight pants, which her parents would disapprove of.
- Candor: Peter’s parents wear “black pants and white shirts,” his father’s loud voice mirroring Candor’s bluntness.
- Erudite: Though absent, their ban on Abnegation visitors reinforces faction barriers.
These details reinforce the societal segregation Tris now navigates, making her mother’s visit a transgressive act of love.
4. What does Tris’s reaction to Eric’s praise reveal about her moral development?
Answer:
When Eric commends Tris for beating Molly, her immediate guilt (“If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong”) marks a pivotal moment in her moral awareness. Unlike earlier when she took pride in Dauntless ranking, she now recognizes that Dauntless approval may signal ethical compromise. This introspection contrasts with her earlier unquestioning acceptance of Dauntless brutality, showing her critical thinking as a Divergent. The moment foreshadows her eventual rejection of the faction’s extremes, as she begins to evaluate actions through her own moral lens rather than external validation.5. How does the absence of certain family members (Tris’s father, Caleb) deepen the chapter’s themes?
Answer:
The missing family members underscore key themes:- Tris’s father: His absence (rationalized as “selfishness” by her mother) symbolizes the broken Abnegation ideal of selflessness and Tris’s fear of rejection. Her shock at hearing him criticized reveals her lingering attachment to idealized family roles.
- Caleb: The Erudite’s ban on Abnegation visitors reflects worsening faction strife, isolating Tris and Caleb despite their mutual care. His unseen search for family parallels Tris’s, creating dramatic irony.
These absences heighten the emotional stakes, emphasizing the costs of faction divisions and Tris’s dual longing for both family and her new identity.
- Abnegation: Tris’s mother wears a “gray jacket buttoned at the throat” with a “simple twist” hairstyle, appearing “out of place” amid Dauntless’s boldness.
Quotes
1. “We all know that we might go to the Pit floor and search every face and never find one that belongs to us.”
This quote captures the initiates’ collective anxiety about whether their families will visit them, highlighting the emotional stakes of faction loyalty and the painful possibility of rejection. It underscores the tension between old bonds and new identities.
2. “Attachment to your family suggests you aren’t entirely pleased with your faction, which would be shameful. Understand?”
Eric’s chilling warning exemplifies Dauntless’s extreme “faction before blood” ideology. The quote reveals how the faction manipulates initiates by weaponizing shame and severing familial ties to ensure absolute loyalty.
3. “If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong.”
Tris’s internal reflection after Eric praises her for beating Molly demonstrates her growing moral conflict. This ironic realization marks a key moment in her distrust of Dauntless leadership and her own actions.
4. “She came. She came for me.”
This simple yet powerful declaration conveys Tris’s vulnerable hope and relief when seeing her Abnegation mother. The quote contrasts starkly with Dauntless’s cold ethos, emphasizing the enduring pull of familial love despite faction divisions.
5. “Your father has been selfish lately. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you, I promise.”
Tris’s mother’s unexpected criticism of her Abnegation father shatters Tris’s perception of their perfect selflessness. This moment reveals cracks in Abnegation’s facade and foreshadows larger faction conflicts.