Roth, Veronica — Divergent 01 — Divergent
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
by Veronica, Roth,The chapter opens with the initiates arriving for another training session, this time focusing on knife-throwing. Eric, the rigid and intimidating Dauntless leader, announces the day’s agenda while Four demonstrates the proper technique. The atmosphere is tense, with Eric’s bad mood evident from his interactions, particularly his resentment toward Four after their recent loss in a capture-the-flag game. Tris, the protagonist, observes Four’s movements closely, determined to master the skill despite the pressure. Her quiet determination contrasts with Peter’s taunts, but she manages to hit the target first, earning a small victory.
As the training progresses, Al struggles to hit the target, drawing Eric’s ire. Eric’s frustration escalates into cruelty as he singles out Al, demanding he retrieve a knife while others continue throwing—a dangerous task. Al’s refusal to comply, citing his fear of being hit, further angers Eric, who sees honesty as weakness. The tension peaks when Eric orders Al to stand in front of the target while Four throws knives at him, ostensibly to teach him not to flinch. Four’s reluctance to participate hints at his disapproval, but Eric asserts his authority, forcing Four to comply.
The confrontation between Eric and Four underscores the power dynamics within Dauntless, with Eric’s ruthlessness contrasting with Four’s restrained defiance. Tris, unable to stomach the injustice, impulsively speaks up, demanding Eric stop. Her outburst draws a sharp look from Four, who seems to warn her against challenging Eric directly. The scene highlights the initiates’ vulnerability and the brutal nature of Dauntless training, where pride and dominance often override reason.
The chapter closes with Tris’s anger simmering as she witnesses Al’s humiliation and Four’s forced participation. The incident reinforces the harsh realities of Dauntless life, where defiance comes at a cost and compassion is seen as a liability. Tris’s moral conflict—balancing self-preservation with her sense of justice—foreshadows future struggles as she navigates the faction’s cutthroat culture. The tension between Eric and Four, as well as Tris’s growing defiance, sets the stage for further clashes in the story.
FAQs
1. How does Eric’s behavior in this chapter demonstrate the Dauntless values of pride and strength?
Answer:
Eric’s rigid posture, aggressive commands, and harsh treatment of Al showcase the Dauntless prioritization of pride and physical dominance. His anger over losing capture the flag (“a matter of pride”) manifests in cruel tactics like forcing Al to stand as a human target. The chapter emphasizes Eric’s “rabid” intensity and his assertion of authority over Four, revealing how Dauntless culture equates strength with control and humiliation with weakness. His escalation from verbal taunts to psychological intimidation reflects the faction’s extreme interpretation of courage as uncompromising toughness.2. Analyze the significance of Tris’s internal monologue: “Haste will not help… I have to think of this as a mental exercise.” How does this contrast with Dauntless training methods?
Answer:
Tris’s deliberate approach to knife-throwing—practicing stance and motion before releasing a blade—contrasts sharply with Eric’s impatient pacing and emphasis on immediate results. Her Abnegation-rooted patience (recalling her mother’s knitting lesson) highlights a key tension: Dauntless training rewards reckless speed, while her methodical focus yields the first successful hit. This dichotomy foreshadows Tris’s divergence; she synthesizes factions’ strengths by combining Dauntless action with Erudite strategy and Abnegation discipline, ultimately outperforming Peter’s thoughtless aggression.3. What does the confrontation between Eric and Four reveal about their power dynamics?
Answer:
Their tense standoff (“I have the authority here”) exposes a fragile hierarchy. Four’s subtle resistance—questioning Eric’s cruelty in a “bored” tone while physically tensing—shows his disapproval, yet he complies when challenged. Eric’s quiet threat (“everywhere else”) implies broader political tensions beyond training. The scene underscores Four’s constrained position: though respected by initiates, he must outwardly submit to Eric’s brutality. Their clash also foreshadows later conflicts, as Four’s knuckle-whitening grip on the knives hints at suppressed rebellion against Eric’s leadership style.4. How does Roth use Al’s character to critique Candor and Dauntless traits in this chapter?
Answer:
Al’s fatal honesty (“Yes, I am afraid!”) critiques Candor’s rigidity; his truthfulness becomes a liability in Dauntless culture, where survival often requires deception. His physical struggles (missed throws) and eventual defiance (“No”) contrast with the Dauntless ideal of effortless skill, making him a vehicle to expose the faction’s ableism. Eric’s mockery of Al’s glasses suggestion highlights Dauntless disdain for perceived weakness. Through Al’s shaking hands and red face, Roth humanizes the casualties of Dauntless extremism, challenging the faction’s glorification of fearlessness.5. Why is Tris’s impulsive decision to shout “Stop it” significant, despite Four’s warning glare?
Answer:
This moment marks Tris’s first open defiance of Dauntless authority, rejecting Eric’s cruelty even at personal risk. Her anger “bursting” parallels earlier Dauntless lessons about acting on instinct, but subverts them by protecting Al instead of attacking. Four’s “stone”-like glare warns of consequences, emphasizing the danger of challenging Eric. Yet her intervention aligns with Abnegation’s protective values, showcasing her divergence. The scene also contrasts Tris’s empathy with Peter’s mockery, establishing moral boundaries that will define her leadership style later in the narrative.
Quotes
1. “Winning capture the flag is a matter of pride, and pride is important to the Dauntless. More important than reason or sense.”
This quote captures the core Dauntless value system, showing how their competitive nature and obsession with pride often override logic. It foreshadows Eric’s extreme behavior later in the chapter when he humiliates Al over knife-throwing failures.
2. “Haste, I think, will not help. My mother told me that when I was learning how to knit. I have to think of this as a mental exercise, not a physical exercise.”
This reveals Tris’s strategic thinking and ability to draw wisdom from her past (including her Abnegation upbringing) to succeed in Dauntless training. It shows her distinctive approach compared to brute-force methods.
3. “Honesty is his mistake. Not his refusal, which Eric might have accepted.”
This insightful observation highlights the cruel irony of Al’s Candor background working against him in Dauntless. It demonstrates how faction virtues can become liabilities in new contexts, a recurring theme in the novel.
4. “I have the authority here, remember? Here, and everywhere else.”
Eric’s quiet threat to Four reveals the power dynamics between Dauntless leadership and establishes the tense hierarchy that shapes the initiates’ experiences. This moment escalates the chapter’s conflict dramatically.
5. “I look from Al’s wide, dark eyes to his shaking hands to the determined set of Four’s jaw. Anger bubbles in my chest, and bursts from my mouth: ‘Stop it.’”
This pivotal moment shows Tris’s moral courage breaking through her self-preservation instincts. Her intervention marks a turning point where she begins actively resisting the Dauntless brutality she witnesses.