Roth, Veronica — Divergent 01 — Divergent
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
by Veronica, Roth,The chapter opens with the protagonist, Beatrice, waking up disoriented in a dark, confined tank with a head wound. She realizes she’s being observed by a video camera, likely set up by the Erudite faction to study her reactions. As water begins filling the tank, she grapples with fear and resignation, oscillating between defiance and acceptance of her impending death. Her internal monologue reveals her struggle to maintain bravery, even as she acknowledges the inevitability of her fate. The rising water symbolizes her helplessness, yet she finds fleeting solace in memories of her childhood and thoughts of God.
As the water reaches critical levels, Beatrice nearly succumbs to drowning, but a sudden intervention shatters the tank’s glass. Her mother, wielding a gun and displaying unexpected Dauntless traits, rescues her. The revelation that her mother was once Dauntless stuns Beatrice, forcing her to reconsider everything she knew about her family. Her mother’s swift, lethal actions and tactical knowledge contrast sharply with the meek Abnegation persona Beatrice had always associated with her. The two escape the basement, navigating past dead guards, as Beatrice processes this newfound complexity in her mother’s identity.
During their escape, Beatrice’s mother reveals she’s been monitoring the trains to find her, emphasizing her unconditional love despite Beatrice’s past betrayal. She dismisses the faction system as flawed, hinting at a broader critique of societal divisions. Her pragmatic yet compassionate demeanor challenges Beatrice’s assumptions, deepening the theme of hidden identities and familial bonds. The urgency of their mission—to rescue Beatrice’s father and brother—adds tension, while the mother’s Dauntless skills underscore the fluidity of faction allegiances.
The chapter concludes with the pair navigating the chaos of the attack, heading toward a hidden basement where their family awaits. Beatrice’s physical and emotional exhaustion is palpable, but her mother’s resolve keeps her moving. The encounter forces Beatrice to confront her own biases and the limitations of the faction system. The chapter highlights themes of survival, sacrifice, and the unexpected resilience of love, setting the stage for further revelations and conflicts in the narrative.
FAQs
1. How does the protagonist’s reaction to being trapped in the water tank reveal her character development throughout the story?
Answer:
The protagonist’s initial panic and physical outburst (kicking the walls, screaming) show her raw fear of drowning, but her subsequent calm acceptance demonstrates significant growth. She consciously chooses to face death with dignity, focusing on breathing and even reflecting on spiritual matters (“My mother submerged me in water when I was a baby, to give me to God”). This contrasts with earlier portrayals of her struggling with fear, highlighting her evolution toward self-control and courage. Her final act—staring defiantly at the camera—shows she refuses to let the Erudite define her as a coward, reclaiming agency even in hopeless circumstances.2. What is the significance of the mother’s revelation about her Dauntless past, and how does it reshape the protagonist’s understanding of her family?
Answer:
The mother’s Dauntless tattoo and combat skills shatter the protagonist’s assumption that her mother was always Abnegation, forcing her to reconsider their entire relationship (“How well did I actually know my mother?”). This revelation underscores the theme of hidden identities in the faction system and parallels the protagonist’s own divergence. The mother’s actions—saving her daughter despite being “betrayed”—also redefine familial love as transcending faction loyalty. Her statement “I don’t care about the factions” critiques the system’s rigidity, suggesting true strength comes from personal bonds rather than ideological conformity.3. Analyze the symbolic role of water in this chapter, connecting its literal and metaphorical meanings.
Answer:
Water functions both as a physical threat and a spiritual symbol. Literally, it’s a tool of torture by the Erudite, meant to test the protagonist’s fear response. Metaphorically, it represents purification (“the water will wash my wounds clean”) and rebirth, echoing her mother’s ritual of submerging her as a baby “to give [her] to God.” The sensory description (“soft and feels like silk”) contrasts with its lethal purpose, mirroring how the factions’ ideals (like Erudite’s pursuit of knowledge) can mask violence. The shattered tank becomes a baptismal rupture, freeing her from both water and ideological constraints.4. How does the chapter’s pacing and sensory details create tension during the drowning sequence?
Answer:
Short, fragmented sentences (“I breathe in; I breathe out”) mimic gasping and accelerate tension as the water rises. Tactile details (water “tickling” ankles, then “silken arms”) make the threat visceral, while visual cues (the “blue and dim” bulb, her shadowed reflection) heighten claustrophobia. The slow-motion focus on bodily sensations (“lungs burn”) stretches time, contrasting with the sudden violence of the rescue. This pacing mirrors the protagonist’s psychological shift: frantic resistance → calm acceptance → explosive survival, keeping readers emotionally engaged through unpredictability.5. Evaluate the mother’s critique of the faction system: “Human beings… cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in.” How does this statement reflect the novel’s broader themes?
Answer:
Her words challenge the faction system’s foundational belief that segregating virtues (bravery, selflessness, etc.) can sustain societal harmony. By acknowledging humanity’s inherent complexity (“bad creeps back in”), she aligns with the Divergent ideal—that people cannot be confined to single traits. This foreshadows the system’s eventual collapse while justifying her own defiance (saving her daughter over faction loyalty). It also reflects the novel’s exploration of power corruption, as even “noble” factions like Erudite become tyrannical when clinging to purity.
Quotes
1. “If I refuse to give up now, it wil look brave to whoever watches me with that camera, but sometimes it isn’t fighting that’s brave, it’s facing the death you know is coming.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s internal struggle between defiance and acceptance in the face of imminent death. It reveals a profound insight about bravery—that true courage can sometimes mean surrendering to inevitability rather than resisting it.
2. “Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again.”
Spoken by the protagonist’s mother, this line critiques the faction system’s fundamental flaw. It represents a key thematic argument in the chapter—that human nature inevitably corrupts even the most well-intentioned social structures.
3. “You’re my daughter. I don’t care about the factions.”
This simple yet powerful statement from the mother character breaks the ideological constraints of their society. It marks a turning point where familial love transcends the rigid faction divisions that have defined their world.
4. “I sat next to her at the kitchen table, twice a day, for sixteen years, and never once did I consider the possibility that she could have been anything but Abnegation-born.”
This realization highlights the chapter’s theme of hidden identities and unexpected revelations. It shows how even those closest to us can harbor profound secrets that reshape our understanding of them.
5. “When I was young, my father used to hold me over his head and run with me so I felt like I was flying. I remember how the air felt, gliding over my body, and I am not afraid.”
This poignant memory surfaces as the protagonist faces death, representing how childhood experiences can provide strength in adulthood. It’s particularly impactful as it precedes her near-drowning experience.