Roth, Veronica — Divergent 01 — Divergent
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
by Veronica, Roth,The chapter opens with Tris experiencing a disturbing dream about her mother cooking a crow, which abruptly shifts to Christina waking her with urgent news about Al. The atmosphere is tense as they rush to the Pit, where a crowd has gathered. Tris witnesses the horrific sight of Al’s water-swollen body being hauled over the ledge, his lifeless eyes and blue lips a stark reminder of his suicide. The scene is chaotic, with onlookers speculating about his death, while Tris grapples with shock and guilt, recalling Al’s earlier struggles and kindness.
As Tris processes the tragedy, she collapses under the weight of grief, struggling to breathe. Memories of Al’s warmth and clumsiness flood her mind, contrasting sharply with the reality of his corpse. The Dauntless prepare his body for burial, their pragmatic approach to death unsettling Tris. A strained laugh escapes her at the absurdity of Al’s large frame not fitting the body bag, highlighting her emotional turmoil. Overwhelmed, she flees the scene, seeking refuge in Tori’s tattoo parlor, where she sips peppermint tea and attempts to steady herself.
Tori offers Tris comfort, acknowledging that healing from loss is a nonlinear process. Their conversation reveals Tori’s unresolved grief over her brother’s death, as she admits to waiting for revenge rather than moving on. Tris’s hands shake as she prepares to attend Al’s funeral, dreading the public display of emotion. The Dauntless funeral customs, marked by drunken revelry rather than somber reflection, clash with Tris’s Abnegation upbringing, further disorienting her.
The chapter closes with Tris reuniting with her fellow initiates, including a tearful Christina and a flask-bearing Uriah. Molly and Peter’s mocking remarks about Tris’s Abnegation roots goad her, but she resists engaging. The fragmented ending hints at unresolved tensions and foreshadows further conflict, leaving Tris emotionally raw and struggling to reconcile Al’s death with the brutal world of Dauntless.
FAQs
1. How does the chapter portray the Dauntless response to death, and how does this contrast with Tris’s Abnegation upbringing?
Answer:
The chapter highlights stark cultural differences in grieving practices between Dauntless and Abnegation. Dauntless respond to Al’s death with immediate action (retrieving the body), alcohol-fueled gatherings, and a quick funeral—treating death as something to confront boldly rather than mourn somberly (as shown by the drunk crowd and Tori’s comment about “not wasting time”). This contrasts sharply with Tris’s Abnegation upbringing, where funerals were sober, community-focused events with no laughter or idle hands. The dissonance unsettles Tris, particularly when she observes people giggling or making morbid jokes about Al’s suicide.2. Analyze the significance of Tris’s dream sequence at the chapter’s opening. How does it foreshadow or reflect later events?
Answer:
The nightmare of Tris’s mother serving crow for dinner establishes a tone of horror and unnaturalness that mirrors Al’s death. The crow—a symbol of bad omens—foreshadows the traumatic discovery of Al’s waterlogged body, while the boiling pot parallels the “chasm” where he died. The dream’s abrupt shift to reality (“Tris!”) also structurally mirrors how Tris’s life fractures when confronted with mortality. Notably, the dream mother’s eerie calm (“Dinner”) contrasts with Christina’s distraught wake-up call, highlighting how death disrupts Tris’s psychological stability.3. What does Al’s suicide reveal about the pressures of Dauntless initiation, and how do different characters react to it?
Answer:
Al’s suicide exposes the brutal emotional toll of Dauntless initiation, particularly on transfers ill-equipped for violence (his nightly sobs hint at unaddressed trauma). While some Dauntless dismiss it cynically (“same thing every year”), others like Tris and Christina experience visceral grief—Tris physically collapses, while Christina clings to her. Peter and Molly’s cruel taunts (“Once a Stiff, always a Stiff”) underscore the faction’s glorification of toughness. Tori’s nuanced perspective (revenge vs. waiting) suggests even veterans struggle with loss, complicating the Dauntless “fearless” ideal.4. How does Veronica Roth use physical descriptions to convey the horror of Al’s death and Tris’s reaction?
Answer:
Roth employs grotesque imagery to emphasize death’s dehumanizing effect: Al’s “swollen” arm, “doll’s eyes,” and “blue lips” render him uncanny, while the oversized body bag provokes Tris’s hysterical laughter—a coping mechanism for absurdity. Tactile details (stone floor “rough under [Tris’s knees],” her “rattling” breath) ground her panic in physical sensation. The juxtaposition of memories (Al’s “warm” back carrying her) with his corpse highlights life’s fragility. Even the peppermint tea’s warmth becomes a stark contrast to the “deeply cold” shock Tris experiences.5. Evaluate how Tris’s understanding of death evolves in this chapter, using textual evidence.
Answer:
Tris rejects comforting euphemisms (“Why pretend death is sleep?”) and grapples with death’s finality through verb tense (“is” to “was”). Her Abnegation roots surface in criticizing Dauntless drunkenness, yet she also adopts their bluntness (calling the body bag “too small”). The chapter marks a shift from theoretical understanding (her brother’s past death) to personal loss, as seen when she asks Tori about grief timelines. Most profoundly, Tris recognizes death’s lingering impact—Tori’s admission that she’s “still not okay” years later foreshadows Tris’s own prolonged mourning process.
Quotes
1. “Why do people want to pretend that death is sleep? It isn’t. It isn’t.”
This powerful reflection comes as Tris witnesses Al’s lifeless body, rejecting the common euphemism that equates death with sleep. It captures her raw, unfiltered grief and the harsh reality of loss in Dauntless society.
2. “That is death—shifting from ‘is’ to ‘was.’”
In this poignant observation, Tris articulates the fundamental nature of death as a grammatical transition from present to past tense. This concise phrasing beautifully encapsulates the existential impact of losing someone.
3. “‘Better’ is the word I used. Not ‘good.’… I don’t think ‘good’ will happen for a while.”
Tori’s advice to Tris about grief acknowledges the long, nonlinear process of healing. This quote stands out for its honest portrayal of mourning without false promises of quick recovery.
4. “I don’t think of it as stopping. More like I’m…waiting for my opportunity.”
Tori’s revelation about her brother’s death introduces the theme of simmering vengeance. This quote suggests that grief can transform into patient determination, foreshadowing potential future conflicts.
5. “Once a Stiff, always a Stiff.”
Molly’s cruel taunt highlights the persistent faction prejudice Tris faces, even after choosing Dauntless. This quote represents the social tensions that continue to shape Tris’s experience in her new faction.