How I would write Divergent...

My last post displayed my thoughts on Divergent by Veronica Roth, but I didn't to show how I would improve the book.

I think imagery specifically needs to be improved. It was sometimes hard to grasp the words on the page. If I were to change anything about the book, it would be the diction and syntax choices.

The quote I chose to show in my last post was:

"I approach one of the fallen guards and take his gun, keeping my eyes away from the injury that killed him. My head pounds. I haven't eaten; I haven't slept; I haven't sobbed or screamed or even paused for a moment. I bit my lip and push myself toward the elevators on the right side of the room. Level eight." (Roth 470)

These are my improvements of the above paragraph.
the first sentence:
I keep my focus on the gun; the splotchy, brown-red patch stamped on the motionless guard in my peripheral. 

The key (in my opinion, of course) is to go into detail about a particular object. It could be the gun, the guard, ect. I focused on the injury.

Second sentence:
My heartbeat is coming from my skull. Sleep-deprived. Sleep. I need sleep, and maybe something to put in my vacant stomach.

I improved this sentence by varying the lengths of the sentences (syntax). "Maybe" is an understatement (figurative language)

Third sentence:
Wearily, I wonder to the elevator, biting my lip. I press '8' with a shaky finger.

I wanted the reader to understand the shock Tris was in after the event that had just happened, which wasn't really included in the original.

Finally... The End

I have just finished Divergent.

I started reading it because I have heard really great things about it and my friends recommended I read it. Not to mention, I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie...

TO BE VERY, VERY HONEST
I didn't like the book. I thought that the storyline was creative and action-packed, but Veronica Roth let me down. Again, I have to give her credit for the storyline (Kudos to you, Veronica!), but at the same time, I have to acknowledge that there wasn't much to hold on to in the book. By that, I mean imagery.

It was the one thing that I thought this book was missing. Now, if you picked up the book and read a small section, you would find that all the events were laid out in short, to-the-point sentences, like it says here...

"I approach one of the fallen guards and take his gun, keeping my eyes away from the injury that killed him. My head pounds. I haven't eaten; I haven't slept; I haven't sobbed or screamed or even paused for a moment. I bit my lip and push myself toward the elevators on the right side of the room. Level eight." (Roth 470)

'How can you say there isn't imagery?'

When I read this paragraph, it sounds like directions to me: like how a script would go if it were to be a play (maybe this is why it's a movie). This is how the entire book is set up, by the way.

I won't be reading Insurgent (the next book) anytime soon because--according to my sister--it is just like Divergent. I'm glad I didn't abandon this book, although I was considering it. I hope the next book I read exceeds my expectations.

The similarity between Book burning and Simulation Serum

While I was reading Divergent, I found a line that reminded me of Fahrenheit 451. That line is: "She is more machine than maniac. She sees problems and forms solutions based on the data she collects... Divergence is just another problem for her to solve, and that is what makes her so terrifying- because she is smart enough to solve anything," (Roth 432). For all of you who haven't read Divergent yet, Tris (the main character) is talking about Jeanine, the leader of Erudite (the smart faction). So far, Jeanine has invented a serum that she used to create an army from the Dauntless by controlling them. She didn't know, however, that her invention doesn't work on Divergents. For Jeanine, this is quite a dilemma. Like Tris says, Jeanine is terrifying. Not because she is not the kindest (and most attractive) person in the world, but because she uses her knowledge to her advantage: She wanted to control the other factions, so she made a mind-controlling serum. She wanted an army, so she made one out of Dauntless. Jeanine has proved that she can do just about anything because her knowledge gives her power.

This line reminds me of the theme "knowledge is power" we studied in class while reading Fahrenheit 451. Tris explained that Jeanine gets what she wants by outsmarting her opponents. That is why she is a big threat to Tris and Tobias (both Divergents). In Fahrenheit 451, books were forbidden. Why? It's probably because books contain ideas that are threatening to the government. Jeanine uses her power in a corrupted, egocentric way, but if Tris and Tobias can get their act together and use their knowledge to their advantage, they too can be as powerful as Jeanine and stop her from controlling society.

The similarity in theme between Fahrenheit 451 and Divergent.

http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/ibmi/trends/whatsnew/Knowledge-is-Power/

The Narrator

The narrator of Divergent is Tris, so obviously, she would be a reliable source of information because she tells her experiences to the reader as they happen. Sometimes she doens't completely reveal all of her thoughts if they make her feel uncomfortable, which helps us understand her personality better. But overall, she allows us to live her experiences with her.

This idea is demonstrated all over the place. For example, on just a random page in the book, it says, "A weight in my chest lifts. I didn't realize it was there until it was gone, and I didn't have to feel it anymore. I smile, and a tingling spreads through me. First. Divergent or not, this faction is where I belong" (Roth 413).

It's pretty clear that Tris doesn't keep any of her thoughts from the reader. As seen in this quote she uses lots of imagery, symbolism, ect. ect. to make the audience feel like they are there with her.

Minor Character

Tris' older brother, Caleb, is a minor character in Divergent by Veronica Roth. He is introduced in the very beginning of the book as being very close to Tris.

SPOILER ALERT
However, Tris and Caleb split after the Choosing Ceremony; Caleb joins Erudite and Tris joins Dauntless, which means they can almost never see each other again.

Later on, Tris starts to really miss her family. She remembers her mother telling her to visit Caleb, so she hops on a train to Erudite to go see him.

She doesn't recognize him at first with his new  environment.

On page 354, it says, "His voice hardens. 'I think you should go, Beatrice.' 'With pleasure,' I say." (Roth 354). Tris says this after the two start talking poorly about each other's factions, so obviously, there's tension, and it's all caused by the pride within the factions.

Caleb is  an important minor character in the story because he is the one that truely convinces the reader  that there needs to be change in the government system because families are being torn apart. During this section of the book, Roth appeals to the audiences' emotions. It's sad and hard to imagine this world where siblings turn against each other. It makes the message even more effective.

Vocabulary

While reading Divergent, I have definitely noticed a pattern in the author's writing style.

Divergent is written in first person: through the eyes of Tris, the main character. This detail is very important in the word choices of the entire book because Tris is fairly young and her vocabulary isn't really that mature or advanced. This is probably why a younger audience enjoys this book because it actually "speaks their language".

This technique has been used throughout the entire book. There are many examples of the use of informal diction (especially in dialog) in every chapter I've read so far. I found an example that says, "'I'm thinking I might want a job like Four's. Training initiates,' she says. 'Scaring the living daylights out of them. You know, fun stuff. What about you?" (Roth 409).

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't find "You know, fun stuff" in very serious literature.

Veronica Roth's way of using diction that is used in conversation everyday helps me relate to the situation as if I were in it, which makes the story a lot more enjoyable.

However, using informal diction all the time isn't necessarily a good thing. In Divergent, I've seen many uses of elevated/formal diction, words that aren't in my vocabulary. Mixing up formal and informal makes the writing more interesting. I think that's one of the reasons Divergent is so hard to put down.

Themes Revealed

In chapter thirty-one in Divergent, Tobias makes an important statement that pretty much sums up the theme for everything I have read so far. He states, "'We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest" (Roth 405).

Each of the characteristics Tobias mentions (brave, selfless, smart, ect.) are the values of each faction.

For a while now, we understand that Tris is struggling being Divergent. She doesn't quite understand why she can't have multiple virtues. This is why she is Divergent to begin with. This quote picks up all those thoughts from Tris and puts them into a simple statement.

Veronica Roth definitely reveals theme through the characters: their struggles, ideas, actions, ect. as seen in this quote. I also believe that this is why she decided to write this book. She may have felt a need to let people know that we shouldn't sort ourselves into one group just based on one of our characteristics because it doesn't end up well. Only focusing on your faction or one skill doesn't create a functioning society: diversity should be valued.

Internal vs. External conflict

Veronica Roth relies more on external conflict in Divergent. 

Internal conflict in this book is used more for characterizing Tris: her personal struggles and weaknesses. There are bits of pieces of this scattered throughout the story, like her size, emotional attachments to her old faction, ect. 

I think external conflicts play a bigger role in Divergent because if it wasn't for the idea of factions, Tris wouldn't really be struggling. In the book, she is teased about being a "stiff", or an Abnigation transfer, but being "divergent" (belonging to more than one faction) is defiantly the main struggle. It is a dangerous thing to be divergent in the book's setting: a future civilization set in Chicago. Where I am in the book, Tris has recently got into trouble with the government, specifically Jeanine, an important Erudite figure. She questions Tris, suspecting that she's causing trouble. 

Also, Tris (because she is divergent) isn't allowed to see her family anymore since she switched factions. She misses them very much, and when she does try to see her brother in chapter 28, she gets into trouble with her brother and authority.

Reading fiction

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a non-fiction novel. It is set in the future and it is very different from today, because people are divided into groups based on certain characteristics called factions. With this system, there are going to be problems because it is difficult to sort out all people because we all have multiple characteristics.
This idea started to make me think that being Divergent is a good thing, although it is taboo to the characters in the book. The characteristics that each faction represent (honesty, selflessness, peace, intelligence, and bravery) are all good things that should be valued equally. I don't think it's necessary to define your beliefs forever based on one choice, like it is in the book, because we gain maturity and knowledge over time. Tris is continuing to find this out in the story. I'm interested to see what she does with what she gains from being Divergent (belonging to multiple factions) later on in the book.

Character Prompt

One moment from "Divergent" by Veronica Roth that epitomizes the personality of Tris (the main character) is when she is in the training room with the other initiatives in chapter thirteen. In this scene, Al (an initiative) isn't doing so well at hitting a target with knives because he is flinching. Eric decides to make him stand against the target while knives are thrown near him. Tris thinks this is unfair so she says to Eric, "Any idiot can stand in front of a target... It doesn't prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice" (Roth 162). In this quote, Tris is standing up for her teammate. This shows that she cares about others, which is a sign of selflessness.

Not only does this show her empathy for others, but it is a good example of how she isn't afraid of truth, whether it is for or against authority. In this part of the book, she clearly finds the punishment for Al unfair. Her statement is very honest.

The real question here is: "Why do these observations matter?"

Earlier in the book, the readers are introduced to five factions that have different characteristics. "Candor" values honesty and "Abnegation" values selflessness. Both characteristics of these factions are shown in Tris' response to Eric, which can support the idea that Tris is truly Divergent.

Most important line- Chapter Thirteen

Chapter thirteen is a very important chapter from Divergent by Veronica Roth because, if you pay close attention, there is a new characteristic revealed about one of the main characters. In this chapter, Four throws knives at a target that Tris has to stand in front of. Tris is not severely hurt, but she does leave with a nicked ear. The most important line in this chapter is when Four says to Tris, "'If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have already?'"(Roth 165). This quote is basically saying that Four does not want to hurt Tris. This is surprising to Tris because earlier, he admitted that he did nick her ear on purpose. However, this quote is clearly showing that he did this for her own good. Besides revealing Four's character, this line makes the reader want to know why Four is helping out Tris when he is a leader and she is just an initiate.

Best/ Worst parts about book

I am about about a quarter of the way through "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. I am enjoying the book. So far there have multiple (but small) climaxes that help make the book captivating. One thing that I don't like about this book is that it takes a long time to really get into the book. I think this because I think I am pretty far into the the story, but nothing major has happened yet (my friend who has finished this book has informed me of this). I also don't like how the characters are introduced. There are many characters in this book, and a lot of them get a very small introduction. It can be difficult to imagine (and remember) them while reading. Other than these things, I really like the way the book is set up: setting, conflict, imagery, ect. The way Veronica Roth wrote this book makes room for lots of action and suspense.

The most important line from chapter eleven in Divergent by Veronica Roth is on page 122 where Tris says to Christina, "'What do you think is out there?' I nod to the doorway. 'I mean, beyond the fence.'"(Roth 122). After this quote, Christina says farms, and beyond that, monsters, but she is only joking. Tris says this when she and Christina (along with the rest of their group) are on a train. Tris' curiosity about what is beyond the fence is mentioned two more times in this chapter. This specific line is important because it drives the plot forward by adding suspense. It makes the reader want to know what lies beyond the fence.

The most important line from chapter ten in Divergent by Veronica Roth is on page 116 where it says, "I used to look forward to that day. I used to think about what I would say to my mother and father when I was allowed to ask them questions at the dinner table." (Roth 116). In this line, Tris is talking about the time when initiates will be able to see their families for the first time since the choosing ceremony. Tris' parents did not approve her choice to move to Dauntless from Abnegation, so she doubt that her parents will come see her. This is an important line because it characterizes Tris in that she is doubtful and somewhat disappointed in her parents for not supporting her decision. I know this because on page 117, it says, "I clench my teeth as the tears come. I am fed up." (Roth 117). This line is showing how Tris reacts to the though of her parents not wanting to see her.

The most important line of chapter nine in Divergent by Veronica Roth is on page 99. It says, "'Stop!' wails Christina as Molly pulls her foot back to kick again. She holds out a hand. 'Stop! I'm done.'" (Roth 99). This happens when Christina is very injured from fighting Molly and can't handle fighting anymore. This line is important because after she says this, Eric makes her hang from the chasm for five minutes to prove she is not a coward. This task is not only extremely difficult for Christina, but for Tris too, because she is forced to watch her only friend in Dauntless suffer and come close to dying. Luckily, Christina survives the five minutes, but this shows the group that giving in to pain is not an option; you have to keep fighting.