The Reason

This blog has been created so that we can have a place to talk about the books that speak to us. Here, we will talk about whether we think books should be challenged or banned in high schools, and we will have a chance to talk with each other about the ideas that we hold as truths in our readings.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Divegent: Must-Read Book

 
The novel Divergent, by Veronica Roth, should be a must-read book because it challenges peoples’ beliefs, requires humans to reevaluate their thoughts. 

 Society wants to mold everyone into perfection and Veronica Roth tries to break that mold. Beatrice Prior took the simulation test to figure out she was Divergent and she entered the Dauntless compound. Her mother isn’t surprised and actually reveals she was Divergent also, when she visits Beatrice at Dauntless headquarters.  Mrs. Prior says, “You’re my daughter.  I don’t care about the factions...Look where they got us.  Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again” (Roth 441). Mrs. Prior wants Beatrice to know who to trust and be careful of. The “factions” separate people by personality, but Mrs. Prior can realize that something is wrong. She doesn’t rely on other “human being[s]” to make her decision and wants Beatrice to be careful. The “whole” community can’t stand “for long” and Beatrice needs to be aware of certain things because Divergent means she might be able to beat the “bad”. Natalie Prior is not the Abnegation mother everyone thought of, she really is a faction transfer making her knowledge grow. Many people believe that society is a good thing that is needed, but Divergent proves not all society can work. Society can hold on for quite awhile with its upbeat appearance, but “the bad” of the world isn’t far away.  Human beings on their own can create and execute blooming concepts until the “poison” “creeps back in”. The perfection that is required for society, Divergent breaks the mold down. In factions, most are the same, but the one person who stands out is the Divergent, which is the scariest person. The larger picture here is that the person society wants to create, is also the person that is feared the most. They have blossoming ideas that could destroy “the bad” humans call society. Divergent destroys the image of a “perfect” society, to show its true mask.

4 comments:

  1. I agree with what you say in that Divergent breaks the "mold" of society's ideas of perfection. The factions represent various different ideals to the path of perfection, and the people who are Divergent are those who take advantage of every ideal to truly create a more perfect person. However, by only following one of these ideals, all the other ideals are neglected. People become corrupt and the "poison creeps back in." It is only by the Divergent, the ones who can personificate all these ideals, that these poisonous molds can be broken and the ideal to perfection can be uninhibited and expressed the most.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Divergent does seem to "break the mold" and be different and challenging. Some of your points didn't really make sense. Like why did you say that "Natalie Prior is not the Abnegation mother everyone thought of, she really is a faction transfer making her knowledge grow.", it felt kind of random. I think that the mother in your quote is the one who breaks the mold because she doesn't care about the factions and the normal rules of their society. For the most part you did a good job! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree that Divergent is a must-read book. The concept of the book is similar to other dystopian societies in that the government and the citizens have flawed beliefs, but on the surface, they appear to be well-oiled machines. I think you did a really good job of showcasing that. I have not read this novel but I really want to and your paragraph only made me want to read it even more! Your analysis was done really well and you included your key words thoroughly. Your concluding sentences summed up your thoughts in a creative, kind of poetic way and I was really intrigued! Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree Divergent is a must read, as it highlights both that people cannot mold to society and in another way highlights inequality. Firstly, I believe it is a mist-read because it does highlight how society can be wrong. By showing society can be wrong, it gives people the incentive they need to avoiding molding to everything society becomes in the real world. This can force society into becoming better as a whole, a very necessary thing today. Furthermore, I want to read the book because it highlights inequality in the use of factions, something that peeks my interest into whether or not inequality is really a major motif in the book.

    ReplyDelete