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Samantha Wackwitz
College Comp I pd. 2
Mrs. Cramer
November 1, 2016
The Secret Behind Revealing Details

Divergent is based in a world where Chicago is split into five factions designed to keep

the peace. Amity is all about friendship and harmony, Candor believes in being completely

honest, Abnegation are selfless and kind, Erudite is for those who are smart and always wanting

to learn something new, and Dauntless is the place where people who are brave fit in. The

citizens of Chicago are expected to fit into one of the five factions, so, when one of them doesn't,

it causes an uproar. The Divergents, people who do not fit into just one, but more than one

faction, get hunted. Due to the threat to the main characters, one of whom is divergent and the

other the boyfriend of the divergent, they are closed off and keep to themselves, not revealing

many details about their characters. However, the author, Veronica Roth, uses symbolism and

the way characters act to portray the characters' traits and details in Divergent.

Some of the symbols Roth uses to reveal details about the characters include names,

images, and tattoos. For example, the main character, Tris, decides to get three Ravens, one

raven for each member of her family, tattooed across her collarbone flying in the direction of her

heart (page 90), which informs the reader that Tris is missing her family even though she doesn't

say it outright. Another example of a tattoo being a symbol is in chapter 31 on pages 404 and

405: "On his back is more ink than skin. The symbols of each faction are drawn there- Dauntless

at the top of his spine, Abnegation just below it, and the other three, smaller, beneath them. For a

few seconds I look at the scales that represent Candor, the Eye that stands for Erudite, and the

tree that symbolizes Amity. It would make sense that he would tattoo himself with the symbol of

Dauntless, his refuge, and even the symbol of Abnegation, his place of origin, like I did. But the
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other three? 'I think we've made a mistake,' he says softly. '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.'" This quote is important because the

tattoo and the reason for getting it reveals that Four does not want to be ordinary and fit into one

faction, but be able to adapt and fit into all five factions.

Roth also uses images as symbols to show what the factions are about. Amity has a tree

symbol because it is about harmony and friendship, Candor has scales because its about honesty

and the people in Candor run the court system, Abnegation has hands folded together as a sign of

giving a helping hand, Erudite has an eye because it is about people who see all and know all,

and Dauntless has a symbol for fire to show bravery (page 42 and 43). Each symbol for the five

factions gives away a little of what the faction being represented is about. Other ways Roth uses

symbolism to reveal details and traits about the characters is when the book explains the reason

Four, the male main character, choose Four to be his name, "'That’s it?' I say. 'Those are your

four worst fears? Why do you only have four...' My voice trails off. Only four fears. 'Oh.' I look

over my shoulder at him. 'That’s why they call you-'." (page 330 and 331) Roth uses Four's name

to reveal the detail that he has only four fears, and that his number of fears was the reason he

chose his name to be what it is.

There are many types of symbols that can reveal details about a person. However, you

can also use a person's actions to reveal details about him or her. In chapter twelve Tris is faced

with a challenge to find and capture the other team's flag in order to win a game. While her

teammates argue about the best way to find the other team's flag and capture it, Tris thinks

outside the box and climbs on a ferris wheel to get a better view in order to see where the flag is,

an action that shows the character is smart. The author reveals another trait about Tris on pages
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161-163: "Anger bubbles in my chest, and bursts from my mouth: 'Stop it.' Four turns the knife

in his hand, his fingers moving painstakingly over the metal edge. He gives me such a hard look

that I feel like he's turning me to stone. I know why. I am stupid for speaking up while Eric is

here; I am stupid for speaking up at all. 'Any idiot can stand in front of a target,' I say. 'It doesn’t

prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice.' 'Then it

should be easy for you,' Eric says. 'If you're willing to take his place.' The last thing I want to do

is stand in front of that target, but I can't back down now. I didn't leave myself the option. I

weave through the crowd of initiates, and someone shoves my shoulder." (pages 161-163) This

quote reveals that Tris is brave and doesn't give into fear. Roth also uses this quote to show that

Tris is selfless.

All throughout Divergent Roth uses symbolism and the way the characters act to portray

the characters' traits and details. Without much information being revealed at all, except from

symbols and actions, we learned the reason for Four's tattoo, as well as Tris's tattoo, why Four's

name is what it is, and that Tris is smart and brave in her own unique ways. There were many

other examples that could have been used, however, these were the most important.