Divergent

I find that Divergent is a very interesting book. The author started her book at the right moment because the intro is not boring but it still isn't really interesting. The description comes here and there and doesn't hit you in the face with lots of big paragraphs. 

 The fractions she chose are very interesting but I would like to get  more knowledge about all of them. The author gives us lots of information about the Dauntless fraction and the Abnegation fraction (also known as the brave and the selfless).

I would hate to be in the Dauntless fraction. I would not fit there at all though I still value bravery. The things they make you do there are just horrible! Just because you don't want to fight someone or get hit in the head by an airborne knife doesn't mean you are a coward and have to get punished for it. Bravery is not being scared of nothing it is to face your fears and to ignore them when others need your help. Like Four did when he climbed the Ferris wheel. The bravest people are not the people who do dangerous sports and nearly get killed. In my opinion the bravest are the ones that stand up for others no matter the cost. Here are three sorts of bravery (and there are more): 1. Jumping of a cliff into the water just for thrill 2. fighting someone to show you're tough 3. Standing up for someone even though you might get bullied or even killed. They all require bravery, number 2 less. But real bravery is standing up for someone.

          If we did a survey in the class probably half of the class or more have done extreme sports. But how many can say they stood up for a friend when they were being bullied? How many can say they stood up against a friend, contradicted them? How many can say they told the truth to there parents or friends even though they knew they were going to get in lots of trouble? Not lots of people can and the hardest thing for people is not standing up against a enemy, it is standing up against a friend. Or to say you are wrong. Nobody likes to admit they are wrong but I learnt a good quote: If you don't admit you were wrong right away, even though you know you are wrong, you will only be the fool to admit it later.

           The older ways of the Dauntless seem better to me. Four hints here and there that teamwork is a priority or that you can back down in a fight you know you won't win. Eric doesn't seem to see that being brave isn't the same as being tough. Strengh has little to do with bravery!

I don't know in which fraction I would be more suited in because I know that I am a little bit of everything. I know that it is important to think of others before yourself but I would find that extremely hard. Sometimes you need to think for yourself, like Caleb said. As for the Dauntless, I am not the most outgoing person. I am only brave when I need to be and like to think of myself as strong. I love to learn like the Erudites and want to know the most that I can in my lifetime but science and statistics aren't really my thing. I value the truth like the Candor so I force to make myself not lie to my friends and parents. I also love to know the truth at all times no matter how awful it is! But to have everybody know my every thought and feeling and having no secrets, that I would dislike. Having secrets is a good way to practice not giving important information away. You have to have secret information. As for the Amity, I just don't think you can be peaceful at all times. It is good but you sometimes need a bit of action an fighting to make your life interesting and to make you stronger. So you're not as soft as a marshmallow. The one I prefer in all the fractions is the Amity fraction because I love music, art and do believe strongly in peace. But it still has flaws.

          They all have flaws! You can't live being just one of these fractions. The best person to be is a bit of everything. I knew this since the beginning of the book. It's kind of why I took the book because I wanted to see what kind of arguments they had to challenge me. Not much I find right now but the story is sucking me right in!

For the parent visiting day, it was pretty interesting. I couldn't believe Tris' mother is a Dauntless. It is kind of surprising, because I always saw Tris' mom as a very sensitive person. When they met Four and Tris's Mother recognised him I think it was because he was a Abnegation before. The way a handshake was not familiar to him would make sense that he is a Stiff. I don't know where Al went but I feel sorry for his parents who came especially to see him even though he transferred. I wonder why he left. Did he think his parents didn't come so hid himself so he wouldn't have to face the people of those who their parents did come? If so that was cowardly and selfish of his part. Was he scared of the way Tris acted when fighting Molly? Scared that he to would become like that, like an animal? I don't know but I'll find out, I hope.  

I now know why the title of the book is Divergent. It is because Tris is divergent. She keeps having these dreams about being killed because she is divergent and people keep telling her it is dangerous to be that. I wish I knew why. If the book title is that it must be really important. I think that the other side of the fence has something to do with that too. Why is the lock on the outside of the fence? It looks like it is to keep the people of the town in and there is a notorious person keeping them trap. It reminds me a bit of Compound. The Father trying to make his family scared of the world outside by saying there was a nuclear bomb. Making his family live like the last survivors when really they could waltz right out the front door and go shopping.

I'm dying to know what happens next! I'm sure exited to Monday!









Response 2:


Part two of the book was almost as interesting as part one. I just found it a lot more emotional on the love side.

chasm

I can't believe that Al killed himself! Well I can because I thought he was going to do it but it still is surprising. I knew he wasn't built for a Dauntless life. Sure he has the physical appearance of a Dauntless but really, I think he would do better in the Amity or the Abnegation. He thinks more of others than himself. He can't hurt people and maybe that is his greatest fear. I feel

sorry for Al but I don't think he should of ended his life. You are only given one chance to live and it is not a good idea to cut it short because you are having trouble. Also because we have such a short life to begin with. Not at all enough time to do all there is to do in a life time. If I was in his situation I don't know what I would of done. Maybe the temptation to kill yourself would be strong because you know you'll have to live the rest of your life in a place where you don't belong. Because if you don't make it through the intuitions you'll still have a bad life and become fractionless. But it is a bad choice anyway. 

    I am angry at Tris for not having forgiven him. After all he really did look guilty and was seeking remorse. The way they described him in the book, tears streaming on his face, pleading for forgiveness, how could you not forgive him! Maybe he wouldn't of killed himself if she had forgiven them. But I don't want to blame Tris, after all she already feels guilty. Guilt is such a powerful emotion. Some of us don't even realise it until we have it. And Four (I mean Tobias) is right, we must use guilt as a tool.

To be fractionless... I would detest that. Not only are you hungry, thirsty and dirty all the time but you have to do the worst jobs. It wouldn't be fun. I guess someone has to do the dirty work but to design people to do it...force them. Every fraction should just do there own job and also a bit of the dirty work. Just to show you that there will always be poverty. Even if there is not war there will always be people who are not treated well and people who see themselves as the king of the world. Superior. Who invented that word, superior? I wonder if we would still see each other as first class...etc if that word did not exist. And I suppose that goes with other words as well. ex: impossible, unbeatable, beauty...etc. But nothing is perfect (another useless word. Nothing is perfect so why have a word that means perfect?) an that is the way we see the world. Well most of us because some of us are optimistic and don't see a single bad thing in the world.

     It is good to be optimistic, but it isn't good to turn a blind I on all the injustices in the world. That is a bit of what optimistic people do. They try to see the best of things so they will never see the bad rotten things in the world.

I can't believe that Four's real name is Tobias. I don't really like that name even though it means "God is good". If it were my name I think I would change it to Four. I prefer that name then Tobias, especially if it reminds me of a horrible childhood. I new he came from Abnegation. The way the author kept giving clues here and there about how he didn't always do things like a Dauntless.

   To only have four fears. Well that would be extraordinary! I would like to know what my fears would be. I know I would hate being blind, deaf, mute..etc. I'm also scared of being kidnapped and tortured, become really sick, being buried alive, freezing or burning to death, humiliation, being alone and helpless, having to kill someone, hurt someone, loosing family members dear to me and being lost. I would love to actually know my fears though. See if I could face them without trouble, but I have no idea if I actually could. 

zip line

When Tris went to go do the zip line thing I envied her. She was so lucky to do that long zip line. The only zip line I ever went on was the one at camp Arnes and it was short if you ask me. Too short. If I could go on top of a 100 floor building to go zip lining I would jump at the chance. The feeling that you're flying is so overwhelming that if you close your eyes and ignore the straps holding you in you really could be. After all, and I quote: " Life is not tried ,it is merely surviving if you're standing outside the fire" (Garth Brooks). And he's right. If you don't risk your neck some time or the other, boy your life is boring!

I wonder what Tris' fears are. Hope I'm going to find out. I can't wait to read part three, the last part of the book!

Response #3:

That was a really good book. It not only made you enjoy a story but you also got to learn about yourself. With all those fractions it makes you wonder which one you would be most likely to fit in.

I didn't really like the ending of this book though. Too many people died for my taste. You get to know so many people and next thing you know four of them are dead, your enemies with your last friend and you're forced to be friends with your enemy! I'm really sad Will's dead. I was starting to like him. Poor Christina, I'm not looking forward for her to find out he's dead. Even less when she discovers it was Tris that killed him. She would probably fight with Tris, maybe even kill her! Tris wouldn't even have a chance to reason with her. If I were Christina I would let Tris have a chance to defend herself, after all Tris would of died if she hadn't shot Will.

      The Erudite are cruel! How could you brainwash a bunch of innocent people and then make them kill a bunch of innocent people! The worse would be to be the person they brained washed. Imagine, going to bed feeling extremely happy that you finally finished your initiation training. Then you wake up from what you think is a horrible dream and notice it wasn't a dream! You just killed people, you became a murderer in one night. And that isn't the worst! You also killed your friend and your family. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened to me! Even if I didn't do it intentionally it would still kill me. I mean, how would you feel? The Erudite must be senseless, but then again I can't judge all the Erudite. Only some like Jeanine (shudder). How can you become so robot like. I wouldn't be surprised if her heart was actualy made of stone.

I just figuered out that the sign on he cover of the book is the Dauntless' fraction symbol. A small fire in the middle of a ring. And if you look behide the cover page, you'll see the cover of book two. It has the symbol of the Amity fraction. This book was mostly about the Dauntless so I'm guessing the second will be more about the Amity fraction. Maybe she'll have a book for each fraction.

I think the next book will be about their stay with the Amity and the other side of the fence. In the beggining of this book they talk about the lock being on the outside of the fence. I talked about it in my first reponse. There must be something important that goes with that or else they wouldn't of put so much attention on it when they got there in the book.

Well I can't wait to read the second book. Is it out yet? I sure hope!