The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant
Veronica Roth
CONTENTS
Explore the World of Beatrice Prior’s Dystopian Chicago
Veronica Roth Talks about Utopian Worlds
The Factions
What’s in a Name?
Choose Your Faction
Faction Manifestos
Abnegation: The Selfless
Amity: The Peaceful
Candor: The Honest
Erudite: The Intelligent
Dauntless: The Brave
First Look! Never-Before-Seen Quotes from Allegiant
Back Ads
About the Author
Books by Veronica Roth
Copyright
About the Publisher
EXPLORE THE WORLD OF BEATRICE PRIOR’S DYSTOPIAN CHICAGO AND THE
PATH TO ALLEGIANT.
“Decades ago, our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality—of humankind’s inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world’s disarray.
“THOSE WHO BLAMED AGGRESSION
FORMED AMITY.
“THOSE WHO BLAMED IGNORANCE BECAME
THE ERUDITE.
“THOSE WHO BLAMED DUPLICITY
CREATED CANDOR.
“THOSE WHO BLAMED SELFISHNESS
MADE ABNEGATION.
“AND THOSE WHO BLAMED COWARDICE WERE
THE DAUNTLESS.
“WORKING TOGETHER, THESE FIVE FACTIONS
HAVE LIVED IN PEACE FOR MANY YEARS.”
—MARCUS EATON, DIVERGENT
UNTIL NOW.
Before Beatrice Prior’s Choosing Ceremony, before she discovers the unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, how did this society come to be?
VERONICA ROTH
TALKS ABOUT UTOPIAN WORLDS
If utopian fiction became the new trend, instead of dystopian fiction, I wouldn’t read it.
If you actually succeed in creating a utopia, you’ve created a world without conflict, in which everything is perfect. And if there’s no conflict, there are no stories worth telling—or reading! It would be all “Jenny thought she might not be able to attain her lifelong dream of marshmallow taste tester for a little while . . . but she did!” and “John’s dad said he couldn’t go to the movies, so John asked really nicely and his dad changed his mind.” I’m bored already.
But if I were going to create a utopia, I would make a world in which people are focused on their personal, moral obligations, and strive to be the best possible version of themselves. They would be allowed to choose whatever path they wanted in life. They would know what was expected of them, they would have a clear purpose, and they would have a strong sense of group identity and belonging. And there would be five factions. . . .
Oh, wait. I tried that already.
But seriously: DIVERGENT was my utopian world. I mean, that wasn’t the plan. I never even set out to write dystopian fiction, that’s just what I had when I was finished— at the beginning, I was just writing about a place I found interesting, and a character with a compelling story, and as I began to build the world, I realized that it was my utopia. And then I realized that my utopia was a terrible place, and no one should ever put me in charge of creating a perfect society.
Maybe it’s a little depressing to think that my vision of a perfect world is actually so messed up, but I think it means that I don’t really understand what “perfect” is. To me it’s all about virtue and responsibility; to someone else it would be about happiness and peace, and happy drugs would be pumped into the water supply—but that sounds like a nightmare, doesn’t it? Because both of us are wrong about perfect. We have no idea what it would look like, and our approximations of it are incomplete.
And that gives me a lot of hope, because if I don’t know what perfect means, it’s not something I can reach on my own. Which means that I can stop trying to be perfect and just try to love the people around me and the things I’m doing. And strangely enough, that’s Tris’s journey. She tries selflessness on for size, and then she tries bravery, but at the end, it’s what she does out of love that’s more important than any virtue.
I think maybe utopian fiction would actually look just like dystopian fiction, depending on who you are. To the heartbroken person, a world that eradicates love might be a utopia; to the rest of us, it isn’t. To the person who doesn’t have a plan, a world in which everything is planned out for you might be a utopia; to those of us who like to choose our own adventure, it’s definitely not.
So maybe I’ve changed my mind—maybe I would read utopian fiction. Or maybe I already am. What a scary thought.
THE FACTIONS
I have been asked in the past if I made up the words for the faction names. I didn’t, but I did intentionally choose unfamiliar words, for an assortment of reasons. One of them is that I wanted to slow down comprehension of what each faction stands for, so you learn as much by observing as by the name of the faction itself. Another is that the definitions of the more obscure words are more specific, in interesting ways. And a third is—since I’m being honest here—that they sound cooler.
People have also commented that the faction names are different parts of speech—three nouns (Candor, Amity, Abnegation) and two adjectives (Dauntless, Erudite). (For the record, I love this kind of grammar consciousness.) I am aware of that, and it was something I thought about in revisions. The reason for the discrepancy is that each faction chose their own names independently, just as they wrote their own manifestos independently, and formed their own customs and rules independently (to a certain extent, anyway). Keeping that in mind, I tried to pick the words that made the most sense for each faction without considering the other factions too much.
Abnegation: 1. to refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject; renounce. 2. to relinquish; give up
VERONICA: I like the verbs in that first definition: “refuse,” “deny,” “reject,” “renounce”—active forms of stripping things from your life. As opposed to “relinquish,” “give up” in the second definition—which are more passive.
Amity: 1. friendship; peaceful harmony. 2. mutual understanding and a peaceful relationship, especially between nations; peace; accord. 3. cordiality
VERONICA: It’s not just about banjos and apple-picking. It’s about cultivating strong relationships and trying to understand each other. Oh, Amity.
Candor: 1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness. 2. freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality.
VERONICA: That definition helped me flesh out Candor more, particularly in the second book, INSURGENT. The faction is not just trying to develop honesty—they’re also trying to develop impartiality.
Dauntless: fearless, undaunted. (Undaunted: courageously resolute, especially in the face of danger or difficulty; not discouraged.)
VERONICA: It’s those two definitions (“fearless” and “undaunted”) that I found so fascinating. Being fearless and being undaunted are two different things. And the characters in DIVERGENT struggle with that distinction.
Erudite: characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly
VERONICA: The word “erudite” focuses on knowledge rather than intelligence—intelligence being something you’re born with and can’t necessarily control, and knowledge being something t
hat you acquire. I find that interesting, given what I know about Erudite.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Obviously I have a thing about names, or else Beatrice would not have become Tris, and Four would have gone by Tobias in the beginning. I believe the names we choose on our own can be powerful, and they can embody a new identity for us.
When I was young my mother wanted to call me Nikki (a less popular short form of Veronica) and I absolutely refused to respond to it. The same thing happened when people tried to call me Ronnie. I just wasn’t having it. The nickname I chose was V. I think it’s because it sounded less cutesy or girly. What I chose for myself was something that fit with my personality—I’m not exactly cutesy. (Though I am girlier now than I ever used to be—maybe that’s why I don’t go by V as much anymore?)
Name changing is also interesting from a religious perspective. In the Torah, when a biblical figure has an encounter with God, sometimes he or she is given a new name. Abram to Abraham, for example. Jacob to Israel. Sarai to Sarah. Same thing in the Bible—Saul becomes Paul; Simon becomes Peter. This usually signals the beginning of some kind of transformation or indicates that a transformation has already taken place.
If you want a more current example, think Mr. Anderson versus Neo in the Matrix movies, or Augustus versus Gus in The Fault in Our Stars (a little different, but interesting to consider, I think), or Andrew versus Ender in Ender’s Game, or Tom Riddle versus Voldemort in the Harry Potter books and movies, or Anakin versus Darth Vader in Star Wars. (Wow, apparently I really am attracted to this concept, because it’s in all the things I like. . . .)
It’s like we have some kind of need, once we feel that we have changed, for people to call us something different. Is it for us, to suit the way we see ourselves? Or is it for them, to force them to think of us differently? Or a combination of both?
It’s these musings about names that led to the Tobias/Four divide in the first place. Four views Tobias as the name of a helpless little boy, so he chooses Four as the name of his adult self in an attempt to leave the pain behind him. It signifies his strength rather than his weakness. But what he finds is that he can’t ignore his past; it keeps creeping up on him, especially in his fear landscape. So in DIVERGENT, he “gives” Tris his old identity—he trusts her to know his vulnerable side, the side of the child and not the man. She recognizes the significance of this, which is why she starts to call him Tobias. It’s the name he gave to her, the one he trusted her with, and she begins to treasure it for that reason.
In INSURGENT, this name issue becomes a bit more complicated, but for Tris it’s the same. Tobias is the name she chooses for him, because it represents his secret self, the one he showed her and her alone. She calls him Four when she’s with other people, to help him keep his secrets, but in her head, he’s always Tobias.
Now, I like the name Tobias (I seem to be in the minority, but that’s okay!) but I, like most of you, do prefer the name Four, and honestly, I always intended for him to be called Four most of the time. So I tried really, really hard to make some kind of shift in Tris’s mind so it would make sense for her to call him Four in INSURGENT. There are plenty of arguments for why she might do that, and I made all of them, I promise you. But what surprised me was that it never felt right; it didn’t feel like what Tris would really do. So Tobias it is. She’s very stubborn, you know. In INSURGENT, he’s Tobias 95 percent of the time, because that’s how Tris wanted it. You can feel free to keep calling him Four, though—I do!
CHOOSE YOUR FACTION
1. You most want your friends and family to see you as someone who . . .
a. Is willing to make sacrifices and help anyone in need.
b. Is liked by everyone.
c. Is trustworthy.
d. Will protect them no matter what happens.
e. Offers wise advice.
2. When you are faced with a difficult problem, you react by . . .
a. Doing whatever will be the best thing for the greatest number of people.
b. Creating a work of art that expresses your feelings about the situation.
c. Debating the issue with your friends.
d. Facing it head-on. What else would you do?
e. Making a list of pros and cons, and then choosing the option that the evidence best supports.
3. What activity would you most likely find yourself doing on the weekend or on an unexpected day off?
a. Volunteering
b. Painting, dancing, or writing poetry
c. Sharing opinions with your friends
d. Rock-climbing or skydiving!
e. Catching up on your homework or reading for pleasure
4. If you had to select one of the following options as a profession, which would you choose?
a. Humanitarian
b. Farmer
c. Judge
d. Firefighter
e. Scientist
5. When choosing your outfit for the day, you select ...
a. Whatever will attract the least amount of attention.
b. Something comfortable, but interesting to look at.
c. Something that’s simple, but still expresses your personality.
d. Whatever will attract the most attention.
e. Something that will not distract or inhibit you from what you have to do that day.
6. If you discovered that a friend’s significant other was being unfaithful, you would . . .
a. Tell your friend because you feel that it would be unhealthy for him or her to continue in a relationship where such selfish behavior is present.
b. Sit them both down so that you can act as a mediator when they talk it over.
c. Tell your friend as soon as possible. You can’t imagine keeping that knowledge a secret.
d. Confront the cheater! You might also take action by slashing the cheater’s tires or egging his or her house—all in the name of protecting your friend, of course.
e. Keep it to yourself. Statistics prove that your friend will find out eventually.
7. What would you say is your highest priority in life right now?
a. Serving those around you
b. Finding peace and happiness for yourself
c. Seeking truth in all things
d. Developing your strength of character
e. Success in work or school
RESULTS
If you chose mostly As, you are ABNEGATION. You don’t like to draw attention to yourself, and you are more concerned about other people’s contentment than your own. You find joy and fulfillment in making other people happier, safer, and healthier. You believe that the world would be a better place if selfishness were not so widespread. Other people see you as somewhat difficult to get to know, but also as quiet and kind.
If you chose mostly Bs, you are AMITY. You are at peace when the people around you are getting along. You appreciate music and the arts, and it is easy to make you laugh. One of your goals is to find as much happiness as you can. You believe that aggression and hostility are to blame for most of the world’s problems. Others see you as sometimes flaky or indecisive, but also as easygoing and warm.
If you chose mostly Cs, you are CANDOR. You are honest with everyone, no matter how difficult it is, and no matter how much trouble it gets you into. You aren’t easily offended, and would prefer to hear the truth even if it hurts. You believe that if everyone could be honest and forthright with each other, the world would be a much better place. Other people see you as sometimes insensitive, but also as trustworthy and confident.
If you chose mostly Ds, you are dauntless. You love a good adrenaline rush, and you don’t let other people dictate your behavior. You do what you believe is right no matter how difficult or frightening it is. You believe that the world would be better off if people were not afraid to do what was necessary to make things right. Others see you as often abrasive, but also as strong and bold.
If you chose mostly Es, you are erudite. You enjoy learning new things, an
d you try to understand how everything works. You tend to make decisions based on logic rather than instinct or emotions. You believe the world would be a better place if everyone were well-educated and devoted to learning. Other people see you as sometimes condescending, but also as intelligent and insightful.
FACTION MANIFESTOS
ABNEGATION: THE SELFLESS
FACTION MANIFESTO
I will be my undoing
If I become my obsession.
I will forget the ones I love
If I do not serve them.
I will war with others
If I refuse to see them.
Therefore I choose to turn away
From my reflection,
To rely not on myself
But on my brothers and sisters,
To project always outward
Until I disappear.*
(*Some members add a final line: “And only God remains.” That is at the discretion of each member, and is not compulsory.)
AMITY: THE PEACEFUL
FACTION MANIFESTO
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