Divergent Quotes: Lacks Vigor and Depth

Divergent Quotes Page  1   2   USER REVIEWS THE NOVEL

[first lines; the sun rises over Chicago]
Tris: [voice over] We’re lucky to be in the city. They say that war was terrible, that the rest of the world was destroyed. Our founders built the wall to keep us safe and they divided us into five groups, factions, to keep the peace. The smart ones, the ones who value knowledge and logic, are in Erudite, they know everything. Amity farm the land, they’re all about kindness and harmony, always happy. Candor value honesty and order, they tell the truth, even when you wish they wouldn’t. And then there’s Dauntless, they’re our protectors, our soldiers, our police. I always thought they were amazing. Brave, fearless and free. Some people think that Dauntless are crazy, which they kind of are. My faction is Abnegation, the others all call us stiffs. We lead a simple life, selfless, dedicated to helping other. We even feed the factionless, the ones who don’t fit in anywhere. Because we’re public servants, we’re trusted to run the government. My father works alongside our leader, Marcus. It all works, everyone knows where they belong. Except for me.

[Tris’s mother, Natalie, is cutting her hair]
Tris: [voice over] My mother’s says there’s an art to losing yourself, but I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m supposed to never think of myself, to always help others. To never look too long in the mirror.
[after finishing cutting and put up Tris’s hair, Natalie allows Tris to look in the mirror]
Natalie: Are you nervous?
Tris: No. Were you for your test?
Natalie: Mm-umm, no. I was terrified.
[Tris smiles]
Natalie: But I didn’t have any reason to be and neither do you.
[Natalie lovingly kisses Tris on her forehead and then closes the mirror]
Natalie: That’s all you get. Rules are rules.

[Tris climbs onto the roof of their house and looks out to the city]
Tris: [voice over] Today I take the test. I’m scared it’ll tell me I’m not Abnegation, that I have to leave my family. But I’m even more scared that it’ll tell me to stay. For my brother Caleb it’s easy.
[Caleb rushes to help a woman carrying groceries]
Caleb: Let me help you with that.
Tris: [voice over] He’s a natural.
[to Tris as she walks towards them]
Caleb: Beatrice, do you wanna get the other bags?
Tris: Sure.
[Tris reluctantly picks up the bags; later as they walk towards the station]
Caleb: What if she’d been blind or an amputee, wouldn’t you have helped her then?
Tris: I was thinking about helping her.
Caleb: It’s not that hard.
Tris: For you maybe.
Caleb: Just relax, Beatrice. Take a deep breath and trust the test.
Tris: [voice over] Trust the test. The test will tell me who I am, where I belong. Am I smart? Kind? Am I honest? Selfless? Or brave?

[Tris, along with all the other teenagers, line up to enter the station, one of the Candor members, Peter, is mocking the Abnegation kids]
Peter: Hey, so all the food that we’re not getting, you guys are giving away to the factionless? Right? Yeah?
Bullied Abnegation Boy: Yeah.
Peter: You’re a liar. Why are you lying to me? Everybody knows you keep it for yourselves, so why don’t you just admit it? Huh?
[the Abnegation kids are silent]
Peter: I’m talking to you. Are all you stiffs deaf or something? Hey!
[Tris goes to retaliate but Caleb stops her]
Caleb: Beatrice. Don’t.
[Tris reluctantly backs down, at that moment Tris notices the Dauntless kids arriving on the train, they jump down from the moving train and run towards the station, Tris watches them with envy]

[all the kids are being given lecture on the history of the aptitude test]
Erudite Teacher: One hundred years ago, after the war, our founders created a system they believed would prevent future conflict and create lasting peace. Today’s aptitude testing, based on your personality, will assign you to one of the factions. While it is our belief that choosing the faction indicated by your test is the best way to ensure success within the faction system, it is your right tomorrow, at the choosing ceremony, to choose any of the five factions regardless of your test results. However, once the choice has been made, there will be no change permitted.
[Tris, along with the other kids, line up to stand outside a door, Caleb and Tris look at each other for moment before everyone enters the room]

[when Tris enters the room she is to take her test in she sees Tori setting up the equipment, she also notices the large mirror on the wall]
Tori: What is it with you Abnegation and mirrors?
Tris: We reject vanity.
Tori: Yeah, I know. Sit down.
[Tris takes the seat and notices Tori’s tattoo on her back]
Tori: I’m Tori, I’ll be administrating your test. You’ll be offered a series of choices to test your aptitude for each faction until you get one result. I wouldn’t sweat it, ninety-five percent get the faction of their origin, and by the looks of you…
[Tori gives Tris a blue liquid to drink]
Tris: What is it?
Tori: Bottoms up.
[Tris quickly sniffs the liquid before drinking it, she closes her eyes for a moment and when she opens them she finds herself alone, all the equipment is gone]

[Tris gets up and walks over to the mirror and looks at her reflection, she turns and sees the whole room has become mirrors and all she can see is reflections of herself, she walks around and sees the back of herself, one reflection touches her shoulder and she turns to see herself]
Tris’s Reflection: Choose. Now, before it’s too late.
[Tris sees a knife and piece of meat on a plate]
Tris: Why? What will I do?
Tris’s Reflection: Choose.
Tris: Just tell me.
[suddenly she hears a dog barking and sees the dog walking towards her as it barks, Tris looks to get the meat but both the knife and meat are gone, Tris backs away fearfully from the barking dog which jump up at her and snarls, as it goes to attack her again Tris kneels and closes her eyes, when she opens her eyes she sees the dog is now a puppy, she then sees herself when she was younger]
Ten Year Old Tris: Puppy!
[Tris smiles, then as she turns to the puppy it’s now turned back to the snarling dog which then goes to attack the younger Tris but Tris manages to run after the dog and grab it, in that moment Tris jolts awake back in the room with a worried looking Tori beside her]
Tori: Get up. We’re going out the back door before the supervisor comes.
But what was my result?
Tori: Come on.

[Tori helps Tris stand and takes her to the back door]
Tris: What happened?
Tori: You’re going to tell your family that the serum made you sick and that I sent you home, alright?
Tris: No, but what was my result?
Tori: Abnegation. And Erudite, and Dauntless.
Tris: Dauntless.
Tori: Your results were inconclusive.
Tris: That…that’s impossible. That doesn’t make any sense.
Tori: No, not impossible. It’s just extremely rare. They call it Divergent. You can’t tell anyone about this, not even your parents. As far as the world is concerned you received an Abnegation result because that is what I’m manually entering.
Tris: But what am I supposed to do at the choosing ceremony? I was supposed to learn what to do, this was supposed to tell me what faction to choose, the test. We’re supposed to trust the test!
Tori: The test didn’t work on you. You have to trust yourself.
[Tori pushes Tris out the back door leaving a confused Tris alone outside]

[as Tris walks home she sees the factionless looking for food in the city, then later as she’s preparing dinner at home Caleb enters the kitchen to help her]
Caleb: What happened to you today? Where did you go after your test?
Tris: I got sick so they sent me home early.
Caleb: Did you finish your test?
Tris: Mm-hmm.
Caleb: What was your result?
Tris: What was yours?
[Caleb smiles; later as the family are having dinner]
Andrew: Why did you just leave without telling anybody?
Tris: I was sick.
Andrew: Beatrice, I don’t think you understand the level of scrutiny we’re under. They’re doing everything they can to discredit us right now.
Tris: Who is?
Natalie: Erudite. They believe that they should be the governing faction, not us.
Andrew: So we have to be careful right now, okay?
Natalie: Even Marcus is under attack.
Tris: For what?
Andrew: It’s an old accusation. That he mistreated his son and that’s why the boy defected.
Tris: Is that true?
Andrew: No.
Natalie: Of course not. Children defect for all kinds of reasons.
[Tris looks at her reflection on the back of her spoon]

[after dinner as Tris and Caleb are washing up in the kitchen]
Andrew: Don’t take too long in here, you need a good night’s sleep for tomorrow.
[Tris and Caleb look at their father]
Andrew: I, um…we love you.
[he goes over to Tris and embraces her and Natalie embraces Caleb before swapping over and Andrew then embraces Caleb as Natalie embraces Tris]
Natalie: I’m so proud of you.
[Andrew and Natalie leave the kitchen as Tris and Caleb continue to wash up]
Caleb: Beatrice?
Tris: What?
Caleb: Tomorrow when we choose, you have to think of the family.
Tris: Yeah.
Caleb: But you also have to think of yourself.

[the next day the Prior family arrive at the choosing ceremony, Tris notices Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews]
Andrew: Morning, Jeanine.
Jeanine: Good morning, Andrew. How is Marcus holding up?
Andrew: As well as can be expected.
Jeanine: Mm. We need to find out who’s behind those rumors.
Natalie: I think we all know who it is.
Jeanine: If it’s someone from Erudite, I promise I’ll find out who.
[looking at Caleb and Tris]
Jeanine: These are your children. I don’t think I knew they were choosing today.
[to Caleb]
Jeanine: What’s your name?
Caleb: I’m…I’m Caleb.
[he shakes her hand]
Caleb: It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Jeanine: Jeanine Matthews.
[she looks at Tris]
Jeanine: And you are?
Caleb: This is Beatrice.
Jeanine: Mm. You both have a big decision to make today. I’m sure your parents will support whatever choice you make.
Tris: I thought it wasn’t supposed to be a choice. The test should tell us what to do.
Jeanine: You’re still free to choose.
Tris: But you don’t really want that.
Caleb: Beatrice.
Jeanine: I want you to choose who you truly are and where you truly belong. Not on a whim, not because you wish for someone you’re not, but because you honestly know yourself. I want you to choose wisely. And I know you will.
[she smiles at Tris]

[addressing the crowd as the choosing ceremony commences]
Jeanine: The factions system is a living being composed of cells; all of you. And the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place. The future belongs to those who know where they belong.
[the Abnegation leader, Marcus, then addresses the crowd]
Marcus: When you leave this room, you will no longer be dependents, but full-fledged members of our society. Faction before blood.
Crowd: Faction before blood.
[Natalie holds Tris’s hand and looks at her]
Natalie: I love you…no matter what.
[each new initiate’s name is called out]
Marcus: Jonathan Ziegler.
[he steps up to the stage and walks over to the table which has five bowls and knife on it, each bowl contains a substance that represents one of the five factions, gray stone for Abnegation, water for Erudite, earth for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, glass for Candor, Jonathan cuts his hand with the knife and drops his blood into the Erudite bowl]
Marcus: Erudite.
[the crowd claps]
Marcus: Jeffrey Yates.
[he drops his blood into the Dauntless bowl]
Marcus: Dauntless.
[the crowd cheers]
Marcus: Morgan Stokes.
[he drops his blood into the Amity bowl and the crowd claps, Tris sits nervously as each new initiate chooses]
Marcus: Claire Satron. Candor. Sam Robertson. Abnegation. Caleb Prior.
[Caleb walks up to the stage, cuts his hand and drops his blood into the Erudite bowl]
Marcus: Erudite.
[as the crowd claps his parents look visibly disappointed and Tris looks shocked]
Marcus: Quiet, please. Beatrice Prior.
[Tris walks nervously towards the stage, she looks at the five bowls for a moment before taking the knife to cut her hand, she holds her hand above the Abnegation bowl but doesn’t allow her blood to drop, finally she allows her drop into the Dauntless bowl]
Marcus: Dauntless.
[the crowd claps and the Dauntless crowd cheers for her, her parent look surprise and disappointment as Tris goes to join the Dauntless crowd]

[as initiates leave with their factions Tris looks at her parents one last time, then all the Dauntless crowd run wild into the street, climb to the top of the train tracks, chase after the train as it goes by, which Tris manages to jump onto the last carriage]
Christina: You made it.
[Tris smiles at her]
Christina: I’m Christina.
Tris: Beatrice.
Christina: Is it just me or are they trying to kills us?
[to the Dauntless initiates]
Dauntless Woman: Get ready.
[Tris goes over to the edge of the train, as the train is still moving she sees the Dauntless faction jump off onto a rooftop]
Tris: They’re jumping.
Christina: What?
Al: What if you don’t jump?
Peter: What do you think? You’ll be factionless. Good luck, Al.
[the rest of the Dauntless along with the initiates jump off, then it comes to Tris and Christina’s turn]
Christina: Together?
Tris: Yeah.
[they move back to give themselves room]
Tris: One, two, three!
[they both run, jump off and land safely onto the rooftop]

[to the Dauntless initiates]
Eric: Alright, listen up. I’m Eric. I’m one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in.
[referring to hole as he stands at the edge of the rooftop]
Eric: And if you don’t have the guts to jump, then you don’t belong in Dauntless.
Will: Is there water at the bottom or something?
Eric: I guess you’ll find out. Or not.
[to Tris]
We just jumped, they want us to jump again?
Eric: Well someone’s gotta go first, who’s it gonna be?
[there’s silence as no one wants to be first until Tris calls out]
Tris: Me.
[Tris walks over to the edge and looks down at the hole below, she looks back at Eric then takes off her jacket]
Peter: Yes, give. Take it off. Put it back on.
[there’s a chuckle from the initiates, Tris climbs onto the edge, looks down and hesitates]
Eric: Today, initiate.
[finally Tris jumps through the hole and lands on a net and then laughs to herself in relief]

[Tris is pulled out of the net by Dauntless instructor, Four]
Four: What, you get pushed?
Tris: No.
[Four helps her down]
Four: What’s your name?
Tris: It’s Bea…
[she hesitates]
Four: Is it a hard one? You can pick a new one if you want, but make it good. You don’t get to pick again.
Tris: Okay. Uh…my name’s Tris.
[to the rest of the Dauntless]
Four: First jumper: Tris!
[to Tris]
Four: Welcome to Dauntless.

[after all the initiates have jumped through the hole]
Four: Dauntless born you go with Lauren, transfers stay with me. Go.
[the initiates that were born in Dauntless start leaving]
Lauren: This way.
[addressing the rest of the initiates]
Four: Most of the time I work in intelligence, but during your training I’ll be your instructor. My name’s Four.
Christina: Four like the number?
Four: Exactly like the number.
Christina: What happened? One two three were taken?
[there’s a spattering of chuckling from the others]
Four: What’s your name?
Christina: Christina.
[Four steps closer Christina]
Four: Well, Christina, the first lesson you learn from me, if you wanna survive here, is keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me?
Christina: Yes.
Four: Good.
[Four turns and starts walking off]
Four: Follow me.
[the group follows him]

[Four leads the initiates to the Pit, where there’s music playing and the Dauntless are gathered having fun]
Four: This is the Pit, the center of life here in Dauntless.
[he then leads them to their sleeping quarters]
Four: You’re gonna be sleeping here for the next ten weeks.
Al: Girls or boys?
Four: Both.
Al: That works.
Four: If you like this you’re gonna love the bathroom.
Tris: Great.
[he shows them their bathroom which is all open with no cubicles]
Peter: Oh, okay.
Christina: Seriously?
Dauntless Initiate: No other area?
Christina: Are you kidding me?
Four: You should feel right at home, Candor. Everything out in the open.
Peter: Is this a joke.
[Four starts to walk off, as he walks through the group he hits Tris’s shoulder]
Four: Get changed.
Peter: Great. Shower anyone?

[as Tris is getting changed into her Dauntless uniform]
Peter: Nice legs, Stiff.
[after everyone has changed into the Dauntless uniform they all have to burn their old faction clothes after which they are led to the Pit where everyone is sat eating; to Christina]
Tris: Where shall we sit?
[they see the only free seats available are on Four’s table, they take their seats and Tris picks up a hamburger with her fork]
Christina: Have you never seen a hamburger before?
Tris: No, I…I’ve seen one, I just have never eaten one.
Will: In Abnegation you plant food, plant based diet without sauce and minimum seasoning.
Christina: Which text book did you swallow?
[Will laughs]
Will: Nice to meet you too. I’m Will. Erudite.
Christina: Of course you are.
[to Tris]
Christina: No offense, but I’m surprised Abnegation even eats at all. Too selfish, right? No wonder you left.
Will: You gotta be pretty self-confident to be friends with a Candor.
Christina: What is that supposed to mean?
Will: You have no filter. You say the first thing that comes into your head.
Al: Like you’re an idiot?
[they all laugh]
Christina: Nice one, Al. Well, at least we tell the truth.
Will: Erudites can tell the truth cause we have the facts.
Four: I don’t wanna hear about your old factions. You’re Dauntless now.

Tris: Were you a transfer too or Dauntless born?
Four: Are you kidding?
Tris: No.
Four: What makes you think you can talk to me?
Tris: It…must be because you’re so approachable.
[Christina chuckles and Tris carries on eating]
Four: Tough one.
[as Four turns to talk to another Dauntless]
Christina: You, my friend, have a death wish.
Will: You know he was first in his class. They tried to recruit him for leadership twice, but he said no.
[they are then interrupted by the arrival of Dauntless leader, Max, who then addresses the crowd]
Max: Initiates, stand.
[all the initiates, including Tris, stand]
Max: You have chosen to join the warrior faction tasked with the defense of this city and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that raises one person to stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud.
[the rest of the Dauntless crowd cheer and carry all the initiates]

[the next morning the initiates are woken by Four]
Four: I want everyone in the Pit. Two minutes.
[the initiates quickly go to the Pit]
Four: There are two stages of training. The first is physical, push your bodies to the breaking point and master the methods of combat. The second is mental, again breaking point, you’ll face your worst fears and conquer them unless they get you first. You’ll be trained separately from the Dauntless born, but you’ll be ranked together. After initiations rankings will determine what jobs you move into. Leadership, guarding the fence, or keeping the factions from killing each other.
Eric: The rankings will also determine who gets cut.
Christina: Cut?
Eric: At the end of each stage of training, the lowest ranking initiates will be leaving us.
Al: To do what?
Eric: There’s no going home to your families, so you’d live factionless.
Will: Why didn’t we know that?
Eric: It’s a new rule.
Christina: A new rule? Somebody should have told us that.
Eric: Why? Would you have chosen differently? Or out of fear? Well if that’s the case, you might as well get out now. If you’re really one of us it won’t matter to you that you might fail. Now you chose us, now we get to choose you.

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