Hello and WELCOME to DIVERGENT READ-A-LONG's FIRST DISCUSSION POST!
Thank you to all who have signed up for our first Read-A-Long this year, I hope you guys enjoyed reading the first 10 chapters of the amazing Divergent by Veronica Roth! I know I did!
I'm sorry that this discussion post is one day late, but I had to switch things around on the blog a bit, due to the exlusive cover reveal of Robin Bridge's third book in KATERINA Trilogy (which BTW has a giveaway, too, so be sure to check it out!).
Before we move on to the discussion questions Rachelia and I have prepared for you, I'd like to post a quick recap of chapters 1-10. Please be advised that if you haven't read Divergent yet (at least the first 1-10 chapters), you shouldn't read any further, as there will be spoilers!
Chapters 1-10 RECAP:
- We meet Beatrice, a sixteen-year old girl who was born into Abnegation Faction. She lives with her brother, mother and father. They lead a quiet and selfless life, always putting others before themselves.
- The story kicks off with Beatrice getting a haircut from her mother on the Aptitute Tests day. The aptitute test is a yearly assessment taken by all the kids ready for initiation and it determines disposition towards one of the five traits of the five factions. Beatrice takes the test and learns that the results are inconclusive. She is Divergent, she could be Dauntless, Abnegation or Erudite. She also learns that being Divergent is dangerous and she should never talk about it.
- On her way back home from the testing facility, Beatrice runs into one of the Factionless, a person who does not belong into any of the five factions. Factionless are outcasts, they live in poverty, they partake in the worst jobs and are separated from the society.
- Choosing Ceremony. Caleb switches factions, he is Erudite. Beatrice switches factions. "[She is] selfish. [She is] brave." Beatrice leaves with the Dauntless. As part of the initiation process, she has to jump on and off the train. She meets Christina (a Candor girl) and together they manage to jump off the train and land safely on the rooftop. Beatrice hears a girl's scream and sees that not everyone made it. She does not let herself fall apart, she counts to three and moves on.
- Beatrice jumps several stories down (as part of the initiation) and enters the Dauntless compound. She is the first one to jump. She is welcomed by Four and when asked what her name is, she says it's Tris.
- In the dining hall, Tris meets Eric (one of the five leaders of the Dauntless). She immediately dislikes him. "I don't understand why, but I don't want Eric to look at me any longer than he already has. I don't want him to look at me ever again" (67). She senses tension between Four and Eric.
- Eric explains the rules to the initiates. They are told about the training and evaluation. They also learn that only the top 10 of them will be made members, the others will leave the Dauntless compound and live factionless.
- At night, Tris hears Al (a transfer from Candor, who is also the largest and broadest boy from all the initiates) sob in his bed. She knows that she should comfort him, because she was raised to help others, but her reaction is quite the opposite. She is annoyed and disgusted. She turns around and ignores Al's sobs.
- The initiates begin their training. First they learn how to shoot, then the combat training begins. They are paired up and forced to fight against each other. They are told that they are to fight until one of them is unable to anymore (knocked unconscious, badly hurt). There is no backing down.
- Christina is paired up with Molly. She gets beaten so badly, she screams "I'm done". Eric gives her a choice: climb over the railing and hang over the chasm for five minutes or leave and live factionless. Christina hangs from the railing, though she comes really close to falling down.
- Tris is paired up with Peter. She gets beaten unconscious and lands in the hospital.
I'm sorry that this discussion post is one day late, but I had to switch things around on the blog a bit, due to the exlusive cover reveal of Robin Bridge's third book in KATERINA Trilogy (which BTW has a giveaway, too, so be sure to check it out!).
Before we move on to the discussion questions Rachelia and I have prepared for you, I'd like to post a quick recap of chapters 1-10. Please be advised that if you haven't read Divergent yet (at least the first 1-10 chapters), you shouldn't read any further, as there will be spoilers!
Chapters 1-10 RECAP:
- We meet Beatrice, a sixteen-year old girl who was born into Abnegation Faction. She lives with her brother, mother and father. They lead a quiet and selfless life, always putting others before themselves.
- The story kicks off with Beatrice getting a haircut from her mother on the Aptitute Tests day. The aptitute test is a yearly assessment taken by all the kids ready for initiation and it determines disposition towards one of the five traits of the five factions. Beatrice takes the test and learns that the results are inconclusive. She is Divergent, she could be Dauntless, Abnegation or Erudite. She also learns that being Divergent is dangerous and she should never talk about it.
- On her way back home from the testing facility, Beatrice runs into one of the Factionless, a person who does not belong into any of the five factions. Factionless are outcasts, they live in poverty, they partake in the worst jobs and are separated from the society.
- Choosing Ceremony. Caleb switches factions, he is Erudite. Beatrice switches factions. "[She is] selfish. [She is] brave." Beatrice leaves with the Dauntless. As part of the initiation process, she has to jump on and off the train. She meets Christina (a Candor girl) and together they manage to jump off the train and land safely on the rooftop. Beatrice hears a girl's scream and sees that not everyone made it. She does not let herself fall apart, she counts to three and moves on.
- Beatrice jumps several stories down (as part of the initiation) and enters the Dauntless compound. She is the first one to jump. She is welcomed by Four and when asked what her name is, she says it's Tris.
- In the dining hall, Tris meets Eric (one of the five leaders of the Dauntless). She immediately dislikes him. "I don't understand why, but I don't want Eric to look at me any longer than he already has. I don't want him to look at me ever again" (67). She senses tension between Four and Eric.
- Eric explains the rules to the initiates. They are told about the training and evaluation. They also learn that only the top 10 of them will be made members, the others will leave the Dauntless compound and live factionless.
- At night, Tris hears Al (a transfer from Candor, who is also the largest and broadest boy from all the initiates) sob in his bed. She knows that she should comfort him, because she was raised to help others, but her reaction is quite the opposite. She is annoyed and disgusted. She turns around and ignores Al's sobs.
- The initiates begin their training. First they learn how to shoot, then the combat training begins. They are paired up and forced to fight against each other. They are told that they are to fight until one of them is unable to anymore (knocked unconscious, badly hurt). There is no backing down.
- Christina is paired up with Molly. She gets beaten so badly, she screams "I'm done". Eric gives her a choice: climb over the railing and hang over the chasm for five minutes or leave and live factionless. Christina hangs from the railing, though she comes really close to falling down.
- Tris is paired up with Peter. She gets beaten unconscious and lands in the hospital.
Now, onto the discussion!
1) What were your first impressions of the factions? If you had to choose, which faction would you pick to join?
2) There are five factions, do you think there should be more? If so, what kind of factions would you add and why?
3) Beatrice/Tris is told that it is dangerous to be Divergent and that she is to keep her status a secret. Why do you think this is? What part do you think her Divergent status will play in the story?
4) At the end of the Choosing Ceremony, when the sixteen-year-olds are about to leave with their new factions, Beatrice looks back to see her parents one last time. Her father looks at her accusingly, clearly hurt by her "betrayal". Her mother, on the other hand, smiles. What do you make of that? Do you think Beatrice's parents will come see her on the Visiting Day?
5) Both Beatrice and Caleb end up switching factions, leaving their family behind. If you were born into one faction, but felt that you belong somewhere else, would you make the decision to switch, too? Would you be able to leave your family behind?
6) So far, who is your favorite character and why?
7) The aptitute test seems to be based on the idea that we are our choices. Do you agree with that? How do you think our choices shape our futures? Do you think the aptitute test is a good way to determine which faction should you belong to?
These are all the questions I have for you today! Please leave your answers in the comments below. Feel free to break them apart (1 comment per 1 answer!), or omit the questions you do not feel like answering! I am looking forward to discussing Divergent with you guys!
Meanwhile, happy reading and remember Discussion Post for CHAPTERS 11-20 will be posted over @Bookish Comforts!
Discussion Schedule for January: Divergent by Veronica Roth
- 1/11: Chapters 1-10 (hosted @Bookish)
- 1/17: Chapters 11-20 (hosted by @Bookish Comforts)
- 1/24: Chapters 21-30 (hosted @Bookish)
- 1/30: Chapters 31-39 (hosted by @Bookish Comforts)
