Faction or Family?

Molly Ellrodt
809
ELA/ Ms.Robbins

Reading Response- (i only read to page 454 when i wrote this response)


       At this ending point in the book, war has broke out. The Dauntless are turned into robot soldiers. They are completely "brain-dead and obedient" and un-aware that they were turned into soldiers to fight against Abnegation. Because Tris is Divergent, she is not able to be taken control over and she dos not become brain-dead. When her boyfriend is captured and taken away, when she is forced to shoot one of her closest friends, and when she loses her other best friend to the Dauntless leaders who make her brain-dead, when she loses someone she is falling for, she is forced to regain herself and find her family to try and stop the war. As i read on through the end of the book, I realize that Tris is losing everything she gained through Dauntless. Why does the author chose for Tris to reunite with her family but lose all her friends from Dauntless?

       In the beginning of the book, when Tris choses Dauntless, I think it was because she wanted something different. She was a brave girl from the beginning and she wanted to try something new. She new she was special and she felt that Dauntless might be a good fit for her. However, when she choses to switch factions, she makes the choice to say goodbye to her family and friends and everyone she knows. I think it was a bold move to make to switch factions but very scry for Beatrice (Tris).

       Tris makes a lot of knew friends in Dauntless and she enjoys her time there even when it's hard. However, throughout the entire book her family is mentioned. Whether it's one of her fears in the simulations to have to face the decision of killing her family or killing herself, or when her mother visits on visiting day, or when she goes to Erudite to find her brother. Overall, I don't think she truly ever loses her family. She forgets about them when she's focused on Dauntless work but, she never loses them. I think from the beginning of the book, when Tris leaves her family for dauntless, I knew they wouldn't be gone forever. They were a big part of her life and she couldn't just say goodbye to them forever.

       All in all, I think one reason that Tris loses her friends from Dauntless, is because the ones closest to her are the most important. I can' wait to read the ending of the book to see how everything works out for Tris. Will she ever find Four or Christina again? Even though her mother has died, will she become close with the rest of her family again? Will she be able to shut down the simulations that are controlling the minds of all the Dauntless people? Not everything has worked out perfectly for Tris throughout the book so i wonder if the ending will be happy? ( After reading the end of the book, I realize some of the things I wrote wouldn't apply anymore ((like her losing Four)))

       I really loved this book and recommend it to anyone who liked the hunger games post U.S.A theme. This was a great book and i can't wait to read the second one!