A movie with the same name as the first book in the Divergent series was brought to theaters in March of 2014. The second movie, “Insurgent,” came out this year in March. This movie is about a girl, Beatrice Prior, who discovers her very own path. In her city are five factions; different communities with their own beliefs about how the world should be run.
The factions are Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Amity, and Dauntless. Abnegation is all about selflessness. Amity believes in a peaceful environment and keeps a mutual understanding and a peaceful relationship with the other factions. Candor is about telling the truth, to be open and sincere in speech and expression. Erudite is characterized by great knowledge, and Dauntless is a fearless, undaunted (courageously resolute) community.
Beatrice was born under Abnegation. When she and her brother, Caleb, turn 16, it is time for them to attend the Choosing Ceremony, where 16-year-olds choose their faction based on their aptitude test results. The test determines what faction they would fit into. It’s not a written test; it’s in their mind. The person who is testing them can see into the 16-year-old’s mind and create certain events or delusions to rule out the factions they wouldn’t belong under. Beatrice knew she didn’t belong under Abnegation. Her first instinct wasn’t to help someone or to make sure they were satisfied, unlike Caleb. She knew Caleb belonged under Abnegation and would join their father as a councilman there.
After Beatrice’s aptitude test, Tori, the girl who gave her the test, said the results were inconclusive. Beatrice qualified for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. Tori told her she was Divergent and that she shouldn’t tell anyone because that would put her in danger. At the ceremony, Caleb and Beatrice waited nervously for their names to be called. Caleb chose Erudite and Beatrice chose Dauntless. Beatrice took one last glance at her parents before she left them, thinking she failed them. She began a new life with a new name; Tris.
Beatrice befriended other Dauntless initiates such as Christina (a Candor cross-over), Will (an Erudite cross-over), and Al (also an Erudite cross-over). Their Dauntless instructor, Four, (Tris later discovers his real name is Tobias), and Dauntless leader, Eric, said there would be three initiate stages. They would be ranked and those who came in last would be cut, they would live among the faction-less. Tris was introduced to a lot of pain, yet she was more free than she was at her old faction. She learned how to shoot, how to throw knives, how to fight, and how to overcome her fears.
Over the three weeks of the three initiate stages, Tris and Tobias fell for one another, she was ranked first for the final test, and no longer regretted her decision of becoming Dauntless. An Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews, created a simulation that would manipulate one’s mind to make them do what they were commanded to do. Matthews and Eric formed an alliance and brought war to the Abnegation, seeking important information. Tris and Tobias weren’t affected by the simulation, as they were Divergent.
In the process of stopping the simulation, Tris’s parents were killed trying to save her life. Tobias, Tris, Caleb, Peter (a Dauntless initiate), and Marcus (Tobias’s father) stopped the simulation, hopped the only train in the city, and left wondering what would happen next.
Many people have read the book and have also seen the movie. Freshman Emily Ramirez, said she prefers the book over the movie. “There was way more description in the book than in the movie. I would recommend reading the book first so you can see how many events and how much information the movie is missing,” said Ramirez. Christina Ramirez, Consuelo Cortez, and Emily Ramirez all said that the romance between Tris and Tobias wasn’t correctly portrayed in the movie as it was in the book.
“There were very few interactions between them in the movie,” Emily Ramirez said.
“The book had way more events with Tris and Tobias. They only kissed once in the movie,” said Cortez.
Christina Ramirez said she thought some of the characters didn’t correctly fit the description given in the book.
“In the book, Tris was described as a blonde, as was her mother. In the movie, Tris had orange hair and her mother had brown hair,” said Ramirez. “I think Tobias was on point. He fit all of the descriptions from the book,” said Emily Ramirez. “I would give this movie an eight-and-a-half out of 10,” said Cortez.
Emily Ramirez had higher praise: “Out of 10, I would rate this movie a hundred!”