Wiki+Project+Phase+2

=Wiki Project Phase 2:=

=Wiki Post #1: Introduction & Current Events Article:=

Synopsis of Divergent by Veronica Roth
This book is a dystopian novel surrounded around a society that is separated into five different factions; Abnegation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (honest), Dauntless (brave) and Erudite (intelligent). The main character, Beatrice Prior is born into a family in the faction Abnegation, but selflessness does not come as easy to her as it does to her brother Calum. Beatrice is about to undergo the annual aptitude test where the child can decide which faction they belong in and whether or not they want to stay or leave their family.

The author is criticizing how society places every citizen into particular classes and factions so that they lose their sense of identity and become mindless citizens; society that a government can take advantage of very easily. The five different factions created in this society of the five emotions that can only be expressed to create the perfect society is unrealistic. People are too complex to only be able to show a certain kind of characteristic and Roth is criticizing how everyone is forced to be someone they aren't. Also, the fact that an assessment is what determines the rest of the futures of these adolescents could criticize standardized testing for high school students today. In total, the author is criticizing government controlling the classes and sense of individualism a citizen feels, freedom, and the fairness of assessments on a generation's future.

[|Are Heartless People Simply Born That Way?]

This article discussed the inequality that America faces between the higher and lower classes. It talked about the unfair cuts that the lower class face when it comes to food stamps and their ability to obtain food. Many people in the higher class ironically view the poor citizens that receive food stamps as too spoiled and lazy to get real jobs to make money and buy their own food. This connects to the inequality discussed in the story but in two different classes instead of five. This article also connects to the aspect of the government controlling all the classes to keep them separated. For example, in the article, the government is the one cutting back on food stamps, cutting back on the opportunities some people need to survive and live off of. This is so the government can take advantage of the separation of classes; using the higher class to their advantage, and brainwash the helpless citizens into abiding laws blindly and creating the perfect society. The common theme between the story and the article was the different factions of society and government control. But most importantly how the government has taken advantage of inequality to their own benefit. In the article, there is even people that are defending inequality now and stating that it's a necessary aspect of society to have; that everyone cannot be equal for society to function the way it's supposed to. This ties into the story Divergent, as the five factions of society symbolize government controlling citizen's minds into believing they can only belong to one characterization. I sense in the story that a revolution might begin, as people will start to realize that inequality is unfair, and i'm wondering if America is ready to take that step and finally stand against all types of inequality.

Wiki post #2 Passage 1: Pages 1-50

 * Passage Context:** In the following passage, Beatrice is slowly walking home after the aptitude test; the test that places every 16 year old in this dystopian civilization in a faction. This excerpt discusses the factionless, which is basically the part of society that is homeless, poor, and is placed in the jobs that nobody else wants.




 * 1) I chose this passage because i liked how it explained what occurs to somebody if they're out of the norm, or don't belong in any of the five factions. It's a bit sad because they just end up homeless and poor, a place that is so negatively portrayed that it kind of forces a person to choose a faction even if they don't attain the qualities that come with it. I like how it foreshadowed as to how a person becomes a part of the "factionless"; by failing initiation--the series of exams which comes after the aptitude test. This conveys how heavily based this society is on testing in general, which could allude to the standardized tests the youth of our society are forced to take as well to fit into a certain college. The description of the jobs the factionless hold are meant to sound of unimportance, when in reality they are jobs which are very necessary for a society to function. They're not even paid for the work that they do, which again i feel the author is connecting to today.
 * 2) The author uses key diction and descriptive imagery to really convey how badly the factionless have it in this society. The diction in the passage in how the setting is described is a bit vulgar and off putting; as the author chooses words such as "sewage", "trash" "collapsed" and phrases such as "plug my nose" to create the image of a very repulsive area. The purpose of this passage is to juxtapose the way that the factionless live with the way that the rest of the five factions subsist. The descriptive imagery is used to describe both the actual setting and the homeless man that Beatrice comes in contact with. The overall effect of this is to emphasize the contrast between life for the "normal" citizens and life for the factionless. To basically be your own person and not conform to the five factions leaves you with nothing desirable; no home, no food, no money, jobs which are frowned upon--it leaves you with basically no life.
 * 3) This passage does connect to the first question; "What does it mean to be human?" That question is a main theme throughout the whole book as the idea of being bound to five factions, or only being able to show five emotions, or not belonging at all questions what being human really means. This book creates a society that is founded upon five positive characteristics of humans which eventually creates the perfect society. But this strips the civilization of diversity and individualism, which in the end is what makes us human, The ability to think for ourselves and feel what we want. Once that's stripped away, a society is left with robots disguised as humans. This also connects to the second question about what this reveals about society today. The author is pointing out through this passage how in our society, as in Divergent being different is frowned upon and leaves you alone, a problem we must face in our society today. Another problem the author possibly alludes to is the excessive testing that is placed on adolescents to determine the rest of their future's and how that is wrong.
 * 4) I actually first chose this passage because it discussed the less fortunate section of society which connects a lot to the article i chose about poor vs. rich in our society today. To debrief, the article spoke about how the government wants to keep the rich richer, and the poor poorer so that they will be abiding citizens. The idea about how the factionless take jobs being janitors, bus drivers, and construction workers reminds me of how the government uses the separation between classes to their advantage. They use the poor to take the job no one wants, and then brainwash them into not even getting paid, things that occur today even in this country! The janitor, construction workers, city workers, etc are all under appreciated for the work that they do. The author is trying to get the audience of this book to wake up and realize that we don't need to placed in such specific categories, to hold on to individuality, and beware of government policies placed on innocent citizens to create a more "perfect" social order.

Wiki Post #3 Passage 2: Pages 50-100

 * Passage Context:** In this passage, Tris has just gotten a makeover by her friend, dumping her old dull gray Abnegation clothes, for a black dress that shows off her legs, to fit in better in her new faction she chose; Dauntless.




 * 1) I chose this passage because i liked the symbolism and the meaning behind leaving the old you, and becoming a brand new person. Tris becomes a new character from the Beatrice we know, and with this transformation, a new protagonist is born; Tris. Throughout the book there is a lot of character development, and this is the second step after the audience finds out that Tris is Divergent. So far all this means is that it is dangerous, but i'm still left wondering why. Being Divergent left her with three factions to choose from instead of one, and in turn she chose Dauntless which are brave and against cowardice. Right now, she is going through the initiation process which is brutal and dangerous; aspects popular among the Dauntless. That brings me to the above passage in which she transforms into practically a new person.
 * 2) The purpose of this passage is mostly in the character development of Tris. When she is first introduced, she is a scared girl who is struggling internally with her identity, making her a very relatable character to the genre this book is targeting; young adults. The author uses descriptive characterization to establish this purpose. The transformation of Tris creates the feel for the story, unlike the first establishing chapter that just introduce the dystopian society, at this point the story is kicking off. The transformation of Tris establishes the protagonist she is meant to be, stronger, fiercer, independent--Dauntless. She even talks of Beatrice as a different character now, someone in the past, imperative for the character and story development. Tris is now stronger and Divergent, which creates the mysterious effect surrounding her character now.
 * 3) I think this passage mostly connects to the first main question--"What does it mean to be human?" In this dystopian society, everyone must earn a spot in the caste they belong in, which doesn't seem to bad, except they must do it with no questions asked. Being human means you must sacrifice and transform yourself to fit in, something Tris did. Tris is different, she is Divergent which also connects to this overall topic. Tris had the ability to see clearly during the aptitude test, something that does not happen very often. The danger and mystery around the concept of being divergent questions what it means to be human and how to fit into a society. I think this also reveals how language and images can easily manipulate the mind, and in Divergent language is the most powerful of them all. The upper class makes people believe that they belong in one faction and that this is how society is supposed to work, but what happens when you don't belong? You become factionless. But i am still left wondering what happens when you're divergent? And why is it so dangerous?
 * 4) My summarizing points in the previous paragraph are kind of my reflection as i am still left wondering what Divergent means and why it is so dangerous. It sets up a mysterious tone surrounding the whole book. Some possibilities on why it could be dangerous could connect to the aspect all dystopian novels discuss, which is the divergent probably have free will and think differently from the rest of the people who just aimlessly fall into whatever faction they think they belong in. I also want to reflect on the transformation of Beatrice to Tris, a new stronger character, and a good role model for the directed audience. This connects to the previous passage as it is the results of the aptitude test she was so nervous for taking. I'm curious to see where this book takes me, as so far it's such a good read.

Wiki Post #4: Passage 3: Pages 100-150

 * Passage Context:** In the following passage, Tris has taken a little field trip with the rest of her dauntless initiates. They visit another faction's headquarters, Amity, where Tris meets with Robert, an ex-citizen of Abnegation. There, she notices how much she has changed, and how strangely the locks lock from the outside, rather than within. Also, i sense a relationship forming between Tris and Four, her dauntless trainer.


 * 1) This passage struck me as very interesting, as it discussed the locks Tris noticed on the gates of the city. This envelopes the idea of divergent surrounding Tris; her curiosity and how she notices aspects about society that other people do not notice. Divergence is found to be dangerous because of this very impactful moment; the act of questioning the aspects of life around you, questioning life, yourself, the government, and more importantly, their intentions. Also, the fact that Tris tries to push the idea out of her mind just emphasizes that she already is aware of what is going on, yet is too scared to admit it. I thought this connected a lot to the book we're currently reading in class, Brave New World, and how they are conditioned to hate the country (the outside world) to stay locked in this society and not question what occurs beyond it. This makes me think about what is on the outside of the futuristic Chicago setting in Divergent? The United States is a huge country, is the rest barren and destroyed by war, or go about life with what we call normal? Also, i am very curious to see where the budding relationship forming between Tris and Four ends up as Four is clearly so protective over her, it's adorable!
 * 2) The main strategy used in this passage is the tool of foreshadowing. The author foreshadows the idea of government control, and a possible new romance between Four and Tris. The foreshadowing is conveyed through the characterization of Tris and her divergent traits. She is naturally extremely curious, and the author uses her questioning to allude to the ideas of the government hiding things from their citizens. The author uses the device of rhetorical questioning which is even italicized in the text to showcase Tris's natural curiosity . Also, not conveyed in this specific passage, but right before, Robert couldn't even recognize Tris, conveyed another aspect of her character development and how drastically she has changed. The purpose of this passage through the foreshadowing techniques is to allude to bigger aspects that will be discussed later on in the text, specifically surrounding the government and inequality.
 * 3) Humans are naturally born with thoughts running through our minds, we are curious creatures. This idea of curiosity and free thought is a main topic in this passage, and connects to the essential question; "What does it mean to be human?" This society connects with that of Brave New World in the aspect of having separation in society in order to create perfection, but in turn just stripping people of identity and dehumanizing them. In Brave New World, people are predestined into careers and castes, as are people in this story, but instead tricked into thinking they have a choice when it comes to the choosing ceremony. The purpose of having the divergent aspect in this story is to convey what makes up human beings, which is curiosity. This passage also connects to the second essential question; "What do our depictions of the future reveal about today's society?" In this passage alone, the author is alluding to the fact that this is what could be happening to us currently. We could slowly be stripped of our own ideas and thoughts and not even know it. The depictions of the future, especially on drastic government control allude a lot to today's society and are there to make people more aware.
 * 4) Again, my previous points already reflect what i feel about the passage and it's purpose. It is there to convey the idea of curiosity and how much that makes us who we are. The author uses the idea of divergent to highlight this concept more clearly to the intended audience, who could be blind to this and falling under government control. Also having everything predestined in order to create a balance and equality only to create more inequality connects to my first wiki post and the topic that i have chosen to focus on the most; inequality. This book is surrounded around the concept of creating an illusion of equality, but having a corrupt government system which has it's own agenda, and which hides things from the citizens. I really wonder where this will lead into the future, and is Tris will figure out what the locked fences actually mean.

Wiki Post #5: Passage 4: Pages 481-482:

 * Passage Context:** In the following passage, Tris has been rescued from her death at the hands of Jeanine after she found out that both her and Tobias (Four) were divergent. Jeanine put most of the Dauntless under a simulation which brainwashes them to kill all the members of the Abnegation faction. Since Tris was divergent, the serum did not work on her, and therefore it was found out that she is Divergent. In this passage, she is running from brainwashed dauntless soldiers and from Jeanine's Erudite accomplices to find Tobias and stop the simulation and dauntless soldiers from killing all the Abnegation.




 * 1) The story is really reaching a climax as the ending is very action packed. Tris and Tobias were taken by Jeanine as she explained how she put everyone in Dauntless under a simulation to kill all the Abnegation members. I chose this passage because it showcased a new relationship foreshadowed before, but more explicit now; a relationship between Tris and her mother. Also, this passage is so important because it finally discusses and reveals the meaning behind the title of the book--Divergent. This passage reveals that Tris's mom was also divergent, and through that, she explains the danger behind it. Clearly, surrounding the events occurring, a war has started in this "peaceful" society, all because Erudite decided to destroy Abnegation. This again connects to government control as Abnegation was the faction in charge of the government, and that is the reason that Erudite wants to take over it. The mother/daughter bonding over the subject of both being divergent is refreshing, as this story doesn't have many sweet moments like these. I also love the quote "Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again." Shows so much wisdom from her mother, and social critique that i will discuss in the next bullet.
 * 2) The main strategy used in this passage was the symbolism of divergence, this society as a whole, and Tris's relationship with her mother. In this passage, dialogue between Tris and her mother is used to convey the meaning and symbolism of divergent, and it goes back to government control. Being divergent in this society means that one cannot be manipulated by the government. Divergents can't be conditioned to think a certain way, and in that sense threatens this factioned system. But in reality, divergents just symbolize normal human beings and citizens in a society. It is human nature to have free thoughts and not be confined to just one way of thinking, and that is what the author is trying to portray in this story. The society is just used to symbolize and parallel with ours, as Roth is warning the audience of the government's attempts to control our minds. Roth uses this society to make the audience more aware of being conditioned, or being "divergent" The quote that i chose in the previous bullet highlights the failed attempt at creating a perfect society in this story. As much as they try to make everything good and maintain order, it's only innate that failure and evil reappears, because it's inevitable. It's in our nature. Finally, the relationship between Tris and her mother is there to give Tris the added strength that she needs and can only be given from a mother, to succeed and beat Jeanine and the Erudite. The added strength is evident in the last sentence of this passage as Tris finally recognizes that she "cannot be controlled."
 * 3) As discussed previously, this passage most definitely connects to the question "What does it mean to be human?" as that is the main aspect of the whole story. Divergence is used to convey what being human means. They are viewed as dangerous and odd when in reality they just embody what a normal human being is. One that cannot be conditioned to one way of thinking because that goes against human nature. That aspect connects a lot to "Brave New World", and conditioning seems to be a theme that comes up in almost all dystopian novels. This also connects to the second and third question posing questions about what depictions of the future reveal about society today, and how language and images can be used to manipulate people's minds. To connect to the second question, the author reveals that the events that occur in Divergent are just dramatized versions of how the government manipulates everyone into becoming perfect citizens. Also, the individual logos for every faction are used to give more meaning behind every faction, and at the end of the day are used to manipulate the citizens into feeling like they really stand for something, when in reality they are just conditioned to feel that way.
 * 4) Reflecting on the points i discussed in this wiki-post, divergence is used to symbolize human in their natural states, free of any manipulations or conditioning that the government tries to impose. A common theme in this passage is that of control; both self control and mind control. Tris gains self control when she realizes that being divergent means that she cannot be manipulated by the government. That is another common theme within all dystopian novels, and which was also discussed in previous posts. But, focusing on inequality, this passage discusses the factions which surround inequality, and the inequality faced by the divergents as they are automatically discriminated against for having the ability to think for themselves. This book was so good and opened my eyes to a lot more about the society we live in now.

Wiki Post #6: Final Analysis of Social Critique:
[|Government Conditioning]