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Chapter 16
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Divergent, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity, Choice, and Divergence
Strength, Selfishness, and Selflessness
Competition, Groups, and Rivalries
Fear, Bravery, and Maturity
Women and Sexuality
Summary
Analysis
Tris spends her day trying to keep busy. She eats lunch in the dining hall by herself. Uriah, Tris’s teammate from the capture the flag game, greets her and invites her to “a little initiation ritual.” Uriah takes Tris to the train, and they join with some of Uriah’s friends, including Shauna and Uriah’s older brother, Zeke. Uriah tells Tris that Four would never come on this ritual. Tris deduces that her challenge must involve heights, seemingly the only thing Four is frightened of.
It’s notable that Tris is making friends among the Dauntless recruits, not just the transfer recruits—clearly, her bravery and talent haven’t gone unnoticed among Uriah and the others. Four’s fear of heights (in contrast to Tris’s seeming fearlessness regarding them) is always portrayed as a simple example of how even someone strong and skilled like Four can have hidden weaknesses.
Themes
Uriah, Tris, and the others make their way to the abandoned Hancock building (a Chicago landmark) and take an elevator to the 100th floor. At the top of the skyscraper, they prepare to zip-line down a steel cable. Tris finds that she’s unusually calm and courageous about the prospect of sliding down the building—Uriah seems impressed with her. Tris slides down the building and feels weightless. She screams with joy. At the bottom of the building, Shauna congratulates Tris on her bravery.
It’s no coincidence that Tris has now proven her bravery three times by showing that she’s not afraid of heights. This symbolizes Tris’s willingness to take a “leap of faith”—to close her eyes and embrace the unknown. This is an impressive talent, and a sign that Tris is much calmer and more levelheaded than her peers.
Themes
Tris returns to the headquarters, where she’s satisfied to be able to tell her friends that she’s been spending time with the Dauntless-born recruits. Tris realizes that she’s been eager to bond with the people of Dauntless—which means that she’ll try extra hard to do well in the next stage of initiation.
Tris is beginning to feel comfortable among the Dauntless. She’s not competing with Uriah or Marlene—she’s just enjoying their friendship. For the time being, Tris believes that she’s a “true” Dauntless.
Themes
