Divergent: Chapter 28 Summary & Analysis

Tris has just failed her fear landscape test. The silver lining, she realizes, is that now Peter and his followers won’t think of her as a legitimate threat.

Tris, furious with herself for her poor performance, jumps onboard the train, and rides it into the heart of the city. She gets off at the Erudite headquarters, thinking that she’ll visit Caleb. At the headquarters, she’s able to walk inside without a fight—much to her surprise. The interior of the Erudite headquarters is dominated by an enormous library, decorated with a portrait of Jeanine, the leader.

Tris asks a librarian to help her find her brother, but the librarian refuses. As Tris becomes angry, she hears a voice—it’s Caleb, who’s surprised to see her. Caleb is wearing glasses, Tris notices, even though his vision is perfect.

Tris and Caleb take a walk outside the library, through a park (which Chicago natives will recognize as Millennium Park). Tris confesses that she wants to go back to Abnegation—she’s sick of Dauntless. Tris also makes it clear that she’s annoyed with Caleb, because he hasn’t visited her. Caleb asks Tris if she made the right choice in going to Dauntless, and Tris replies, “I don’t think there was one.” Tris notices that Caleb looks tired.

Tris asks Caleb about Jeanine, who’s been speaking about corruption in Abnegation. Caleb says he’s unsure if he believes Jeanine or not. Tris finds it surprising that Caleb is even considering Jeanine’s arguments, since his own parent is an Abnegation leader. She tries to reason with Caleb, but Caleb tells her that she’s not thinking clearly. Tris interprets this to mean that Caleb has become arrogant—he looks down on all non-Erudites. Caleb tells Tris that she should leave, and Tris gets up to go. She mentions to Caleb that Natalie wants him to research serum.

As Tris tries to leave the Erudite headquarters, two guards tell her to come with them. They take her to Jeanine’s offices. Jeanine tells Tris about her aptitude tests: there was some kind of glitch, and the results were never recorded. Jeanine points out that Tris is one of only two people in history to switch from Abnegation to Dauntless. Tris has no idea why she’s in Jeanine’s office, but she can sense that Jeanine suspects her of being dangerous.

Tris tries to play the part of a Dauntless recruit: arrogant, cocky, and bold. She tells Jeanine that she’s the best recruit the Dauntless have, and this seems to reassure Jeanine that Tris is harmless. Tris also says that she doesn’t miss her parents in the slightest—her real family is in Dauntless. Jeanine asks Tris if she agrees with the reports Jeanine has been publishing. Tris lies and says that she does.

After meeting Jeanine, Tris is driven back to the Dauntless headquarters in a car. When she returns to Dauntless, she finds Eric waiting for her. Eric, who recognizes the car as Erudite, accuses Tris of betraying Dauntless, and takes her to Tobias. Eric says that Tris is a dangerous spy, associating with other factions—something which Tobias immediately disputes. Tris, remembering Tobias’s advice, forces herself to cry, so that she seems weak and frail. Tobias says that Tris tried to kiss him, and ran off after Tobias turned her down. Eric laughs and seems to accept this relationship.

Alone, Tobias apologizes to Tris for being harsh with Tris during the simulation. He compliments Tris on pretending to be weak—he recommends that she continue to use this strategy. Tris kisses Tobias, and Tobias tells her to meet him alone at 11:30.

Back in the dormitory, Christina asks Tris where she’s been all day, and if Tobias is angry that Tris hit him. Tris doesn’t tell Christina where she’s been, and Christina moves on to another topic: Will kissed her. Tris is happy for Christina, and wishes she could tell her friend about Tobias.

Christina tells Tris more about herself. Christina spent most of her childhood believing that she’d become a Candor. The Candor initiation ritual, she remembers, involves taking truth serum and spilling every secret. The great advantage of living in Candor, she says, is that there’s no manipulation: everyone says exactly what’s on their mind. Christina could never have been in Candor, she claims, because she likes to be in control of her own mind.

Late at night, Tris meets up with Tobias as planned. Tobias takes Tris to the train, and they jump onboard. Tobias and Tris kiss and touch each other, and Tobias notices Tris’s collarbone tattoo. After some time, they arrive at their destination: Erudite headquarters. Tobias points out that the Erudites are violating protocol by keeping their lights on late into the night.

Tobias explains to Tris what they’re doing here. Tobias has found reports in the Dauntless compound that look like war plans, seemingly intended for a war against Abnegation. Tobias guesses that the Erudites’ newspaper stories have been designed to stir up hatred of Abnegation, making it easier for a full-scale rebellion. Tobias wonders aloud how the Erudite are going to manipulate the other factions into fighting against Abnegation.