Leah WilsonElizabeth WeinMaria Snyder et al.Perseus - Divergent Thinking. YA Authors on Veronica Roths Divergent Trilogy

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DIVERGENT
THINKING

THIS PUBLICATION IS UNOFFICIAL AND UNAUTHORIZED. IT HAS NOT BEEN PREPARED, APPROVED, AUTHORIZED, LICENSED, OR ENDORSED BY ANY ENTITY THAT CREATED OR PRODUCED THE WELL-KNOWN DIVERGENT BOOK OR FILM SERIES.

2014 BenBella Books, Inc.

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First e-book edition: March 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Divergent Thinking : YA Authors on Veronica Roths Divergent Trilogy / edited by Leah Wilson.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-939529-92-3 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-940363-34-9 (electronic) 1. Roth, Veronica. Divergent series. 2. Young adult fiction, AmericanHistory and criticism. I. Wilson, Leah, editor of compilation.

PS3618.O8633Z58 2014

813.6dc23 2013049188

Copyediting by Brittany Dowdle, Word Cat Editorial Services
Proofreading by Jenny Bridges and Michael Fedison
Text design and composition by Silver Feather Design
Printed by Bang Printing

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COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

From Factions to Fire Signs 2014 by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Divergent Psychology 2014 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Mapping Divergents Chicago 2014 by V. Arrow

Choices Can Be Made Again 2014 by Maria V. Snyder and Jenna Snyder

Ordinary Acts of Bravery 2014 by Elizabeth Norris

Fear and the Dauntless Girl 2014 by Blythe Woolston

They Injure Each Other in the Same Way 2014 by Mary Borsellino

Secrets and Lies 2014 by Debra Driza

Bureau versus Rebels: Which Is Worse? 2014 by Dan Krokos

Factions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 2014 by Julia Karr

The Downfall of Dauntless 2014 by Janine K. Spendlove

Emergent 2014 by Elizabeth Gatland

Images 2014 by Risa Rodil, RisaRodil.com

Faction and Chicago location icons 2014 by Risa Rodil, RisaRodil.com

Water Tower Place photograph courtesy Jrissman, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WaterTowerPlaceMall.JPG

Harold Washington Library photograph courtesy Beyond My Ken, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Harold_Washington_Library_southwest_owl.jpg

Flamingo photograph courtesy Richie Diesterheft, http://www.flickr.com/photos/puroticorico/

CONTENTS

Rosemary Clement-Moore

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

V. Arrow

Maria V. Snyder and Jenna Snyder

Elizabeth Norris

Blythe Woolston

Mary Borsellino

Debra Driza

Dan Krokos

Julia Karr

Janine K. Spendlove

Elizabeth Wein

A lot of people have called the Divergent trilogy the next Hunger Games. Its a fair comparison in some ways: theyre both science-fiction dystopias with prickly, complex heroines. Theyve both left millions of readers thinking about them long after reading their final pages (even ifor maybe in part becausetheir endings were a little controversial). And, like many other dystopias, they both wrestle with the idea of control and how we resist it.

But where the Hunger Games engages with control on a societal level, the Divergent trilogy is more focused on the personal. Where the Hunger Games tells a story about rebellion and social change as much as it does about its protagonists efforts to subvert others use of her, Divergent is interested in a different kind of freedomfrom exploitation, yes, but also from the labels society puts on us and the subtle pressures of others expectations. From our individual fears and from our personal histories. These things may shape us, the Divergent trilogy says, but they do not control us.

Allegiant introduces us to two different, though interrelated, agents of control. First, theres the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, the organization that designed Tris city hundreds of years ago as an experiment, constantly monitors its goings-on, and steps in (either directly, by wiping memories, or American imperialiststyle, by supplying weapons to the side they like best) whenever that experiments integrity is threatened. Second, theres genetic damage, whichthe Bureau claimscontrols ones nature so thoroughly that the kindest thing to do for a GD is take away her identity and sequester her in a community where she can be more effectively controlled. (After all, look at the way they live outside those communities, in the fringe!)

At first, Allegiants focus on the Bureau and genetics makes the book feel like a strange departure from the earlier parts of Tris story. But it eventually becomes clear that this new world, the one outside the city, is just another version of the one we came to know in Divergent and Insurgent, that microcosm writ largea more familiar mirror, a world one step closer to our own, in which the trilogys earlier themes are reflected. Weve seen the unfeeling, arrogant scientists before, in Jeanine and the Erudite, who use their serums and superior knowledge to manipulate and control (in the case of the Dauntless, quite literally). Weve seen, in the factions, the idea that there is something innate that determines the course of your lifean inborn quality you can test for, that tells you who you should associate with and what jobs you can do.

In both worlds, Tris proves herself to be a hero. And in both worlds, she does so in a way that shows that heroism is a choice you make, not something youre born with.

In the context of the trilogys first two books, Tris is our hero because she is Divergentbecause she is aware during simulations, but even more important, because she cannot be contained by any one of her citys labels... even if she must pretend to be. Her Divergence puts her in danger, but it also means she has a choice: both at the Choosing Ceremony and in every moment after.

The thing is, though,