Before Insurgent

For those who are not aware of the book and the movie’s plotline, Divergent is a coming-of-age story about sixteen year old Beatrice “Tris” Prior who lives in a society in which peace is maintained with a “faction system.” In this system, the city’s inhabitants are divided into five factions, each of which value a different characteristic: Abnegation values selflessness, Amity values kindness, Candor values honesty, Dauntless values bravery, and Erudite values knowledge. Once a child reaches the age of sixteen, he or she must choose the faction he or she will remain in for the rest of their life. Tris, however, faces a unique problem. She is Divergent, and the faction system cannot confine her to one way of life. Her “Divergence” from society’s standards threatens those who wish to control the system, and she must learn to use her strengths to fight for what she believes in before it is too late.

As the dystopian and science fiction trends in books grow in popularity, book to movie adaptations have dramatically increased in number, though very few satisfy readers. Divergent started out on a good note for me. As a huge fan of the book, I was one of the many teens who had been eagerly awaiting the movie for a while. In the beginning, the book was portrayed almost perfectly, with the exceptions being those I understood were necessary to fit the time limit. However, as the movie continued, I became less and less satisfied. Significant character development of both major and minor characters was lacking, and many characters and events that would be necessary to the plot should a second movie be made were missing. Also, the majority of the last third of the movie had very little basis in the book’s plot. I understand that not everything from a book can make it on screen, but I feel that a better job could have been done.

Not everyone was as disappointed with the movie as I was. I saw many fans online embracing the movie wholeheartedly, and teens who had not read the book enjoyed the film as well. My partiality towards the books and the heightened standards I had regarding a book adaptation following Catching Fire made it hard for me to love the movie, but I can definitely see the appeal it has. Divergent is full of adventure, suspense, humor, romance, and futuristic elements that could one day exist in our own lives. The acting was incredible and the visuals were amazing. It is entertaining and offers a strong female main character who is unafraid to be herself and may serve as a role model for all NDA girls.

Rating: ★★★☆☆