Reader with a Cause discussion

“My will is mine...I shall not make it soft for you.” -Aeschylus, Agamemnon

Roth describes this quote as “integral to my discovery of Tris’s voice. I wanted to create a character who could and would deliver that line...Her voice is clipped, direct, and strong, just like these lines.”

After being told she was Divergent, and ultimately choosing Dauntless, Tris struggled with her identity and sense of belonging. In the end, she finds her strength and direction by defining herself as more than just her faction.

“I have no home, no path, and no certainty. I am no longer Tris the selfless, or Tris the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either.” (Chapter 39)

What do you think of our slight, yet strong heroine?

Did you like her or identify with her? Are there any passages from the book that really made you understand or empathize with Tris?

How do you think she compares to heroines in other contemporary Young Adult series – like Bella Swan (Twilight), Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), Hermione Granger (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), or Clary Fray (City of Bones)?

While the rigid faction concept annoyed me, I really liked many of the characters, including Tris -- so much so that I immediately read books 2 and 3 in the trilogy as soon as I finished Divergent. Book 3 has some twists and turns that didn't make it my favorite, but I really liked books 1-2. Roth made Tris complex, strong, smart, and very likable.