Beatrice "Tris" Prior Quotes

I can't wage war against Abnegation, against my family. I would rather die. My fear landscape proved that. My list of options narrows, and I see the path I must take. I will pretend long enough to get to the Abnegation sector of the city. I will save my family. And whatever happens after that doesn't matter. A blanket of calm settles over me. (33.16)

Being undecided can be very painful, as we see when Tris makes up her mind and instantly feels calm. What's curious about this choice for Tris is that she sees it as hardly a choice: her "list of options narrows" and there's only one path she can take. That's the opposite of making a choice, right? ("I have to do this" vs. "I choose to do this.")

What a good actor he was. The thought makes me sick to my stomach, because even though I left them too, at least I was no good at pretending. At least they all knew that I wasn't selfless. (6.30)

Tris deals with her brother's secret in a classic, sisterly fashion: by feeling sick to her stomach. It's interesting that what really bothers Tris isn't the betrayal of the family—both kids left, after all. What really bothers her is how good he was at keeping that secret for so long.

Fear prickles inside me, in my chest and in my head and in my hands. I feel like the word "DIVERGENT" is branded on my forehead, and if he looks at me long enough, he'll be able to read it. But he just lifts his hand from my shoulder and keeps walking. (13.74)

Tris is worried that her secret about being Divergent is pretty obvious to Four. Which is the downside to keeping secrets: you're always worried that someone is going to find out. So here, while Four seems to be supportive, Tris still feels like she can't share her full identity with him.