Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Divulging the Divergent
Even after reading a book that's a sequel to Divergent,there's still a lot we don't know about people who are labelled "Divergent." And it's not just us. The word "Divergent" seems to strike fear into the hearts of men in the same way the words "Lisa Frank" do in our world.
However, it seems like the Divergent may simply be misunderstood. Marcus says, "They are immune to something to which you are susceptible, and that is a frightening thing" (18.14). It almost seems like the Divergent are superior, and that makes people nervous. People don't like being inferior.
The Divergent, whatever they are, seem to be the key to everything. Evelyn is tracking the Divergent, and many of the factionless are Divergent. "Those who can't confine themselves to a particular way of thinking would be most likely to leave a faction" (9.55), she says. They're the misanthropes who don't fit in, misunderstood creative geniuses.
Insurgent leaves us with a lot of questions. Are the Divergent people to be scared of? Do they want people to be Divergent? And if the goal is to make people Divergent—in other words, like Tris—is that a good idea? Would you want someone like her being in charge of anything?