Chapter 10

Peter is officially a slimeball.  While Tris was in the shower he spraypainted "Stiff" all over her bed.  He won't even own up to it. Seriously, he's such a coward!  Tris has to fight the next day, and guess who her opponent is?  Peter.  Of course it has to be Peter who is stronger, taller, and more skilled.  How is this fair?  Anyway, Tris knows she has to try or risk being ranked last.  Long story short, she gets annihilated.

Something slams into my side and I scream for the first time, a high screech that belongs to someone else and not me, and it slams into my side again, and I can't see anything at all, not even whatever is right in front of my face, the lights out.  Someone shouts, "Enough!"

Four who is watching the fight even has to leave the room.  Beatrice thinks he leaves because it's not interesting enough for him.  She's so stupid! Obviously, he doesn't want to see her get beat up! 

When Tris wakes up she's in the Dauntless infirmary.  Al, Christina, and Will came to visit her.  Will and Chritina leave a little later to go eat, and Al hangs back to talk to Tris. 

Al tells Tris he lost his fight because he doesn't like hurting people and doesn't want to be known as the guy who knocks people out cold.  I like Al, he's a nice guy who joined Dauntless to protect people, not beat them up.  He also has a little crush on Tris, but he's not exactly a poet.  Obviously.

"Your face doesn't look that bad." He smiles a little.  "I mean, it looks good.  It always looks good.  I mean--you look brave.  Dauntless."

After Al leaves Tris starts thinking about Visiting Day that's coming up.  She starts to cry because she knows her parents probably won't show up to see her.  It's sad to think that she may never see her parents again, just because she transferred factions.

       

 

Chapter 9

The fights begin!  Tris is lucky and doesn't have to fight the first day, because there is an odd number of people.  I just want Al and Will are the first fight.  Al asks when the fight ends and Eric says when one cannot continue.  Four says that one of them could also concede. Apparently though, only in the old rules did that apply.

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others," says Four.  "A brave man never surrenders," replies Eric.

Al ends up winning the fight with his brute strength.  Four leaves the initiates with Eric while he takes Will out of the room.  Bad move.  Molly and Christina fight next.  Molly is a transfer from Candor, and Christina has told her before she hates her.  During the fight Christina gets beat up badly.  She says she's done and gives up to save herself more pain.  Eric, who sees her surrender as cowardice, forces her to hang over the side above the raging river.  Christina has to hold onto the railing for five minutes.  If she falls she'll die, and if she refuses to do it then she becomes factionless. 

Tris and the other initiates are forced to watch.  Everytime one of Christina's hands slip Tris wants to help, but is afraid of the consequences.  It reminds her of what her father always said.

Human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it.

With only a minute left Al starts to cheer Christina on and then Tris joins in.  Finally, the five minutes end and Christina lives to see another day in Dauntless.

This chapter made me so angry when I read it!  The fights are unfair, and why would you have initiates beat eachother up when they're probably going to be working together in the future.  And Eric is a sadist who obviously enjoys making people suffer.  I mean, none else would have thought to have someone hang over a dangerous river.  I'm starting to think that Four is the only Dauntless isn't completely psycho!



Chapter 8

Initiation starts.  All of the inititates are going to be learning to shoot guns and fight.  My favorite p
art of this chapter is when Four lets Peter have it.

"But what..." Peter yawns through his words.  "What does firing a gun have to do with...bravery?"  Four flips the gun in his hand, presses the barrelto Peter's forehead, and clicks a bullet into place.  "Wake. Up," Four snaps.  "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot.  Act like it."

Thr first time Tris hits the center of the target with a bullet she feels powerful and thinks that maybe she does belong in Dauntless. When they break for lunch Beatrice is creeped out by two other initiates kissing.  Christina, Al, and Will find this funny since they are not used to Abnegation values.



Al, Will, and Christina all give me the same knowing smiles.  "Your Abnegation is showing," says Christina.  "The rest of us are alright with a little affection in public.

After lunch, the initiates begin training to fight.  This is not Tris's strong suit since she is very small and not muscular.  While she is practicing moves on a punching bag, Four comes over and gives her some advice.  He also touches her stomach telling her to keep it tight.  Beatrice is really starting to fall for Four.  And who wouldn't he's amazing!

At the end of the day Al decides he wants to get a tattoo.  Tris, in a very unAbnegation like move, Tris also gets one.  Three birds on her collarbone that represent each member of her family.  Tori works at the tattoo parlor and Tris trys to talk to her about being Divergent,  but she says it's not safe. 





Chapter 7

This Chapter wasn't the most excting.  Beatrice gets to see the secretive Dauntless compound.  It's a giant underground cave called The Pit.  Not very creative.  There are no old people in the compound, which I find a little disturbing, but Beatrice assumes that they must not last very long in Dauntless or they're sent away. 

Four leads the initiates into a dining hall and Tris gets introduced to a hamburger for the first time.  Christina is shocked, and frankly, so am I.  I really don't see how a hamburger is extravagent!

"Extravagance is considered self-indulegent and unnecessary."

Then we meet Eric.  He has a lot of piercings and long, greasy hair.  One word, gross.  He is a Dauntless leader and only eighteen.  Four was in the same initiate class as him, but he was ranked #1.  When he entered the dining hall, everyone got quiet.  Obviously, he is well respected...or feared. 

After dinner, the transfer inititates are led by Eric to .  While Eric is explaining the initiation process he mentions rankings.  He explains that not everyone will become a member of Dauntless, and those who don't will become factionless. This angers and scares many of the initiates.  It would scare me.  I mean, seriously?  I gave up my family and faction for Dauntless and it might have been all for nothing?

"You chose us, now we have to choose you."



(Obviously, he is way better looking than how Eric is described  in the book.)

Chapter 6

Beatrice is now a Dauntless initiate!  Personally, I was rooting for her to pick Dauntless.  Anyway, her first act of being a Dauntless initiate is to jump onto a moving train that will take her to the Dauntless headquarters.  She makes it, another intiate chooses not to.  If anyone fails to complete any part of initiation then they are considered factionless.  Some consider being factionless worse than death.  Beatrice meets Christina, a transfer from Candor.  They become friends after Christina helps Beatrice into the train.  After jumping onto the train the initiates have to jump onto a roof from the moving train.  (Sometimes I think the Dauntless confuse bravery with stupidity.)  Again, one girl fails to complete the task and ends up on the ground, dead. I think some of the initiates are now thinking, "what did I get myself into."  I know I would be thinking that. 

On the roof Beatrice meets Peter for the first time. I. HATE. HIM.  He seems to make it his mission to make fun of Beatrice for being from Abnegation.  Calling her a "Stiff."  But Tris doesn't let his teasing stop her from showing every other initiate up.  She is first one to jump off the roof into a hole to get into the Dauntless compound.  There's a net at the bottom and that's when she meets Four for the first time.  He's HOT!  Four asks what her name is.

"Think about it," he says, a faint smile curling his lips.  "You don't get to pick again."

"Tris," I say firmly.

Chapter 5

THE CHOOSING CEREMONY!  Where every sixteen year old chooses what faction they devote their life to.  Abnegation hosts this year's ceremony in the Hub.  Before Beatrice and Caleb go to sit with the other teens they're father and mother each say something to them.

My father kisses my forehead and claps Caleb on the shoulder, grinning.  "See you soon."

Before my mother pulls away, she turns her head and whispers in my ear, "I love you.  No matter what."

Her father has no doubt in his mind that his kids are going to join Abnegation, but their mother obviously knows about Beatrice's internal struggle.  Mother's intuition.  

I think the Choosing Ceremony would be fun to watch, as long as I wasn't the one who had to do the choosing.  In the center of the stage each teen takes a knife and cuts their hand dripping the blood in a bowl filled with an item that represents each faction.  Lit coals for Dauntless, glass for Candor, soil for Amity, water for Erudite, and gray stones for Abnegation.  Caleb chooses before Beatrice.  AND SHOCKS EVERYONE!!  He chooses Erudite!  Beatrice is shocked that her selfless (and seemingly perfect) brother goes to the faction Abnegation hates.  Then it's Beatrice's turn to choose her faction.  She has narrowed it down to two choices: Dauntless or Abnegation.  Beatrice now has two choices, she can leave her parents childless and go to Dauntless or she could stay in Abnegation. While she is accepting the knife from Marcus, Caleb nods to her, signaling he wants her to join Abnegation.  But Beatrice can't help thinking that if Caleb isn't fit for Abnegation, how could she?

With a gasp I can't contain, I shift my hand forward, and my blood sizzles on the coals.  I am selfish.  I am brave.

Chapter 4

By the time Beatrice reaches her house, Caleb is just getting home from school.  He knows something is wrong but when neither one of them want to talk about it they agree to let it drop.  At dinner that night we start learning about the Abnegation and Erudite feud.  Beatrice's father is a political leader and works closely with Marcus, another leader.  Jeanine  Matthews, Erudite leader, has been publishing articles attacking the integrity of Abnegation and Marcus. Beatrice knows that joining Erudite is not an option for her, because of her father's hatred of Erudite. Another interesting topic that comes up during dinner, is the aptitude test.  Beatrice's mother heard about a student that got sick and went home early.  Luckily, Caleb keeps Beatrice's secret and doesn't tell their parents it was Beatrice who went home. 

Usually after dinner is over, Beatrice and Caleb clean up, but that night they are allowed to go to bed early and think about the Choosing Ceremony the next day.  At the top of the steps before going to his room Caleb says something interesting to Beatrice, that shows just how well he can read her.

"Beatrice. We should think of our family. But we must also think of ourselves."

I think Caleb knows that Beatrice is struggling with the decision she will have to make tomorrow and is trying to help make it easier on herself.