Divergent Chapter 21 Quotes

Divergent Chapter 21 Quotes

How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)

I don't need them—but do I want them? Every tattoo I got with them is a mark of their friendship, and almost every time I have laughed in this dark place was because of them. I don't want to lose them. But I feel like I have already. (21.113)

Real talk: sometimes friends can get you down. Because they're all competing for the same thing, Tris and her friends sometimes fight—both literally (when they're punching and kicking in the arena) and, well, literally in a different way (when they're arguing about whether they can trust each other). Friendship sure is good and bad mixed together.

"Is he right?" Will asks quietly. "Are you trying to manipulate us?"

"How on earth would I do that?" I scowl at him. "I'm just doing the best I can, like anyone else."

"I don't know." He shrugs a little. "By acting weak so we pity you? And then acting tough to psyche us out?"

"Psych you out?" I repeat. "I'm your friend. I wouldn't do that." (21.45-8)

We know Tris isn't manipulating her friends. But it must be super weird to be friends with people most of the time and then try to beat them into unconsciousness the rest of the time. No wonder Will is unsure if he's being manipulated.

I nod. Four told me that Eric's vision for Dauntless is not what it's supposed to be, but I wish he would tell me exactly what he thinks the right vision is. I get glimpses of it every so often—the Dauntless cheering when I jumped off the building, the net of arms that caught me after zip lining—but they are not enough. Has he read the Dauntless manifesto? Is that what he believes in—in ordinary acts of bravery? (21.98)

This vision of the politics within the Dauntless faction tells us that there's a little fight going on over whether Dauntless should choose competition or teamwork as their main goal. So even though all the Dauntless have already made their One Big Choice, they've still got some littler choices to make about what that One Big Choice really stands for.