Natalie sure lays out a depressing theory of the world here: something will always go wrong. And, like mother, like daughter, Tris says something very similar to this earlier (31.76). But what's curious about Natalie's comment is how she accepts the failure of their society (factions aren't good, people aren't good) while holding up hope in family. Maybe that's a hint of what's to come after this world really hits the fan.

For Tris, a large part of growing up and getting her own identity is recognizing how her family members have their own identities. It starts with Caleb, who seems like the perfect kid, but who switches to the hated Erudite faction, and it goes on from there. Probably the most significant realization for Tris is this one, when she learns that her mom has her own identity and her own story.

Tris's mom gives her the talk here. No, not the talk about the birds and the bees—the talk about how faction leaders try to control people's thoughts but can't control the Divergents. This puts the whole "faction norms" thing in a different light: it's not just about a sense of community or anything, but about reducing the number of choices people make. It's about having "power" over people.