The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant(2)
Author: Veronica Roth

Erudite: characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly

VERONICA: The word “erudite” focuses on knowledge rather than intelligence—intelligence being something you’re born with and can’t necessarily control, and knowledge being something that you acquire. I find that interesting, given what I know about Erudite.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Obviously I have a thing about names, or else Beatrice would not have become Tris, and Four would have gone by Tobias in the beginning. I believe the names we choose on our own can be powerful, and they can embody a new identity for us.

When I was young my mother wanted to call me Nikki (a less popular short form of Veronica) and I absolutely refused to respond to it. The same thing happened when people tried to call me Ronnie. I just wasn’t having it. The nickname I chose was V. I think it’s because it sounded less cutesy or girly. What I chose for myself was something that fit with my personality—I’m not exactly cutesy. (Though I am girlier now than I ever used to be—maybe that’s why I don’t go by V as much anymore?)

Name changing is also interesting from a religious perspective. In the Torah, when a biblical figure has an encounter with God, sometimes he or she is given a new name. Abram to Abraham, for example. Jacob to Israel. Sarai to Sarah. Same thing in the Bible—Saul becomes Paul; Simon becomes Peter. This usually signals the beginning of some kind of transformation or indicates that a transformation has already taken place.

If you want a more current example, think Mr. Anderson versus Neo in the Matrix movies, or Augustus versus Gus in The Fault in Our Stars (a little different, but interesting to consider, I think), or Andrew versus Ender in Ender’s Game, or Tom Riddle versus Voldemort in the Harry Potter books and movies, or Anakin versus Darth Vader in Star Wars. (Wow, apparently I really am attracted to this concept, because it’s in all the things I like. . . .)

It’s like we have some kind of need, once we feel that we have changed, for people to call us something different. Is it for us, to suit the way we see ourselves? Or is it for them, to force them to think of us differently? Or a combination of both?

It’s these musings about names that led to the Tobias/Four divide in the first place. Four views Tobias as the name of a helpless little boy, so he chooses Four as the name of his adult self in an attempt to leave the pain behind him. It signifies his strength rather than his weakness. But what he finds is that he can’t ignore his past; it keeps creeping up on him, especially in his fear landscape. So in DIVERGENT, he “gives” Tris his old identity—he trusts her to know his vulnerable side, the side of the child and not the man. She recognizes the significance of this, which is why she starts to call him Tobias. It’s the name he gave to her, the one he trusted her with, and she begins to treasure it for that reason.

In INSURGENT, this name issue becomes a bit more complicated, but for Tris it’s the same. Tobias is the name she chooses for him, because it represents his secret self, the one he showed her and her alone. She calls him Four when she’s with other people, to help him keep his secrets, but in her head, he’s always Tobias.

Now, I like the name Tobias (I seem to be in the minority, but that’s okay!) but I, like most of you, do prefer the name Four, and honestly, I always intended for him to be called Four most of the time. So I tried really, really hard to make some kind of shift in Tris’s mind so it would make sense for her to call him Four in INSURGENT. There are plenty of arguments for why she might do that, and I made all of them, I promise you. But what surprised me was that it never felt right; it didn’t feel like what Tris would really do. So Tobias it is. She’s very stubborn, you know. In INSURGENT, he’s Tobias 95 percent of the time, because that’s how Tris wanted it. You can feel free to keep calling him Four, though—I do!

CHOOSE YOUR FACTION

1. You most want your friends and family to see you as someone who . . .

a. Is willing to make sacrifices and help anyone in need.

b. Is liked by everyone.

c. Is trustworthy.

d. Will protect them no matter what happens.

e. Offers wise advice.

2. When you are faced with a difficult problem, you react by . . .

a. Doing whatever will be the best thing for the greatest number of people.

b. Creating a work of art that expresses your feelings about the situation.

c. Debating the issue with your friends.

d. Facing it head-on. What else would you do?

e. Making a list of pros and cons, and then choosing the option that the evidence best supports.

3. What activity would you most likely find yourself doing on the weekend or on an unexpected day off?

a. Volunteering

b. Painting, dancing, or writing poetry

c. Sharing opinions with your friends

d. Rock-climbing or skydiving!

e. Catching up on your homework or reading for pleasure

4. If you had to select one of the following options as a profession, which would you choose?

a. Humanitarian

b. Farmer

c. Judge

d. Firefighter

e. Scientist

5. When choosing your outfit for the day, you select …

a. Whatever will attract the least amount of attention.

b. Something comfortable, but interesting to look at.

c. Something that’s simple, but still expresses your personality.

d. Whatever will attract the most attention.

e. Something that will not distract or inhibit you from what you have to do that day.

6. If you discovered that a friend’s significant other was being unfaithful, you would . . .

a. Tell your friend because you feel that it would be unhealthy for him or her to continue in a relationship where such selfish behavior is present.

b. Sit them both down so that you can act as a mediator when they talk it over.

c. Tell your friend as soon as possible. You can’t imagine keeping that knowledge a secret.

d. Confront the cheater! You might also take action by slashing the cheater’s tires or egging his or her house—all in the name of protecting your friend, of course.

e. Keep it to yourself. Statistics prove that your friend will find out eventually.

7. What would you say is your highest priority in life right now?

a. Serving those around you

b. Finding peace and happiness for yourself

c. Seeking truth in all things

d. Developing your strength of character

e. Success in work or school

RESULTS

If you chose mostly As, you are ABNEGATION. You don’t like to draw attention to yourself, and you are more concerned about other people’s contentment than your own. You find joy and fulfillment in making other people happier, safer, and healthier. You believe that the world would be a better place if selfishness were not so widespread. Other people see you as somewhat difficult to get to know, but also as quiet and kind.