Reason behind the creation of the factions? Do they work?

Discuss the June 2014 book of the month Divergent by Veronica Roth. While only Divergent--the first book of the series--is the book of the month, feel free to use this subforum to discuss the rest of the series or to talk about the movies, but make sure not to post spoilers unless noted in the topic title.
User avatar
Apogea
Posts: 129
Joined: 12 Jul 2014, 16:03
Bookshelf Size: 1
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-apogea.html

Re: Reason behind the creation of the factions? Do they work

Post by Apogea »

Factions make it easier to control the people, if you know exactly what they are supposed to be weak to, you can play off of that.
Peace may have had a part in it, but it clearly didn't work!
User avatar
allesha
Posts: 243
Joined: 08 Jul 2014, 14:39
Favorite Author: Scott Westerfeld
Bookshelf Size: 11
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-allesha.html
Latest Review: "Buenos Dias Lucy London" by Iza MacLeod
fav_author_id: 3521

Post by allesha »

roguexunited wrote:As I was reading the book I was constantly reminded of Lois Lowry's The Giver, where on paper everything sounded reasonable, but in practice it failed horribly. That is the sensation I got with Divergent. I also think that it was very clever to describe each fraction by its virtue because it becomes a distraction from what really is happening.
I do think that idea was a little commonplace because I can think of a whole bunch of other novels that have a very similar dystopian layout that simulates order. Brave New World, Guilliver's Travels (book 4), The Handmaid's Tale, to name a few.
I also think it was to distract people. If they keep trying to live up to the expectations of their faction, they won't have time to think of anything being wrong in their society, let alone do something about it.
Latest Review: "Buenos Dias Lucy London" by Iza MacLeod
sflaherty42
Posts: 52
Joined: 17 Jul 2014, 13:28
Bookshelf Size: 1
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sflaherty42.html
Latest Review: "Your Career in a Fish Bowl" by Michael L Wilson

Post by sflaherty42 »

They split people up based on personality trait to create the illusion of choice when the people in charge are still controlling everything. It obviously didn't end up very good.
Latest Review: "Your Career in a Fish Bowl" by Michael L Wilson
User avatar
SidnayC
Posts: 376
Joined: 04 Jul 2014, 11:14
Favorite Book: I am yet to read a book worthy
Currently Reading: Inescapable by Amy Bartol
Bookshelf Size: 7
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sidnayc.html
Latest Review: "Vampire prince" by Iris van Gorp

Post by SidnayC »

Although the factions were created with good intentions - to bring stability and peace, the chaos and conflict which ensues completely undermines that. In that sense it does not work no matter the intentions.
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you - Maya Angelou
Latest Review: "Vampire prince" by Iris van Gorp
toshilou
Posts: 106
Joined: 18 Jun 2014, 10:13
Favorite Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Favorite Book: The Fault in Our Stars
Currently Reading: The Night Circus
Bookshelf Size: 54
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-toshilou.html
Latest Review: "Outcast" by Marc Saville
fav_author_id: 5235

Post by toshilou »

***SPOILERS***

They believe that the factions were created to keep peace and that they divided themselves. We later discover in the series that the US government made multiple cities similar to this but with different methods. They split them into factions so that they could someday hope that people would heal and have every trait.

-- 18 Jul 2014, 21:18 --

But it did in fact cause problems that they didn't expect. Like the Erudite trying to take over
Latest Review: "Outcast" by Marc Saville
alex_
Posts: 111
Joined: 24 Jun 2014, 15:51
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-alex.html

Post by alex_ »

It's just another way to control people.
whero
Posts: 51
Joined: 07 Aug 2013, 01:53
Currently Reading: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Bookshelf Size: 124
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-whero.html
Latest Review: "The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician" by Tendai Huchu
Reading Device: 1400699894

Post by whero »

I was reading all these answers, and thinking why don't they mention [actual answer]? and then I realised, that information doesn't come through until the very last book, I read them all in such quick succession, I couldn't remember where the story left off for the first book. In any case, I can say without giving anything away, that the factions were indeed created to keep the peace and to encourage the promotion of each trait. That it didn't last... well it gives too much away if I say more.
Latest Review: "The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician" by Tendai Huchu
User avatar
Adurna101
Posts: 75
Joined: 27 Jul 2014, 22:10
Favorite Author: John Flanagan
Favorite Book: Hidden Empire
Bookshelf Size: 2
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-adurna101.html
Latest Review: "Extinction" by Daleen Viljoen
fav_author_id: 4299

Post by Adurna101 »

The creation of the factions were for peace, for control. As anything that is 'perfect' it can only work for so long. People forget the reasons for making the factions, you have one person that wants control from a different faction, and suddenly it all falls apart. So. Do they work? Yes, but the fact that they ended up failing, is no surprise at all.
Aim to Misbehave!

Check out my Reviews at; http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-adurna101.html
Latest Review: "Extinction" by Daleen Viljoen
User avatar
colemaba
Posts: 148
Joined: 07 Jul 2014, 17:06
Favorite Author: I can never decide
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 21844">the hinger games</a>
Currently Reading: Enders Game
Bookshelf Size: 39
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-colemaba.html
Latest Review: "Angel of Destiny" by T.L.Adams

Post by colemaba »

Though it can be argued that they were created for peace, I think it is mainly for control. I think that they can work, but it is unstable. It is only a matter of time before the people realize that they are being controlled and in turn desire their freedom. When this happens, the system falls apart and ultimately they fail.
Latest Review: "Angel of Destiny" by T.L.Adams
User avatar
NanoWasabi
Posts: 98
Joined: 10 Mar 2014, 12:42
Favorite Author: JRR Tolkien
Favorite Book: Watership Down
Currently Reading: Atlas Shrugged
Bookshelf Size: 49
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nanowasabi.html
Latest Review: "MXX: Agent Soldier" by Donald Schlising

Post by NanoWasabi »

I think that the biggest problem was that the factions were so segregated from each other. If everyone got to experience living in each faction before they had to make their choice, a lot more people would have been happy where they were. Also, there should have been no faction-less people; if someone doesn't seem cut out for a faction, let them try a different one instead of just throwing them out in the cold.
Latest Review: "MXX: Agent Soldier" by Donald Schlising
User avatar
lilmissmusicz
Posts: 6
Joined: 28 Sep 2014, 15:21
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lilmissmusicz.html

Post by lilmissmusicz »

I think the intent of the factions was to give everyone a place and a purpose. At least that was how it would be viewed from within the factions. With so many factionless and the truth behind the genetic purity it shows that it wasn't a strong enough system to actually withstand anything longterm. I think any of these dystopian novels trying to oppress human nature are going to run into trouble regardless though.
User avatar
lisateb
Posts: 80
Joined: 21 Sep 2014, 16:06
Bookshelf Size: 1
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lisateb.html
Latest Review: "Burning Secret" by Stefan Zweig

Post by lisateb »

I think it was to keep some sort of order, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it was to keep the peace. None of these fractions were completely peaceful, and it didn't seem like they lived in a peaceful society. It seemed a way to keep people working, and to keep people "in their place." It of course, is all an illusion of personal choice, but when the individual is only allowed to choose from a few options what is really going on? Fraction before blood is almost a way of teaching that the only real choices are what is good for the fraction and the rules within it. There is no real personal freedoms, so the only thing I can think of is the fractions are used to keep order, and to keep tabs. If you can control the very choices the public has, then you can make them do almost anything if you teach it's for the good of the Fraction.
"Why understand when you can believe?" Christopher Moore, Coyote Blue
Latest Review: "Burning Secret" by Stefan Zweig
User avatar
yoeyhayne13
Posts: 3
Joined: 28 Sep 2014, 16:04
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by yoeyhayne13 »

I don't actually see the point of fractions or districts. Cause in the end they never work out

-- 28 Sep 2014, 17:26 --

I don't actually see the point of fractions or districts. Cause in the end they never work out
User avatar
SharisseEM
Posts: 273
Joined: 30 Sep 2014, 04:32
Favorite Author: Mia Sheridan
Favorite Book: Stinger
Bookshelf Size: 34
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sharisseem.html
Latest Review: "The Bonding" by Imogen Keeper
fav_author_id: 3312

Post by SharisseEM »

It worked for a while as we've seen in the novels but there will always come a time when someone stands up and when they do, a rebellion ensues. It happened in Divergent with Tris, in The Hunger Games with Katniss, in Matched with Cassia and Tally in Uglies. You try to contain people but you can't influence their emotions nor can you control it. Rebellions occur because of emotions.
“I don't suffer from my insanity -- I enjoy every minute of it.”
Latest Review: "The Bonding" by Imogen Keeper
User avatar
Adurna101
Posts: 75
Joined: 27 Jul 2014, 22:10
Favorite Author: John Flanagan
Favorite Book: Hidden Empire
Bookshelf Size: 2
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-adurna101.html
Latest Review: "Extinction" by Daleen Viljoen
fav_author_id: 4299

Post by Adurna101 »

The creation of the factions is a good idea. But it could never last. Corruption would find it's way in, and then it would all be over. A society like the one proposed in Divergent, can only survive so long, without maintenance. The maintenance that would have to be utilised, would be something akin to the Hunger Games.
Aim to Misbehave!

Check out my Reviews at; http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-adurna101.html
Latest Review: "Extinction" by Daleen Viljoen
Post Reply

Return to “"Divergent" by Veronica Roth”