What do you make of "Faction Before Blood"?

kasi33 · Post by **kasi33** » 10 Jul 2014, 23:53

Scott wrote:The following discussion question was included in some copies of the June book of the month, Divergent by Veronica Roth.

How does the idea of “faction before blood” come into play throughout the book? Do you think this idea has a place in today’s society, or is it contrary to what most people believe? In our society, what ideas and beliefs are people loyal to in the way Tris’s society is loyal to the concept of the factions?

I believe that "Faction before blood" is real in our society, in the form of religion.

Books_are_Life · Post by **Books_are_Life** » 13 Jul 2014, 19:43

I see it as having two kinds of family that most of us have today. You got the family that you are related to that is the "blood" then you got the family that you choose or that forms "faction". Now witch one you put first in your life depends on you and your situation. For me it is "blood".

kismoody · Post by **kismoody** » 14 Jul 2014, 19:49

To me, it always felt kind of like what Hitler did. Government first, then family. Like, if it came between you and your family, faction was what you should pick. No stepping out of the norm either. It always felt like you had to fit into the cookie cutter mold of the faction as well or you might suddenly go missing. An odd way of putting it, but that's what it felt like to me.

allesha · Post by **allesha** » 15 Jul 2014, 20:29

I think that faction before blood is one way they were able to control everyone. With faction ahead of everything else, whatever your faction leader says goes and this means that if the leader is corrupt, like Eric, it is much easier to corrupt the rest of the faction (or if not corrupting them, swaying their decisions about anything). It means having your faction as your family and it is much easier to control five families than thousands of families.
Faction before blood probably also caused a lot of young people to make the wrong decision for themselves about which faction to choose because they did not want to leave their families, because they didn't want to disappoint their families, or because they wanted to get away from their families.

Apogea · Post by **Apogea** » 15 Jul 2014, 20:42

Faction before blood is an easy way to control what is going on in each faction, and let people switch to a different "family" if they don't like the one they have.
I think it is a great control technique for factions, since if everyone that was a transfer went right back to their families all the time, the faction they are currently in would never get anything accomplished itself.

In our society, family comes before friends, so it is fairly opposite of faction before blood.

addy · Post by **addy** » 15 Jul 2014, 22:21

I think its good to be loyal to your faction, but you should also be loyal to your family

sflaherty42 · Post by **sflaherty42** » 17 Jul 2014, 23:55

"Faction before blood" is an idea that a government would come up with to have it's citizens believe that it is the most important thing. A big theme in the book is control and their government is taking control by instilling the idea of faction before blood in it's citizens. I would personally always choose family. They come before everything. But, with a controlling government, the decision could be very difficult. People could be torn between their family and what they are told will make them happy.

Gynxie_Masters · Post by **Gynxie_Masters** » 08 Aug 2014, 03:52

Faction before blood...

That one simple statement brings up an array of feelings for me.

First... NO!!!! As a parent I cannot imagine the pain the parents went through while abiding by faction change rules.

Second..... Why not? As a child of a fairly disfunctional family and broken home I yearned to flee and grow up and choose my own path. I created a clan of renaissance reenactors of 50+ people who I, most of the time, consider more family than I the one I was born into. So I agree with making a hard choice and making my own family and feeling loyalty from "faction" more than blood.

It seems the Divergent society is emotionless. They try and take the humanity (emotions) out of decision making. And while that is noble in the interest of a newly reformed city after devastation, it isn't practical.

It's good in theory, but it fails in a society as 100% of society does not agree with it. This leads to the characters feeling restrained, which naturally leads to rebellion.

Adurna101 · Post by **Adurna101** » 09 Aug 2014, 01:31

Fascinating question. It is something that as much as we can try to understand, we just won't be able to, within our cultural and societal boundaries. I don't understand how anyone could ever place faction over their blood, but lets think of something akin to this. As you grow up at home, in India, your last name might be Smith say (we also have to presume that this is a woman for this example), and so you see all this family of yours, but then suddenly, you are placed into an arranged marriage. Your last name is now Lewis, you leave the country and go to Europe where your husband's family lives (even though they are Indian), and never see your family again, until 45 years later. Would you still consider them your 'family'? Well, by blood they would, but in actuality, they would no longer feel like your family. I think this is really what's going on here.

2Friendly · Post by **2Friendly** » 09 Aug 2014, 21:02

I feel like the "Faction before Blood" thing is a bit ridiculous. Especially since then you're always around people who think like you. If they still honored their family relationships after they moved factions, then there would be more give and take between the factions, and they would be able to understand different perspectives and respect other factions more than they do now.

colemaba · Post by **colemaba** » 17 Aug 2014, 13:19

I think its a bit crazy and a bit scary. It reminds me of a cult. You always have to side with people who are exactly like you. There isn't room for difference of opinion.

Rizmatiz · Post by **Rizmatiz** » 21 Aug 2014, 14:30

It's interesting because the "Faction Before Blood" reminds me a little of Rumspringa- when Amish teenagers have exploration outside of their Amish culture. You may be wondering why I'm making the connection. Tris is around the same age and has to decide between remaining in her faction with her family or venturing out on her own, to go where she believes she belongs. It's not an easy decision, but ultimately she has to choose the decision that's best for her.

I think it's also important to note that some families are not blood and are equally supportive and powerful. Tris opens up to people in her faction who become like family. She doesn't forget her family - she doesn't put them lower than her faction. She runs to her brother when she's struggling with her own faction. She tries to save her family, her mother visits her and warns her of things to come. Even with the idea of "faction before blood" the characters made decisions based on who they cared about and what was most important in the moment. It's not always clear-cut.

Carissa1623 · Post by **Carissa1623** » 23 Aug 2014, 22:23

If you have a bad relationship with your family as Four did in his situation Faction before Blood would be the best option. But if you had a good relationship with your family it would be hard to leave them and never seee them again if you pick a different faction that just sounds terrible. I would never want to love in a world where the people who tool care of you your whole life just dissapeared like they never existed. Faction before blood would be the one of the worst things I could ever imagine but to think of starting a new family wit people just like you with your bravory, kindness, compassion, or truth that would be one of the greatest things I think would help our world but being stripped away from our past I couldnt do it. People say to move foreward forget the past just look for tomorrow and every tomorrow after that but our past makes us human and the people in it make us who we are.

ravenclaw · Post by **ravenclaw** » 28 Aug 2014, 16:37

I don't agree with the term 'faction before blood' because I don't like the way it's alluding that you don't have a choice; that you must always go with that same group. In some cases the faction might not be the right choice...and also some cases family wouldn't be the ideal choice.

EnciuDana96 · Post by **EnciuDana96** » 29 Aug 2014, 02:38

I was raised with the idea that nothing should come before family. My mother used to say that family may not always say what you want to hear, but they will always have your best interest at heart. This might have been because our family is just my parents and I, but I think that nothing should ever come before parents, husband/wife, children.