Allegiant Chapter 5: Tris

Post-trial, Tris goes looking for Fourbias.

“I see Tobias standing in the middle of the lawn, wearing mixed faction colors—a gray T-shirt, blue jeans, and a black sweatshirt with a hood, representing all the factions my aptitude test told me I was qualified for. A backpack rests against his feet.”

So basically dressing like a male college student/any guy working at a tech start-up is dressing Divergent-chic?

In case this scene didn’t feel collegy enough, Tris and Fourbias start making out on the quad on Erudite’s front lawn, and Fourbias points out that they’ve never been on a real date. How they don’t classify their time together as prisoners at Erudite quarters as a date is beyond me.

In traditional Divergent fashion, Tris and Fourbias’ date takes place in a location that is so intricate it takes pages to describe, but in my mind just looks like a big metal lump.

We reach the end of the lawn. The metal structure is larger and stranger up close than it was from far away. It’s really a stage, and arcing above it are massive metal plates that curl in different directions, like an exploded aluminum can. We walk around one of the plates on the right side to the back of the stage, which rises at an angle from the ground. There, metal beams support the plates from behind. Tobias secures his backpack on his shoulders and grabs one of the beams. Climbing. […]
Tobias climbs to a spot where two metal plates meet in a V, leaving enough room for two people to sit. He scoots back, wedging himself between the two plates…

I would also like to point out that moving forward I’d like to start describing events like so: “He picked up his fork and started moving food towards his mouth. Eating.” While also elaborately describing the table the diner sitting at in as confusing a way as possible. FOR THE READER’S BENEFIT OF COURSE.

[Matthew says: Okay, I hate to be the spoilsport here, but since I grew up in the Chicago area, I actually know exactly what she’s talking about, and to be totally fair, I have no idea how the fuck to describe this thing either.

Don’t ask why it looks like that. The early 2000s were a weird time.

There’s probably a point to be made though about how I literally had to live where the book takes place for me to know where they were, though.]

Furthering the college vibe, Fourbias asks if Tris wants to get shitty have a drink.

“He takes a blanket out of his backpack and covers us with it, then produces two plastic cups.

“Would you like a clear head or a fuzzy one?” he says, peering into the bag.

“Um . . .” I tilt my head. “Clear. I think we have some things to talk about, right?”

Is underage drinking a thing in the Divergent world? We haven’t heard enough about their drinking policies. [Matthew says: Well, it depends on – you guessed it! – THE FACTION SYSTEM. We saw people getting shwasty all over the place in the first book in Dauntless camp, but they’re the high school dropout Hot Topic parkour demographic, so I imagine that, say, Abnegation wouldn’t be so into this. And all of Amity is stoned, so idk, there’s a lot of problems in this scientific experiment to save the human race.]

They finally have a completely reasonable conversation where they explain their actions without flipping out at each other, promise not to lie and to trust each other moving forward. Fourbias even forgives Tris for working with his father behind his back without much fanfare at all. Seriously, it’s shockingly straightforward and doesn’t devolve into complete and utter nonsense.

 “Well,” he says. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t respect you.”

High five, book. High five.

If you were worried that Allegiant wasn’t going to get back to its roots, let me assuage your fears. The Dauntless cake is delicious. Never forget. Always remember.

“This stuff is kind of gross,” he says, draining his cup and setting it down.
“Yes, it is,” I say, staring at what remains in mine. I drink it in one gulp, wincing as the bubbles burn my throat. “I don’t know what the Erudite are always bragging about. Dauntless cake is much better.”

R.I.P. Beloved, Dauntless cake.

“I wonder what the Abnegation treat would have been, if they had one.”
“Stale bread.”
He laughs. “Plain oatmeal.”
“Milk.”

No! Not fair! That was going to be my joke. Except I was going to remind everyone about the delicious Abnegation muffins that the factionless went apeshit for. Never forget. Always remember the Abnegation muffins.

This seems like a clever way to bring up condoms, so Tris and Fourbias discuss what the Dauntless teach their kids about sex (really):

“Sometimes I think I believe everything they taught us,” he says. “But obviously not, since I’m sitting here holding your hand right now without having married you first.”
“What do the Dauntless teach about . . . that?” I say, nodding to our hands.
“What do the Dauntless teach, hmm.” He smirks. “Do whatever you want, but use protection, is they teach.”

[Matthew says: Personal anecdote time! My dad’s version of this was, “Well, I should probably give you the sex and drugs talk. Look before you leap, and don’t, in that order.” Thought I’d share that with ya.]

In a very heavy-handed fashion, Tris and Fourbias agree they need to find a middle ground between Dauntless and Abnegation’s sex policies. Just when you thought these two crazy kids couldn’t get anymore Divergent!

Tris and Fourbias make out and Fourbias takes off his shirt, in preparation for the Allegiant film adaptation of course, but they don’t have sex. However, Tris does “smell the wind on his skin,” which is the most confusing smell I’ve ever read about in my life.

Allegiant Chapter 6: Fourbias

Fourbias informs us that action is going to take place soon. I think it’s nice Veronica Roth feels like she has to warn us that the plot is going to move forward because it’s a very easy thing to miss in this series.

Fourbias also notes that he doesn’t think Evelyn trusts him as much as he’d like and that he’s not convincing her enough of his fake loyalty. Shortly after Fourbias’ revelation that the plot will soon move forward, many factionless gather for some sort of demonstration/protest. In the middle of breakfast, a bunch of them just jump up, run outside, and start chanting:

“Death to the factions!” and others pick up the phrase, turning it into a chant, until it fills my ears, Death to the factions, death to the factions. I see their fists in the air, like excitable Dauntless, but without the Dauntless joy. Their faces are twisted with rage.

Fair enough, I’ll chant to that as well. [Matthew says: I don’t see how this is the plot progressing. This has been the entire series.]

The protestors start smashing the bowls from the choosing ceremonies (the bowls the choosers spilled their blood into to indicate which faction they were joining.) This makes Fourbias sad because choosing ceremony nostalgia.

A fight breaks out, and Tris and Fourbias get caught in the middle of it until they hear three gun shots. Fourbias spots Edward – who had been leading the bowl smashing protest – lying in a pool of his own blood. Other people we don’t know die too.

I close my eyes. The faction bowls are printed on my eyelids, tipped on their sides, their contents in a pile on the street. The symbols of our old way of life, destroyed—a man dead, others injured—and for what?

For nothing. For Evelyn’s empty, narrow vision: a city where factions are wrenched away from people against their will.

She wanted us to have more than five choices. Now we have none.

I get that Evelyn is not a good person and all, but since when do we love the factions? Since when are they being “wrenched away from people”? [Matthew says: For all its faults, the first book at least had an undertone of menace, entirely vis a vis the faction system. But now all signs are pointing towards “SAVE THE FACTION SYSTEM”. I have no idea what this book is about.]

The chapter ends with Fourbias pretending to feel sorry for his mother for losing Edward who was apparently super tight with her (who knew). He angst a bit more about being a double agent just in case we’d forgotten that he’s not actually on Evelyn’s side.

My question for you is, how does wind smell?