NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD
Recently, I got the chance to watch the movie Divergent over Thanksgiving break. I was curious to see how this movie was since Divergent is one of my favorite books. I was pleasantly surprised by the film.
A Quick Introduction
Divergent, written by Veronica Roth, is a dystopian novel in future Chicago. To give you some context, Divergent is about a young teenager named Tris who has to decide between five factions. These five factions value different things and organize society. Abnegation – selflessness, Candor – truth, Erudite – intelligence, Dauntless – courage, and Amity – peace. To determine which faction Tris is to be placed in, she takes a test that tells you which factor you belong to. However, the test determines her to be Divergent–meaning she belongs to multiple factions. Unfortunately, this is extremely dangerous; the government cannot control divergence. After contemplating her results, Tris decides to join Dauntless. The story continues to describe her struggles as a Divergent and the corrupt faction Erudite.
My Ratings
Book – 10/10
Movie – 8.5/10
Comparing the Two
After watching the movie, the plot follows the story, but minor details are left out. For example, the film does not show how the evil leader of Erudite almost drowns Tris. While this scene is intense, it is crucial for Tris’ character development. Her character development changes her relationships with family and friends, which makes the story more engaging. The movie did a great job of bringing the book ‘to life’ and had accurate portrayals of the characters. However, as I mentioned earlier, the movie leaves out important plot details essential to making Tris a stronger, more determined character.
In comparison, the book dives into Tris’ more profound thoughts and emotions. In contrast, the movie doesn’t intricately show her graduation process from childhood to adulthood. In the part of the plot when the trainees attempt to murder Tris, the book describes the scene more graphically and shows Tris’s inner thoughts, which lead to her hatred towards other important characters. These parts of the story help to strengthen (and loosen) the bonds between Tris and her friends. I thought that these minor details made the story more interesting. Since the movie did not include these details, the plot was weaker. While Divergent is a great movie, the book is significantly better. Both of the book + movie are worth reading or watching. However, you should read the book first.
Divergent by Veronica Roth is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby
The film Divergent is also available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.