Tris's Influence on Me by Gabi

Tris's Influence on Me by Gabi - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

I recently read a rather popular book ny the name of Divergent. Divergent is a Dystopian trilogy in which there are five factions, or groups, that all have different beliefs and personalities. At the age of 16, everyone is required to take an aptitude test. These aptitude tests give you different simulations, and your result is based on how you responded to each situation. The main character, Tris, was born into Abnegation, the caring, selfless faction. Tris, however, has never felt like she was selfless. She always struggled in her home faction, so she wasn't expecting Abnegation as her aptitude result. What she also wasn't expecting, was three results; divergent. The test is meant ot help you choose which faction to pick, and stay for the rest of your life. Tris's results were Dauntless (the brave, Erudite (the intelligent), and Abnegation. Tris had to make an important decision at the age of 16, a choice that would change her entire life. She ends up leaving her family to choose Dauntless,which ends up being highly more brutal that she thought. Even to get past, initiation she haas to fight, and hide the fact that she's Divergent. Their government tries to exterminate the Divergent because of the way they think. They aren't predictable like they're supposed to be. They can manipulate simulations and think in a highler level than the average person. Duantless is harsher on Divergents, and have previously killed them off during initiation.

What I love about Tris is she doesn't seem to realize what a good person she actually is. She never thought of herslef as selfless, but she is. She is also very brave, which ends up not only saving herself, but her friends. Tris is caring and selfless, but tough. Tris is very strong and independant. Whenever there is a dangerous situation, she always volunteers to take someone's place. I wish I was able to have the amount of bravery and selflessness as Tris does. Never before have I been so inspired by a fictional character.