DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
INSTRUCTIONS
• Write “Quickwrites” at the top of the page
(and your name ).
• You have 30 minutes to write a page for
each “quickwrite”.
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
BIRTHDAYS
CHAPTER 1
What do you think about birthdays? Do
you like them? Are they a waste of time?
Tris’s faction thinks birthdays are selfindulgent. What do you think about that?
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
HUMAN QUALITY
CHAPTER 1
Tris’s world is divided into five factions, each of
which values a certain human quality as better
than other qualities.
Abnegation = selflessness
Dauntless = courage
Candor = honesty
Amity = peace
Erudite = knowledge
Which one of the 5 traits do you value most? Why?
DIVERGEN
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BEHAVIORS
CHAPTER 2
There are certain behaviors that each
faction is supposed to do even if its people
don’t want to. Can you think of any
behaviors in your Society that you are
required to do to fit in that you don’t want
to? Why don’t you want to do them?
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MEMORY
CHAPTER 2
Tris tells about her earliest memory of her
older brother? Think way back as far as you
can, and write about your earliest memory
of your brother or sister. If you don’t have
a sibling, write about your earliest memory
of your parents.
DIVERGEN
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DECISIONS
CHAPTER 2
Think about the different stages of Tris’s
aptitude test: the cheese and the knife the
dog the little girl and the man with the
photograph. Which part of her test would
you have the hardest time with? What
would your decision be? Why would it be
so difficult?
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COMMUNITY
CHAPTER 3
Tris’s mom told her that the most
important thing in life is Community -that if you can’t have a community, you
might as well not live. What are your
thoughts about that? Is her mom right?
How is her mom wrong?
DIVERGEN
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APTITUDE TEST
CHAPTER 3
Based on Tris’s test results, which faction
do you think your aptitude test would
reveal? Why?
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STRESSES
CHAPTER 4
Tris’s dad is a political leader in
Abnegation, and Jeanine Matthews has
been attacking him in the media. What
kind of stresses do your parents have at
work? Think about their job and what
being stress they might be under. Write
about it.
DIVERGEN
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READY?
CHAPTER 5
At the Choosing Ceremony, Tris is going to
choose the course of the rest of her life. Do
you feel ready to make that decision?
Would you rather someone else make it for
you? When do you think people are ready
to make that choice?
DIVERGEN
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GETTING TO CHOOSE
CHAPTER 5
At the Choosing Ceremony, Tris has the
thought that perhaps she isn’t really able
to choose her own future, but instead she
only gets to choose one of five paths that
somebody chose for her. Do you think
they’re really getting to choose their
future? Why or why not? And are you
getting to choose your future?
DIVERGEN
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AFTER
CHAPTER 6
After Tris has chosen her faction, she
confesses that she spent so much time
worrying about what she would choose but
didn’t think about what would happen
after she chose. Can you think of a time
when you chose something big but didn’t
think about what would happen after, and
it surprised you a lot, good or bad?
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MOVING TRAIN
CHAPTER 6
Describe what you think it would feel like
to jump onto a moving train. Use lots of
physical and emotional details.
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HAMBURGERS
CHAPTER 7
When the Dauntless sit down to eat,
Christina notices that Tris has never had
hamburger. Write about the most common
food that you have never eaten. Why
haven’t you eaten it?
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POWER & FEAR
CHAPTER 7
Tris’s father once said that “those who
want power and get it” live in fear of losing
it, which is why we must give the power to
those who don’t want it. What do you
think about those thoughts? (maybe it’s
leadership, governments, military, religion,
friends)
DIVERGEN
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COWARDICE
CHAPTER 8
Four says, “Preparation eradicates
cowardice,” which is “the failure to act in
the midst of fear.” How is that a good or
bad definition of “cowardice”? What is the
opposite of cowardice, and what is its
definition?
DIVERGEN
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POWERFUL
CHAPTER 8
When Tris is firing her gun, she thinks,
“There is power in something that can do
so much damage. In controlling something,
period.” What do you think she means by
that? What kind of power? And why does
controlling something make her feel
powerful? Does it have the same effect on
you?
DIVERGEN
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CONCEDE
CHAPTER 9
Dauntless rules say the two contestants
must battle until one of them cannot
continue or one of them concedes. Would
you fight? Would you win? Or would you
quit?
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SIDELINES
CHAPTER 9
How would you feel if you were the one
contestant who gets to sit on the sidelines
while everyone else fights? Would you be
relieved? Would you be scared that they
would get you back? Or would you be
excited that you got to see how all of them
fight before you face them?
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IGNORE
CHAPTER 10
After Peter spraypaints on her bed, Al says,
“Ignore him. He’s an idiot. If you don’t
get angry, he’ll stop eventually.” In your
experience, do people like Peter stop when
you ignore them? Why? Why not?
DIVERGEN
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WORST PAIN
CHAPTER 10
Peter beats Tris up real bad, so much that
when she wakes up, she is in a lot of pain.
What is the most pain you’ve ever
experienced? Describe it in detail.
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ABNEGATION
CHAPTER 11
Tris says, “Maybe there’s a little bit of
Abnegation in everyone, even if they don’t
know it.” What do you think she means by
that? How is she right? How is she wrong?
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COMFORTABLE
CHAPTER 11
Tris says that she doesn’t want to admit it,
but she feels more comfortable and safe
with Christina around. Do you have a
friend who helps you feel like that? What is
it about them that helps you feel
comfortable and safe? Or if you don’t have
a friend like that, would you want one?
Why? Why not?
DIVERGEN
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WINNING
CHAPTER 12
When they go to play paintball, a girl asks
what they get if they win. Eric says that’s
just the kind of question someone not from
Dauntless would ask. Is winning
everything? Or is there something more
important than winning? What would be a
better prize? NOTE: And don’t just say a
lot of money.
DIVERGEN
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SAVING YOUR LIFE
CHAPTER 12
When Tris is hanging from the ladder over
the city, Four saves her life. What is the
closest anyone has ever come to saving
your life? If you can remember, tell the
story. If you can’t remember, predict what
it would feel like.
DIVERGEN
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KNIFE
CHAPTER 13
Why does Four throw the knife to hit Tris’s
ear?
DIVERGEN
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GUILTY
CHAPTER 14
Should Tris feel guilty for what she did to
Molly in the battle ring? Which part should
she feel guilty for? Why? Or do you think
she did everything right?
DIVERGEN
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MOTHER
CHAPTER 15
When Tris’s mother visits her at the
Dauntless compound, they have a secret
conversation in a dark hallway. What do
you think about her mother? Describe her.
DIVERGEN
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JUST BE THERE
CHAPTER 16
Tris’s father once said that sometimes the
best way to help someone is to just be there
with them. How is he right? how is he
wrong?
DIVERGEN
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RANKED
CHAPTER 16
When the rankings come out, Tris is 6th.
Have you ever been ranked in anything
before (a contest, a performance, a
leaderboard)? What was your ranking?
What did it feel like? If you haven’t been
ranked, what do you think it would feel
like?
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
ZIPLINE
CHAPTER 17
Imagine you are the one getting into the
zipline on top of the Hancock building.
How do you think you would be feeling?
Describe all of your excitement, fear, and
other feelings.
DIVERGEN
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CAMARADERIE
CHAPTER 17
Tris says that there is a kind of
camaraderie that only happens after you
have risked your lives together with people.
How right is she? Have you ever felt a kind
of camaraderie like she’s feeling? Describe
the time. If you have not had that
experience, why not?
DIVERGEN
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BIRDS
CHAPTER 18
Summarize what happened during Tris’s
simulation with the birds.
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FEARLESS
CHAPTER 18
Four says that “becoming fearless isn’t the
point, that it’s impossible. It’s learning
how to control your fear and how to be free
from it. That’s the point.” What big fears
do you have? Are you able to control them?
How? Do you feel free?
DIVERGEN
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FAMILY PRIDE
CHAPTER 19
How do you feel when people talk bad
about your family? Are you close with your
family? What kind of “family pride” does
your family have?
DIVERGEN
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DRUNK
CHAPTER 19
Four doesn’t want Tris to see him drunk.
When have you seen someone drunk
before? Describe the person’s actions and
state of mind. Then share what you
thought about the person, even if they are
thoughts of judgment.
DIVERGEN
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DIVERGENT
CHAPTER 20
Summarize the important parts of Tris’s
secret, tattoo-parlor conversation about
being Divergent.
DIVERGEN
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HIDE THE REAL
CHAPTER 21
Tris realizes that her old faction was
forcing her to hide a part of herself -- the
risk-taking, daring, bold person inside of
her. In what ways have you ever felt like you
had to hide the real person you are? How
do you feel about it? Have you ever
overcome it yet? If so, how? If not, why?
DIVERGEN
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STAND UP
CHAPTER 21
When Tris ranks 1st, Peter hates her for it,
but Will stands up for her. Have you ever
seen anyone stand up to defend someone
else even if they might get hurt? Maybe
you did it? Describe the scene and your
thoughts about it.
DIVERGEN
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VULNERABLE
CHAPTER 22
After getting assaulted, why does Tris have
to come back from the infirmary and
pretend to look weak and vulnerable? But
why doesn’t she want to look weak?
DIVERGEN
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DESPERATE
CHAPTER 23
Tris says that people do evil things, and
that desperation leads them to darker
places than they ever imagined. Is Tris
right? Do people do evil things because
they’re desperate? Or is it for another
reason? What makes something evil?
DIVERGEN
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DEAD BODY
CHAPTER 24
When they find Al’s body, Tris and
Christina are in the room. Have you ever
seen a dead body? Or seen someone die?
What was it like? Or if you haven’t seen
one, describe what you think it would do to
you to see one.
DIVERGEN
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COURAGEOUS
CHAPTER 24
Eric announces to everybody that Albert
had a lot of courage to face the unknown
world of Death. What do you think of
Eric’s idea? Is that courageous? Should it
be celebrated? Should it be remembered?
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
CARS OR FOOD
CHAPTER 25
Which is more important: providing cars
for the Erudite teenagers or offering food
for the Factionless? Why?
DIVERGEN
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BIGGEST FEARS
CHAPTER 25
What do you think it would be like to face
your biggest fears over and over? Would
you get better at it? Would you become less
afraid of them? Why? Why not?
DIVERGEN
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BRAVERY
CHAPTER 26
Tobias says, “I have a theory that
selflessness and bravery aren’t all that
different.” How are those two different?
How are they the same? Why is it
significant that they’re the same? What
does that mean to them?
DIVERGEN
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ALL YOUR FEARS
CHAPTER 27
How would you feel about someone else
knowing all your fears?
DIVERGEN
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SLOGANS
CHAPTER 28
Read the following two Erudite slogans
and write what you think they mean and
whether or not they’re true:
(1)“A calm mind is a clear mind.”
(2) “Knowledge leads to prosperity.”
DIVERGEN
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WHO YOU ARE
CHAPTER 29
Tris comments that no matter which
faction she chooses, she is Abnegation
through and through. How much do you
think your parents and your home life have
determined what kind of person you are?
What aspects of you did they give you?
DIVERGEN
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PREPARE
CHAPTER 29
When you know that you are going to have
to face one of your fears, how do you
prepare for it? What do you have to do to
psych yourself up?
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES
KNOWING
CHAPTER 30
Tobias says that the best way to overcome
fears is to realize what is behind them -what is really making you afraid of them.
What does he mean? Is he right? Does
knowing the meaning really help you
conquer the fear?
DIVERGEN
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FEAR LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER 30
What do you think about Tris’s Fear
Landscape?
DIVERGEN
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TATTOO
CHAPTER 31
Discuss what you think it means to Tris
and Tobias that they both have the same
tattoo.
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VIRTUES
CHAPTER 31
Tobias says, “I think we’ve made a
mistake. We’ve all started to put down the
virtues of the other factions in the process
of bolstering our own.” In what ways does
our culture do that too?
DIVERGEN
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EMBARRASSING
CHAPTER 32
Christina asks Tris about the embarrassing
fear from her Fear Landscape. Would you
tell your closest friend about your
embarrassing fears? Have you told them?
What feeling did/would you have?
DIVERGEN
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MURDER?
CHAPTER 33
When Eric has a gun pointed at Tobias’s
head, would you shoot Eric? Why? Why
not? Wouldn’t that be murder?
DIVERGEN
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WEAK-WILLED
CHAPTER 34
Jeanine Matthews says that Abnegation is
weak-willed because they love peace and
despise fighting. What do you think weakwilled means? Are people who fight weaker
or stronger than people who don’t fight?
DIVERGEN
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PROSPERITY
CHAPTER 34
Jeanine Matthews says she wants a world
where people live in wealth, comfort, and
prosperity. Discuss whether or not that
would be a good thing. Are wealth,
comfort, and prosperity good things?
DIVERGEN
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GOING TO DIE
CHAPTER 35
When Tris is in the tank and it starts to fill
with water, she realizes that she’s going to
die and can’t help thinking about God,
something that her faction taught her. Why
do you think she is, all of a sudden, glad
she did not kill Eric? What does that have
to do with her belief in God?
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BELIEF SYSTEM
CHAPTER 35
Tris’s mother says that most people learn a
belief system from their faction and stay
that way. What belief system have your
parents taught you? How hard would it be
for you to leave that system? What would
happen if you even considered it?
DIVERGEN
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DEAD
CHAPTER 36
After Tris kills Will in self-defense, she says
she feels dead too. What do you think she
means?
DIVERGEN
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RISKED SO MUCH
CHAPTER 36
When Caleb realizes that his faction,
Erudite, is making immoral plans, he
drops out of initiation and becomes
Factionless. Can you think of a time when
you have believed in something so strongly
that you made such a choice and risked
losing a lot? Describe the time. Or do you
know of a time when someone else risked
that much to stand up for what they
believed in?
DIVERGEN
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HARM
CHAPTER 37
When Tris and friends are jumping onto
the moving train, Tris secretly wants
Marcus to fall. Describe a time when you
have wanted harm to fall on someone you
dislike. Is that good or bad? Why?
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GREATER GOOD
CHAPTER 37
Marcus says, “Sometimes pain is for the
greater good.” How can pain ever be for
the greater good? Pain is a bad thing,
right?
DIVERGEN
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UNABLE
CHAPTER 38
Why do you think Tris was able to shoot
Will, yet unable to shoot Tobias?
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FORGIVEN
CHAPTER 38
Tris asks an important question: “Can I be
forgiven for all I’ve done to get here?”
Now, it’s your turn to ask the question:
Can you? Be forgiven? For all you’ve done?
To get here? Why do you need forgiveness?
Who needs to give you forgiveness? If you
can’t think of anything, why do you think
that is?
DIVERGEN
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CONTROL
CHAPTER 39
Why is it evil for Janine Matthews to
control the minds of so many people?
Then, (sure, it’s not with simulation
serum) but how do people around you try
to control other people? What ways do you
try to control people? And why is your
desire to control any better than hers?
DIVERGEN
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MORE THAN
CHAPTER 39
The novel ends with Tris saying, “I’m no
longer Tris the selfless or Tris the brave. I
suppose now I must become more than
either.” How does someone become more
than selfless and brave? What do you think
that could possibly be? What would this be
for Tris?
DIVERGEN
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QUICKWRITES