Summary: Chapter 19

As Tris enters the dormitory, she sees everyone gathered around Peter, who is reading aloud from an Erudite newspaper article. The piece attacks Abnegation faction values and accuses Tris and Caleb’s father of wicked behavior. Molly has told a reporter that Tris talks in her sleep, revealing that her father did terrible things to her. Tris lunges at Peter and Molly, but Will drags her out of the room. He reminds her that Abnegation isn’t her faction anymore, and disagrees when she argues that Erudite wants to overthrow the government.

Next, Christina and Al appear and invite them along to the tattoo parlor. Tris and Christina get tattoos of the Dauntless seal, and she buys a shirt that allows her to show more skin than usual. They approach the chasm, where a drunken Four flirts with Tris. After their brief conversation, Al throws Tris protectively over his shoulder and they head to dinner.

Summary: Chapter 20

Tris’ fear simulations have been giving her nightmares and panic attacks, so she’s fearful as she begins her next test. She finds herself trapped in a glass box, with Four and the other initiates watching her. The box begins filling with water, and she hits the glass with her hands and shoulders. At first she can’t break out, but she calms down and tells herself the situation is in her head. She cracks the glass with her hand, and it shatters. When she wakes up, Four is perplexed. He takes her out into the hallway and tells her that her ability to manipulate the simulation shows she’s Divergent. He will delete the results, but he warns her to hide her abilities during future tests.

Tris seeks out Tori, who explains that all Divergent people seem to have this ability. Tori tells Tris that her brother could also manipulate the tests. When Divergent leaders discovered this, they killed him and made it look like he’d committed suicide. Tori doesn’t know why the Dauntless care about Divergents’ abilities, but she warns Tris to be careful.

Summary: Chapter 21

Erudite has published two more articles attacking Abnegation. The first accuses them of withholding goods, and the second argues that politicians shouldn’t be chosen from a single faction. Tris wanders the Pit, worrying about the propaganda and thinking about the fears she’s faced in her simulations. She chose Dauntless because she wanted to show a part of herself she’d always kept hidden. But the simulations are traumatic. She’s been chewing her nails in her sleep, and she fears the other initiates’ minds are breaking down.

Back at the dormitory, Eric reveals that Tris is now ranked first. Predictably, the news angers Peter, who threatens her. To her dismay, her transfer friends are also resentful - especially Al, who departs in tears after seeing he’s ranked last. Tris leaves and finds solace in her Dauntless-born friends. That night, as Tris gets a drink of water, she hears Eric and an unknown woman discussing how to find “Divergent rebels.” Suddenly, Tris is grabbed from behind and restrained. She realizes her three attackers include Peter and Al. They blindfold her and take her to the chasm, where they hang her over the railing and grope her chest. Just as Peter is about to drop her over the edge, Four rushes in and rescues her, and she passes out in his arms.

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