Chapter Two

Since I have an enormous reader's crush on Caleb, I'll start with talking about him in this entry. Roth's a really clever author that throws in little subtle tells for future events; I suppose no one can say that they're surprised by anything that happens, because most everything has foreshadowing preceding it. But, since the book is told from Beatrice's point of view, what slips past her usually slips past the reader as well.

Sneakily, oh so sneakily, Roth slips in, "He knows where he belongs, and as far as I know, he always has." Caleb has, indeed always known where he belongs, but she sets up Beatrice to be completely floored by where he does truly belong. While waiting for her brother to return, she thinks about how he lectures her less about her duties, and how he brushed off her discomfort in Abnegation by saying, "Just do what you're supposed to." Upon retrospection and second reading it's extremely obvious that Caleb belongs in Abnegation even less that his Dauntless-inclined sister, but the reader sees through her eyes and only sees her perfect older brother whom she looks up to.

After Caleb returns, Beatrice goes in for her own aptitude test. As we discussed in class, the serum is incredibly efficient when it comes to testing  someone's true thoughts, but the stimuli in themselves are interesting. The dog, looking back reminds me of certain initiate with a thirst for blood--who may or may not eventually deviate from his jerk ways for a moment or two. Beatrice bows her head in fear of the dog, and then uses her brain, which is the time when the dog becomes submissive. Immediately after which it becomes vicious again.

I believe Mrs. Redmond will see my parallel without me saying too much more and spoiling something! I don't think this was intentional by Roth by any means, but I happened to make the connection.