Chapter Seven

Being the first to jump gains Beatrice-turned-Tris some notoriety around the compound, but not after a tour with Four! The initiates split up, the Dauntless to their own respective quarters, and the transfers to their look-see of their new home. The use of color I think is significant throughout the book, since factions define themselves with their dress. There are blue lanterns overhead. Blue provides a calming effect, as the Erudite will confirm, so it struck me as odd during my first reading that their light source would be blue. The living quarters are underground on top of that, so a brighter color would be ideal to prevent depression--but then again, I've studied color theory a bit too much in depth.

They go through the mechanics of training, Christina sticks with Tris, and she experiences her first hamburger. Four shows a kind and intimidating side all the same time, particularly to Christina. He's stern and collected, a cool sort of character, and Eric, the opposite, an erratic and unpredictable (or at least, seemingly so) character is introduced. The two exist juxtaposed but on two very different ends of a spectrum, and everyone can pick up on the tension between the two coaches.

When it comes time for bed Tris' descriptions delve into a more emotional aspect of her soon to be training experience. She longs for home, and she cries, but quietly and to herself. Al is shown as vulnerable from the start, and Tris' distaste for such a quality is gently asserted by the way she ignores and blocks him out. She must be brave and strong, and tears will hardly help her through, she figures.

I know why now, but I noticed that Tris' stronger bond seems to be with her mother. This is true for many girls, I'm sure, but there's a noticeable rift between her stern father and herself that is practically chasm worthy. She mentions her father second, if at all, and tends to feel guilt when she does. Tris struggles to understand her feelings toward her parents, lost in a sort of ego-selfishness, going as far as to say, "My problem might be that even if I did go home, I wouldn't belong there, among people who give without thinking and care without trying," alienating herself, once again, despite her subtle natural tendency. 

But she decides to worry about that at some later date. Systematic, as her Divergence inclines to be, she makes the choice to focus on making it among the ranks and proving Eric wrong; she will be Dauntless.