Chapter Thirteen

Another rather famous scene! The knife throwing adventure. In this chapter Eric’s got bitter all over his face. His pride has been deeply injured by their lost and he’s obviously not the most pleasant person when practice rolls around. Being his lovely sunshiney self he gets rather upset when Al positively awful and knife throwing.  He tells him to collect his knives in the middle of throwing and the big teddy bear refuses. He, personally, doesn’t think bravery means risking your life for stupid causes, and for once, I agree with Al. Disclaimer: I don’t like Al.

Eric then gets more angry and demands that he stand as a target but Tris takes his place. She wants to help her friend (though he totally becomes an ultra jerk in return) and so she puts her life on the line. This is the start of a very long (and annoying) pattern of selfless actions that pretty much show that Tris doesn’t value her own life whatsoever. Four throws the knives, knicking her ear with the last shot, on purpose. Again, their flirting is in pretty weird and uncomfortable ways if you ask me—but, eh, to each their own.

Afterward Eric makes a little speech and Tris says, “The look he gives me claims me, like he’s taking ownership of what I did. I don’t return Eric’s smile. What I did had nothing to with him.”

Forgive me for bringing a religious opinion in but the 17th verse of the Tao Te Ching was what came to mind when I read it.

When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust the people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!"

I just sort of struck me then  that Four is the type of person Taoist strive to be like, as much as he can, and Eric is the opposite. Most Erudites are, in fact—but because of that, it just sort of stood out to me how Eric responded to Tris’ acts, I suppose.