Some of my highlighted quotes:
"Human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it."
"I used to think that cruelty required malice, but that is not true. Jeanine has no reason to act out of malice. But she is cruel because she doesn't care what she does, as long as it fascinates her. I may as well be a puzzle or a broken machine she wants to fix."
"I want to tear him to pieces. Instead of trying to, though, I find myself sitting down again. I could never hurt him enough to make his betrayal stop hurting. And it hurts, in every part of my body."
"Every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but vain; the Amity, peaceful but passive; the Candor, honest but inconsiderate; the Abnegation, selfless but stifling."
"I"m wondering if I need it anymore, if we ever really need these words. "Dauntless," "Erudite," "Divergent," "Allegiant," or if we can just be friends or lovers or siblings, defined instead by the choices we make and the love and loyalty that binds us... I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me - they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could."
"I am still alive, even in this strange place where everything I've ever known is coming apart. I know some things - I know that I'm not alone, that I have friends, that I'm in love. I know where I came from. I know that I don't want to die, and for me, that's something - more than I could have said a few weeks ago."
"I know the beauty he sees is just freedom - freedom to be seen as a whole man instead of a damaged one."
"I don't know how it would feel, to hate your own history and to crave love from the people who gave that history to you at the same time. How have I never seen the schism inside his heart? How have I never realized before that for all the strong, kind parts of him, there are also hurting, broken parts?"
"I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."
"Abnegation was just as broken as the other factions, but its evils were less obvious, cloaked as they were in the guise of selflessness. But requiring a person to disappear, to fade into the background wherever they go, is no better than encouraging them to punch one another."
"They believe there is no reasoning with us, no appealing to our better natures. They decided it would be easier to erase us than to speak with us."
"I know that change is difficult, and comes slowly, and that it is the work of many days strung together in a long line until the origin of them is forgotten. He is afraid that he will not be able to put in that work, that he will squander those days, and that they will leave him worse off than he is now. And I understand that feeling - I understand being afraid of yourself."
"People talk about the pain of grief, but I don't know what they mean. To me, grief is a devastating numbness, every sensation dulled... I keep finding myself stifled by the company of others and then crippled by loneliness when I leave them. I am terrified and I don't even know of what, because I have lost everything already... I grind the heels of my hands into my eyes like I can push my tears back into my skull. No crying, I chastise myself. If I let a little of the emotion out, all of it will come out, and it will never end."
"Maybe just as skin on a hand grows tougher after pain in repetition, a person does too. But I don't want to become a calloused man. There are other kinds of people in this world... Appearing in front of me is another choice, brighter and stronger than the ones I gave myself."
"Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else.... But sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life. That is the sort of bravery I must have now."
"Since I was young, I have always known this: Life damages us, every one. We can't escape that damage. But now, I am also learning this: We can be mended. We mend each other."
Some Final Thoughts:
I've already written several times about the first two books. In all seriousness, I think God timed my reading these books for when I would need them most, so I'm thankful for that. :)
The character I identified with most was Johanna Reyes, and it was really cool to see her transformation through the series, particularly her strength in no longer allowing her scars to define her or cause her to hide. Without discussing the plot in detail, for me, the first book (DIVERGENT) was about the significance of choosing where you fit in and how you label yourself. The second (INSURGENT) was about choosing whether you're willing to fight for something and who to align yourself with. And the third (ALLEGIANT) was about choosing to overcome the past and cast off the negative labels bestowed on you by others.
In the final book, based on genetic factors, the government divides the people into two categories: pure and damaged. The "genetically damaged" population was expected to behave poorly and think irrationally, and they were treated as expendable and less than those with "pure genes." The "genetically pure" were automatically held in high esteem and their lives treated as valuable and worthy of protection.
This genetic damage concept struck a real chord with me and how I worry that others view depression . No one wants to be viewed as damaged, especially in a way that they cannot change or control. The genetically damaged in the book hate that label, but fighting against it only seems to add fuel to the fire. They talk about wanting the "freedom to be seen as a whole man instead of a damaged one." As for the government's treatment of them, they say, "They believe there is no reasoning with us, no appealing to our better natures. They decided it would be easier to erase us than to speak with us." I know that it hurts to be treated that way, and to feel that nothing you say to defend yourself will be taken seriously. But the book went on to show that what matters most is how you see yourself, and that no one has to accept or internalize the negative labels others place on them. A good reminder that I have a choice, and I can choose to see myself as whole and healed... and the more I make that choice and surround myself with people who see me that way, the more I will become that person!
The concept of 'experimenting' by observing the suffering of others from a comfortable distance rather than stepping in to help them was well-timed. The final book also highlighted forgiveness and letting go of revenge as the only way to move past betrayal. And another thing I loved was that it showed the importance of grief and painful memories in shaping our character. My thoughts shifted from loving the idea of "resetting" myself (erasing every painful memory and starting fresh) to thinking that would be a cowardly, destructive choice. God absolutely knows what He's doing, and I've experienced each negative thing I've gone through for a reason. I am who I am because of each part of my past, the good and the bad, and I am proud of who I am now and I love who I am becoming. The final quote ("We can be mended. We mend each other.") also resonates with me. To the friends and family whose love and loyalty have helped and continue to help me to mend, I say a very sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU!!
There is a lot more to the plot that I'm not discussing here, of course, but these quotes and concepts were what spoke to my heart at this point in my life. Anyway, good books. Highly recommend them! :) SO EXCITED for the movie this month!!
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