by Leah Wilson
This is where the role of the individual comes into play: Natalie, devoting her life to change from within; Tris, whose act of sacrifice makes it possible for a new society to emerge; Tobias, willing to negotiate with the mother who allowed him to be abused and then abandoned him; and ultimately, the heroic and tragic Evelyn, who nobly backs down in the end. She disbands her army of factionless, but she also suggests—indeed, demands—as part of her final terms that those who stay on in the city should vote on their leaders and social system. Through Evelyn, the factionless arrive at a democratic new society. The changes we see in the factionless of the Divergent trilogy seem to tell us that true revolution can only be brought about through the actions of clear-sighted individual leaders who are willing to take into account the voice of the people—emergent.
Elizabeth Wein is the author of Rose Under Fire and Code Name Verity, which was voted number one by teen readers in the Young Adult Library Services Association Teens Top Ten list for 2013. Thirty-two thousand teen readers took part in the voting. She’d say she was Abnegation, but she’s proud of that! Elizabeth is also the author of The Lion Hunters cycle, set in Arthurian Britain and sixth-century Ethiopia. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has lived in Scotland for over fourteen years. She is married and has two teenage children. Her daughter Sara suggested the topic for this essay.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For their assistance with the manuscript, the publisher would like to thank the following:
Soetkin Charlier and Faiza Zainab Khan at The Divergent (thedivergent.net)
Megan Caristi at The Divergent Lexicon (divergentlexicon.com)
Jessi Iuraduri and Adam Spunberg at TheFandom.Net
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Leah Wilson is Editor-in-Chief of Smart Pop Books and the editor of The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy, among other titles. She has a BA in Culture and Modern Fiction from Duke University, and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Her aptitude quizzes keep coming back Abnegation, despite her deep appreciation for bright colors, laughter, learning, and cake.
WWW.SMARTPOPBOOKS.COM/EDUCATORS
WANT MORE HUNGER GAMES?
THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE MOVIE EDITION
“The Girl Who Was on Fire is a MUST read for any Hunger Games fan…As touching and thought provoking as the series itself…[the] essays included will challenge you to think of the trilogy in a new and deeper way…the Hunger Games may be over, but thanks to The Girl Who was on Fire, the discussion continues.” —Down With the Capital fansite
“Discussing the philosophy that lies beneath [The Hunger Games] film, the characters within, and allegories of society, Leah Wilson and sixteen writers of young adult fiction come together and provide much to think about with the work. The Girl Who Was on Fire is well worth considering for fans.” —Midwest Book Review
“I thoroughly enjoyed every single essay…My copy is completely highlighted, underlined, written in the margins, and dog-eared. You don’t know how many times while I was reading it I said emphatically to myself, ‘Yes!!’ as I underlined or highlighted a quote or passage.” — Book Nerds Across America
Read a FREE EXCERPT from The Girl Who Was on Fire at:
HTTP://WWW.SMARTPOPBOOKS.COM/HUNGERGAMES
SARAH REES BRENNAN
JENNIFER LYNN BARNES
MARY BORSELLINO
ELIZABETH M. REES
LILI WILKINSON
NED VIZZINI
CARRIE RYAN
CARA LOCKWOOD
DIANA PETERFREUND
TERRI CLARK
BLYTHE WOOLSTON
BRENT HARTINGER
SARAH DARER LITTMAN
JACKSON PEARCE
ADRIENNE KRESS
BREE DESPAIN
WANT MORE SMART POP?
WWW.SMARTPOPBOOKS.COM
»Read a new free essay online every day
»Plus sign up for email updates, check out our upcoming titles, and more
Find Smart Pop Online:
Become a fan on Facebook:
FACEBOOK.COM/SMARTPOPBOOKS
Follow us on Twitter:
@SMARTPOPBOOKS
