Protagonists come in many varieties. An archetypal protagonist is the "Epic Hero", a character with impressive qualities who completes awe-inspiring deeds. This lesson helps students identify and understand the epic hero in literature.
Divergent, the first novel in Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, has enjoyed widespread popularity among young adult readers, increased by the 2014 movie adaptation. A dystopian thriller, the story follows Tris Prior a girl whose very identity undermines the strict social structure of her society.
Divergent Hero's Journey - Analyze the Divergent book through the lens of the Hero's Journey!
Storyboard Text
ORDINARY WORLD
Would you like some bread?
CALL TO ADVENTURE
You showed an aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. You're divergent.
REFUSAL
MENTOR / HELPER
Beatrice Prior lives with her parents and brother in the Abnegation faction. She and the rest of her faction spend their time trying to be selfless and help others.
CROSSING THE THRESHOLD
In her aptitude test, Beatrice learns that she is divergent. This knowledge leads her to consider leaving Abnegation.
TESTS / ALLIES / ENEMIES
Beatrice struggles with the idea of switching factions. It breaks her heart to leave her family forever.
APPROACH
Beatrice has several mentors. Her mother and Tori help her early on. After she crosses the threshold, Four becomes her main mentor.
ORDEAL
Beatrice decides to join the Dauntless faction at the Choosing Ceremony. In her new faction, she becomes Tris.
The Dauntless initiation provides many tests for Tris. She makes friends who help protect her, including Four, Christina, Will, and Uriah. She also makes dangerous enemies, such as Peter, Edward, and Al, who try to kill her out of jealousy. Meanwhile, the ruthless Erudite leader, Jeanine Matthews, begins to suspect she is divergent.
With the help of Four, Tris works to improve her physical and mental preparedness, so she can successfully finish initiation without revealing her divergence.
Beatrice must complete the Dauntless initiation by successfully making it through her fear landscape. If her score is not high enough, she could fail initiation and become factionless.
REWARD
1. Tris 2. Uriah 3. Lynn 4. Marlene 5. Peter 6. Will 7. Christina
RANKINGS:
ROAD BACK
ATONEMENT
RETURN
Tris successfully completes initiation and is rewarded by a #1 ranking.
Tris's time in Dauntless doesn't last long. When Jeanine, the Erudite leader, uses a serum to force the Dauntless to attack Abnegation, Tris returns to Abnegation to defend her former faction.
Tris loses her mother and father, and is almost killed by Jeanine. Finally, she faces Four in the Dauntless control room and helps him break free of the mind-control serum. Four stops the simulation, and the Erudite coup ends.
Tris, Four, and the others leave the Dauntless compound and head to a new life. They cannot return to Abnegation, but will meet the surviving Dauntless and Abnegation in the Amity compound.