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Their role as the Faction system’s protectors is the reasoning behind the black garb they wear, while many of them often use tattoos to represent fears they have overcome and which no longer daunt them.Ĭlearly, each faction’s moral code or valued virtue informs their distinct uniform. Finally, the Dauntless wear black and often bear tattoos. The justification for the compulsory wearing of blue is loaded with the scientific logic typical of the Erudite. The Erudite “must wear at least one blue article of clothing at a time, because blue causes the body to release calming chemicals, and ‘a calm mind is a clear mind’” (Roth 540). This is fitting, considering the Amity are in charge of producing food for the Faction society. Amity members are outfitted in bright colors like red and orange, which are reminiscent of harvesting time. Candor members dress in black and white, “because their faction values honesty and sees the truth as black and white, so that is what they wear” (Roth 15). Spending time on one’s appearance would be considered an act of utmost selfishness and anathema to Abnegation. This adheres to the core tenets of the Abnegation faction: mainly to be selfless and think of oneself last. Abnegation members dress in drab, shapeless, gray robes that stifle any attempt at individuality or attention grabbing. Each of the factions has a specific way of dressing-a way imbedded with significance and connected to the core tenets and beliefs of the faction in question.

You Are What You Wear (Motif)Ī central motif of Divergent is that ‘you are what you wear'. The aptitude test is a symbol of social stratification, the Faction system itself, and the controlling role the Faction government plays in the lives of the people. These individuals are typically murdered for the threat they pose to the Faction system. An unknown number of people are Divergent, meaning they show an affinity for more than one faction. Individuals are not required to choose the faction the aptitude test tells them, but it definitely influences decisions. Depending on the choices the test taker makes during the simulations they are sorted into Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, or Candor.

The test tells the taker which of the five factions they belong in by presenting them with simulated scenarios. Buy Study Guide The Aptitude Test (Symbol)Ī compulsory test taken at age 16, the aptitude test is one of the pillars that hold up the Faction system of Divergent's dystopian world.
