Insurgent Fear

Fear was our number two theme in Divergent. It's dropped in the ranks a bit, because in Insurgent, fear is not as much of a factor for either Tris or Tobias, who are learning to cope with their fear.

But some fears get worse in this novel. Maybe people only have a finite capability for fear, and the less afraid you are of some things, the more afraid you become of the things that really freak you out? Just some food for thought.

Questions About Fear

1. How do Tobias's fears change over the course of the novel? Is he able to overcome any of his fears? (And if he does, will we have to call him "Two" or "Three"?)
2. What is Tris afraid of?
3. Are people more afraid of the faction system failing, or of not having factions altogether?
4. How does Jeanine use fear to manipulate and control people? Does anyone else in the novel use fear as a method of control?

Chew on This

Tris starts to learn the roots of her fears in Insurgent. For example, her fear of guns results from her extreme guilt over shooting Will.

Tobias's fears become clearer in Insurgent. He used to be afraid of having to kill a nameless woman. Now the woman has a name and a face: it's Tris. As he gets closer to her, his fears are more focused and defined.