Divergent: Clothing as Unity and as Self

Divergent is about a city formed around a faction system, as a way to maintain harmony within the city.  Upon turning 16, children must determine the faction they will spend the rest of their lives in, whether it be their parents’ faction or not.  There are five factions, each with a particular virtue.  Abnegation, the selfless, believes in helping others and forgetting yourself.  Candor, the honest, believes truth is the only answer.  Amity, the peaceful, values peace and the simplicity of life.  Erudite, the intelligent, values the importance of knowledge.  Finally, Dauntless, the brave, believes in courage, eliminating and conquering all fears.  Clothing plays a vital role in the factions as well, as a form of expression for your faction.  Abnegation wears gray, Candor wears white and black, Amity wears red and yellow, Erudite wears blue, and Dauntless wears black.  Clothing symbolizes loyalty to your chosen faction, as wearing the faction’s color distinguishes you to a group. 

Beatrice Prior, the main character, was born and raised in Abnegation.  She is a young, naive girl, about to venture into a world she does not truly understand.  She is quick and observant.  Throughout her childhood, Beatrice felt like she never truly belonged in Abnegation, that it wasn’t an instinct to be selfless.  The gray attire of Abnegation would never truly express her personality.  

In this book, Beatrice undergoes a life-changing transformation, where she leaves her family for another faction that she believes is where she belongs.  At the Choosing Ceremony, she changes from her known gray clothing to the black attire of the Dauntless.  Most children choose the faction they grew up in, a place that is known and comfortable.  The jump Beatrice took from Abnegation to Dauntless was a drastic one.  She goes from a selfless group, to a self-driven, fierce clan.  Dauntless is all about fighting and being at the top of your game.  Beatrice takes up the name "Tris” and becomes the best she can be in Dauntless.  It takes a while for Tris to grow into her Dauntless attire.  Abnegation enforced minimum skin exposure, where Dauntless encourages freedom of expression.  But the Dauntless attire is more accurate for Tris's outspoken, courageous self, something Abnegation clothing could never express.  Being a part of a new faction means taking on the look of the faction, being one with the group. The clothing symbolizes the trait you value the most, and for Tris, this is Dauntless bravery.  In this situation, clothing is a form of unity, a sign of commitment to a faction, as well as a form of self-expression.  In Dauntless, Tris took the opportunity to get tattoos and wear more fitting clothing, something she was unable to do before in Abnegation, but now has the freedom to do in Dauntless.  In this transformation, Tris began to discover who she really is, and her clothing sets a statement.

In the essay, "Fashion, Lifestyle, and Psychiatry", Raphael Bonelli states, "Fashion is able to influence human life significantly by initiating social trends, thus making people change lifestyles, attitudes, and relationships."  The city encourages just this in their factions.  To be accepted as a member of a faction, you need to prove that you truly belong.  Beatrice did just this, but making her true personality known in Dauntless, as a free-spoken, courageous girl.  In Abngeation, Beatrice was expected to stay simple, to forget herself.  But in Dauntless, Tris can be free, can be outspoken, can be true.  Bonelli also says that fashion is a representation of class and status.  As Tris continues further and further into iniciation, she adds tattoos to her body.  This is a continued commitment to Dauntless, and the more tattoos one has, the more clear it becomes that they belong in Dauntless.  Beatrice's tranformation into Tris has been clear through her fashion choices, in her clothing and on her skin.

In Divergent, clothing symbolizes one’s faction.  It distinguishes faction traits within the city.  As a whole, clothing is very important in maintaining the harmony of the city.  And for Beatrice, the varying faction attire allows her to express herself and feel a part of a group.  Her transformation was expressed through her clothing attire as well as her personality.  Clothing should be used as a small form of expression, to provide you with an outlet to a role or place in our society.  In our society today, there is no set clothing attire to distinguish between wealth classes or personality.  We are all free to find our own place in society, whether it be similar to others or a completely different path of our own.  Divergent's faction clothing rules provide them with a form of unity and similarity, but we must find it out on our own.  Whether it be the unity of a sports team uniform or matching clothing with your best friend, our society pushes the freedom of expression.  It is up to us as to whether we want to take it and run, or hold on for the right moment.  Be who you are, express what you believe, and do not allow the norm to hold you back. 

by: Sarah Rup

Ethical Questions:

   Tattoos are a great form of expression, but should you regret one you got as time passes, because at one point it was who you were, a part of who you have become?

   Are uniforms, or designated faction colors, helpful in allowing people to look past how someone dresses to see who a person truly is?  Do actions speak louder than clothing?

   Can someone truly make such a jump in personality?  One day wearing something simple, and then the next, changing their attire completely.