2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political oe social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explain how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
In Veronica Roth's Divergent there is an underlying issue of both political and social issues. In the book the main character tries escape the government and hopes to cure the city of all of its inhumane practices. The author uses techniques such as mood, details, and empathy to highlight the issues of society in the novel and set up the central conflict.
The mood in the novel is dismal but exhilarating at the same time because the character has to constantly fight with her own identity against the government of her city. The main character Tris is a "Divergent", they are people that the government cannot control because something is different in the divergent's mind. This is a problem for Tris through the entire book because she can never escape them, the government is constantly watching her and waiting for the right time to execute her if she is not careful and is exposed. Roth creates a mood of suspense and danger but also dismal as Tris could die at any moment, this heightens the impact of the governments threat.
The author uses details to make the reader connect with the main character and sympathize her even know she is a "divergent" and the government is after her. Tobias is Tris' boyfriend and is also a divergent, this makes the reader hate the government even more in the book because now there are two people in danger. There are also details that bring out the problems in society and not just with the government in the city, Roth ads in a boy named Peter who tires to kill Tris just to save his own skin. This is showing that there are deeper problems than just the government, there are also huge problems in society itself.
Tris is the main character so of course the reader will feel empathetic for her at some degree. However Roth creates empathy in the novel not only to bring an attachment to the main character but to also allow the reader to see the real problems in the city and see the true horrific things Tris has to live through. Tris' parents can't ever see her again, her brother has turned behind enemy lines, and her boyfriend is being hunted just like she is. Roth sets up the story so you have empathy for the character and despise the government, she used empathy to show how messed up society really is and that is what makes these conflicts more real. The conflicts in the story jump out at one from the page because of how the author and the book as a whole makes one want to fight for Tris.
The authors literary techniques used in the novel makes the conflict between Tris and the government/overall society much more intense. It makes one feel the suspense and want to keep reading while adding details that make the reader connect with the characters. The author adds empathy in the novel to make the government seem like an even bigger monster. Roth is very successful in creating the central conflict so it's so strong that the meaning of the book is clear. Even if it's one or two against the world, there is always hope. Even if it is fighting something like the government, it's more important to fight for whats right. Roth is suggesting the meaning of the novel by using these techniques to make the political and social problems stand out to the reader.
I was not aware when I was writing this, or was too tired, that Divergent is a young adult book. Will not happen again.
I was not aware when I was writing this, or was too tired, that Divergent is a young adult book. Will not happen again.
Kate,
ReplyDeleteYou manage to create a flow to the piece for the overall structure by explaining the techniques and then how the techniques relate to meaning. This makes your essay very clear. Still, your syntax in certain sentences make it hard to follow. Make sure to use commas to set off different clauses.
I think your discussion of Divergent started to dig into the book, but you focused on the political and social issues within the book, not on what Roth is saying about today’s issues through the book. I think if you had added that piece, it would have addressed the complexities of meaning more.
You commented on the bottom that you did not realize that the book is young adult fiction. I’m not sure if we should be staying away from that genre or just pop culture, like Twilight. I think the main thing we should keep in mind while trying to choose what to write about is whether the piece is literature or not. At the beginning of the year Ms. Holmes mentioned that literature gives something new every time we read it, while pop culture pieces and reads for entertainment may not.
Do you Divergent is literature in the sense I just described? Do you think there is other criteria to the pieces we choose to write about in this essay?
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteI've never read this book, but it sounds really interesting! From your description, it definitely sounds like Roth is making some sort of commentary on today's government and society. However, it seems like you focused more on how the book's society and government added to the drama of the book than what the book might have been saying about today's society and government. I do like the concluding paragraph, but I think the essay would have been stronger if you had addressed those things earlier as well.
Overall, good job!