Samira Ahmed's Internment and Veronica Roth's Divergent capture protagonists Layla and Tris as they navigate totalitarian regimes while forming their identities. In Divergent, Tris resists a society divided into factions with strict regulations, while Layla must overcome imprisonment in an internment camp as a Muslim American. Ultimately, through their experiences, both protagonists face oppressive regimes they strive to defeat. Samira Ahmed's Internment delves into themes of overcoming authoritarian rule and self-discovery, similar to Veronica Roth's Divergent, by exploring totalitarianism, relationships, and resistance. Firstly, both Divergent and Internment investigate the adverse effects of totalitarianism on citizens' rights, freedoms, …show more content…
In Internment, Layla's relationship with her family and friends motivates her to fight for freedom. For example, Jake, an internment camp colonel, endangers his life to assist Layla and describes the importance of resistance: "I will not be silenced. I will not be interned. I will not be oppressed" (Ahmed 203). Therefore, Jake's determination to risk his life and oppose the government demonstrates that it is possible to maintain one's values, identity, and individuality in the face of oppression. As a result, his support for Layla's plan and perseverance in resisting unjust policies inspire her to fight for Muslim rights. Similarly, in Divergent, Tris's relationships with her Dauntless friends help her conform to the segregated society and embody her divergence. For example, Tris's love interest and initiation instructor, Four, reveals his divergence during training and expresses the significance of embracing every faction trait (Roth 215). Therefore, Four's encouragement and bond with Tris inspire her to embrace divergence, resist authority, and pursue an intimate relationship with him. Through these experiences and relationships in Dauntless, Tris assimilates new values and rejects oppressive societal norms. Thus, Divergent and Internment establish how relationships influence protagonists to resist oppressive regimes and discover their