Use Of Imagery In Tris From Divergent By Veronica Roth

In a world of people with one way of thinking, what way would you choose? The Dauntless for their bravery or the Abnegation for their altruism? The Candor for their honesty, the Amity for their kindness or the Erudite for their intelligence? Or would you be none, or all? This is a question Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth grapples with throughout the story. However, none of this would be possible without “good writing “and a good writer. Though this novel has plenty of examples of “good writing,” three of its most noticeable elements are the multi-sensory imagery to instill ideas; the actions and gestures to convey characters; and vivid description that conveys mood excellently.

Firstly, Roth employs multi-sensory imagery to her story

I hear the roar of the water. I scream into the hand that covers my mouth and thrash to free myself, but the arms are too strong; my kidnappers are too strong.” (pg. 344) This scene is powerful. Previously, Tris has already been kidnapped by people and almost killed next to the Pit. The author describes it this time with vivid imagery, from being able to hear the roar of the water below to not being able to scream or free herself. The author uses her imagery to instill a sense of powerlessness into the reader, with anything Tris does being negated. She tris to scream, but the roar of the water and the hand covering her mouth completely blocks it out. She tries to free herself, but she is pinned down and her captors are too strong. She cannot do anything in this situation, and the author makes sure that the reader can feel and see that. Lastly, during the choosing ceremony, the author uses the main character’s father to give the reader a sense of accusation through imagery. The lines “My father’s eyes bore into mine with a look of accusation. At first, when I feel the heat behind my eyes, I think he’s found a way to set me on fire, to punish me for what I’ve done, but no – I'm about to cry. Beside him, my mother is smiling.” (pg.

During a scene where the main character is forced to choose between forgiving or resenting a friend turned enemy, Veronica Roth uses the lines “Somewhere inside me is a merciful, forgiving person. Somewhere there is a girl who tries to understand what people are going through, who accepts that people do evil things and that desperation leads them to darker places than they ever imagined. I swear she exists and she hurts for the repentant boy I see in front of me. But if I saw her, I wouldn’t recognize her.” (pg. 299 – 300) to convey how Tris feels so well. This whole time, Tris has been battling with her identity. Is she Dauntless or Abnegation? How will she be around people of one mindset with her divergence? The description wonderfully shows us the two sides of her; her abnegation side wanting to forgive and forget whilst her dauntless side wants to hold this grudge and never let go. “Somewhere inside her” is her abnegation side peeking through, but now she is in dauntless and only one side can win this battle. This point was her turning point, and she embraced the dauntless inside of her and “wouldn’t recognize” her abnegation self anymore. Furthermore, Veronica Roth describes a boy’s eye being stabbed as “Surrounding his head is a halo of blood, and jutting between his clawing fingers is a silver knife handle... The blade is stuck in Edward’s