The only criticism I have is with the characterization of Tris. Even though Tris is divergent, she still needs to be internally consistent within herself…at times she seems all over the place. I don’t see how one person could be as intuitive enough to turn off her sensory information to beat the simulation and sensory seeking enough (logic function off) to zipline down the Hancock Tower. It doesn’t seem possible to me.

If your characterization of OCEAN Neuroticism is correct that that just confuses me more. I know lots of high “F” types who would not test high on the neuroticism scale…They are F because they make decisions based on feelings rather than facts…not necessarily impulsively. Partiality not necessarily emotionality if that makes sense. And I still don’t understand a personality scale that has mental health mixed up in it…I’m sure there are NTs with bipolar disorder who would have messed up results

Your comment on Divergence being common in Abnegation because of their acceptance of differences makes a lot of sense. I haven’t read Insurgent yet, so if it’s spelled out there, forgive me. Artisans and Guardians are by far the most common, I’ve read, with some of the individual types taking up as much as 10% of the population, while there are 3% INFJs and barely 1% INTP (which is my husband).

Like I said, OCEAN makes sense as a way to talk about personality, but I haven’t looked enough into it to know how to speak of it. Neuroticism would certainly be high in someone abused, I think, but it also seems to relate to the T/F part of M-B. Someone who falls far into the Feelings side of things I think would be more likely to score higher in Neuroticism – it has a lot to do with acting impulsively on emotion, I think.

I’m impressed to the point of jealousy of Roth’s work. She is a month older than I am, and wrote Divergent at my sister’s age. And yet it reads better than some YA Dystopian that I’ve read by 40-something English teachers (yes, that’s a reference to a particular series…).

The Village came out when Veronica (and I) was 15/16, which isn’t too young, necessarily, although I haven’t seen it.

I strongly feel that the “NF” in Abnegation is why the other factions don’t understand them and mock and persecute them….It explains why their society is quiet and ordered and selfless. Since they abnegate the senses, the faction is the most moral of the districts. Because they accept individual differences, divergence is more common in this district than any other. Divergents join Abnegation at the choosing in addition to being born into it.

I believe the population is predominantly Artisans and Guardians..NTs are fairly rare…It would explain why there are 4 districts mainly composed of Artisans and Guardians, one district of Idealists…with a smattering of Rationals in Erudite (NT is the rarest group).

I did look at the OCEAN but to be honest, I don’t really understand Neuroticism as a type. It appears to be something that could change depending on the situation or setting. I could score high on either ending depending on who you talked to and how they knew me. Neuroticism could also be very high in someone with a history of being abused.

I am really impressed with Veronica Roth’s work….I am wondering if she had read The Hunger Games prior to writing her books. I do see subtle, interesting parallels (e.g., between the simulations in her books to the hijacking in Mockingjay). I also wonder if she had seen M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004) and could have been unconsciously influenced by it….I see a lot of parallels between The Village and the premise for the civilization in Divergent….I see lots of similarities with the Abnegation faction in particular…Of course, it’s possible Veronica was too young to have seen this film when it came out.