Book Review-Human nature

I think "Before I Go to Sleep and Divergent" have something in common, it’s human nature.

Society in Divergent is divided into five factions. They are Candor, Erudite, Amity, Abnegation and Dauntless. I think the faction system in Divergent is a rule to build a peaceful world. Each faction has different manners. Someone who breaks the rule or who is divergent will become a factionless. Just like criminal people were sent to prison. This system seems to be a good idea to keep the world operating peacefully, but, is it really a good way to run our life and our world? I think it isn’t. Animals have different emotions and actions that we can’t control or know them, moreover, human have more expressions of emotions and actions, how can this faction system control and divide people in five groups? Human have different characteristics and thoughts. No one is just good at one thing, but Divergent divide human nature in five groups and forbid them to have another characteristic. I think this system will be broke in the end.

Take Candor for example, if Candor told someone that they are ugly or fat, it may be honest but is it kind? It may make others feel bad or angry. Sometimes, telling a white lie is better than telling the truth. Just like Ben in Before I go to Sleep, he didn’t tell Christine about her son and accident, because he didn’t want her feel sad, and neither did Dr. Nash. Or Amity will tell a white lie to keep others feel happy and without conflict to keep the world peaceful. The truth can be very painful to hear, but sometimes, telling the truth can help them to be better. When Christine knew that she had a friend and son, her memories instinctively came back for a short period of time. Although she will forget everything after she go to sleep, but she can write down her memories in her journal and it can help her to remember her past. If in the real world, one’s just has one trait or behavior, they are not human, they are robots.

In Before I Go to Sleep, Mike pretend to be Christine’s husband, although Christine called him Ben instead of Mike that make him felt bad, still he love Christine so much and want to live with her together. Mike expressed his love in extremely crazy way, he lie to Christine and didn’t want her to see a doctor as a way to manipulate her life. Christine had an affair with Mike. When she wanted to end their relationship, she was hit by Mike and become an amnesia and finally lived in deception with Mike. Christine has a husband, but she still date with Mike, I think her misfortune was karma, so she must pay for this. I think that we will never know exactly what the other person is thinking. Mike did everything he could do to pretend her husband, he took pictures and made scrapbook and he is also very patients with her, but, still he couldn’t control her thoughts and keep her without seeing a doctor or remembering her past. Just like faction system would not control all the people, because human have different thinking, feeling and acting. Forcing them into five groups and one person can only have a characteristic, like Dauntless should be brave and do dangerous things; Abnegation should be selfless and live in simple life; Candor should be honest; Erudite is dedicated to knowledge and intelligence and Amity is dedicated to peacefulness and kindness. They are all represent human characteristics traits, but I think that faction system could not change human nature.

Every human being have different nature, like Tris, she was born in the faction Abnegation, but she is not limited to exhibit only one of the five traits. She is a curious, brave and smart girl. Her aptitude test showed that her result is equal in Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. In their faction system, divergent is dangerous and forbidden. I think it is because that divergent will breaking the balance of faction system. One only has a trait, if someone has other traits, it is unfair, and other people will want to have more traits or abilities so that faction system will be destroyed. In Divergent, their world seems peaceful, but actually, Erudite was greedy for political power and tried to fight against Abnegation. Maybe Candor and Amity will fight for their faction either. Candor is nature of honest, although sometimes, telling the truths will make someone feel bad, they still tell them the truths, but, Amity is nature of peacefulness, they will tell a white lie to keep the peace rather than make someone feel angry or sad. Their nature is opposite to each other and they will argue with their traits or action just like religious war. The faction system restricts human nature and traits that will crumbled in the end.

My conclusion is that human nature is native instinct that we can’t change or restrict it. We can tell someone what is right, what is wrong, but, we can’t control their thoughts and actions, it’s up to them to make decisions about where they go or what they do. Just like bird can fly, spider spin webs or birds build nets by instinct. If we force animals to change their behavior, they will extinct in the world. Although I haven’t finished Divergent yet, I think that faction system will be end by Tris and people will not be restricted to develop their characteristics and trait.

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