Social Implication Topics

        Divergent examines a world in which society as we know it has collapsed. A new government was established in what used to be Chicago, in which a “faction before blood” mentality reigns supreme. The society itself is divided into factions that each exhibit a particular trait, and anyone who exhibits more than one are classified as divergent and are killed. The government uses the fear of divergence to justify heinous violations of the people’s privacy.

        Nearing the climax of the film, the Dauntless faction recruits are given a final examination in a simulation where you must face your fears. This examination is done publicly, and the audience can see what you are experiencing within the simulation. Not only are your deepest fears revealed to the general public, but they are also displayed to the government- a huge violation of one’s privacy. In the film, one of Tris’ fears is being sexually assaulted by her love interest. This was made public to everyone watching her trial. According to Dolezal and Lyons’ research, shame is “so corrosive of the self” that it has a heavy negative impact on one’s mental health. One’s fears are deeply personal, and being exposed in such a way- especially having this fear displayed for her love interest- is cruel. While Tris handles it well, anyone else could have been psychologically crushed. This information should not be public.

        Another way Erudite violates people’s privacy is through advanced surveillance technology. During the siege of Abnegation, live surveillance footage is used to watch over everyone. This technology is advanced enough to highlight persons of interest and display their names and job titles. This removes the semi-anonymity one is privileged with when going about their day, as every action they perform will be monitored, recorded, and associated with their name. The government would have your daily schedule, know where you are at all times, and what you are doing.

        Lastly, there is a technology that allows the removal of one’s self, in which everything “that makes up a person […] thoughts, emotions, history” are all deleted. This takes the form of a serum that traps the victim in a simulation. This violates the victim’s privacy by denying them the ability to have private thoughts. Everything they see and think is what they are programmed to see and think- they lose the ability to have an original thoughts.

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Reference: 

1. Dolezal, Luna & Lyons, Barry. “Health-related shame: an affective determinant of health?” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739839/. Accessed 10/02/2