Every individual is made up of a variety of traits which base our patterns of thought, feelings and behaviours. There are many different theories in order to identify how we gain these traits. Neil Burger’s dystopian film Divergent portrays two of these trait theories through the characters and plot. The two theories present in the movie are the Five Factor Model of Human Personality and the theories of Nature versus Nurture.
The Five Factor model of human personality is an empirical organization of personality traits in terms of five dimensions. These five personality traits are commonly known as; Openness, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion and Conscientiousness (McCrae & Costa, 1999). Beneath each dimension lays a number of more …show more content…
Those who are open to experience tend to respond by seeking for help, trying new solutions and maintaining optimism (Wade & Tavris, 2000). Unlike those high in neuroticism they react by indulging in wishful thinking, self blame which causes anxiety and other negative feelings. This concept correlates with the aptitude taken by all citizens in Divergent. The aptitude test is an assessment of every 16 year olds’ disposition towards any of the five traits belonging to the five factions. The simulation works by giving the person a scenario which eliminates one faction each time depending on their response to it. For example, Tris is presented with a knife and cheese, the Dauntless response would be to choose the knife, while to choose the cheese would be the choice of an Amity and too choose neither would be an Erudite …show more content…
The motto that is lived by in Divergent is the idea that “faction [comes] before blood” (Divergent, 2014) as most people would follow their nature and remain with their family, instead of following their real instincts. The aptitude test determines whether or not one has been shaped by their experiences or are genetically shaped. Each citizen is born and brought up in their parents’ faction and at the age of sixteen takes the aptitude test to determine which faction they really belong to. For example, Tris is raised according to the Abnegation lifestyle. It is apparent early on in the film that she is never quite able to completely conform with that lifestyle as the traits of an Abnegation never came naturally for her. By taking the test at age sixteen they are able to grow up and have an independent thought about whether or not they are wired for the faction. When Tris initially joins Dauntless it is apparent that some characteristics and traits she holds are those of Abnegation proving that being brought up in Abnegation did wear off on her. Tris eventually undertakes the traits and qualities of a Dauntless furthermore justifying the idea that your personality and temperament adapts as an effect of experiences, and environment. Divergent does have some elements of the Nature theory as well. For instance, both Tris and her mother are divergent, suggesting that being divergent is a hereditary
The Five Factor model of human personality is an empirical organization of personality traits in terms of five dimensions. These five personality traits are commonly known as; Openness, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion and Conscientiousness (McCrae & Costa, 1999). Beneath each dimension lays a number of more …show more content…
Those who are open to experience tend to respond by seeking for help, trying new solutions and maintaining optimism (Wade & Tavris, 2000). Unlike those high in neuroticism they react by indulging in wishful thinking, self blame which causes anxiety and other negative feelings. This concept correlates with the aptitude taken by all citizens in Divergent. The aptitude test is an assessment of every 16 year olds’ disposition towards any of the five traits belonging to the five factions. The simulation works by giving the person a scenario which eliminates one faction each time depending on their response to it. For example, Tris is presented with a knife and cheese, the Dauntless response would be to choose the knife, while to choose the cheese would be the choice of an Amity and too choose neither would be an Erudite …show more content…
The motto that is lived by in Divergent is the idea that “faction [comes] before blood” (Divergent, 2014) as most people would follow their nature and remain with their family, instead of following their real instincts. The aptitude test determines whether or not one has been shaped by their experiences or are genetically shaped. Each citizen is born and brought up in their parents’ faction and at the age of sixteen takes the aptitude test to determine which faction they really belong to. For example, Tris is raised according to the Abnegation lifestyle. It is apparent early on in the film that she is never quite able to completely conform with that lifestyle as the traits of an Abnegation never came naturally for her. By taking the test at age sixteen they are able to grow up and have an independent thought about whether or not they are wired for the faction. When Tris initially joins Dauntless it is apparent that some characteristics and traits she holds are those of Abnegation proving that being brought up in Abnegation did wear off on her. Tris eventually undertakes the traits and qualities of a Dauntless furthermore justifying the idea that your personality and temperament adapts as an effect of experiences, and environment. Divergent does have some elements of the Nature theory as well. For instance, both Tris and her mother are divergent, suggesting that being divergent is a hereditary