Diverse Leadership in the "Divergent" Novels
By Gary C. Norman, J.D. L.L.M.
In the Divergent Series, Veronica Roth expertly pens important thematic questions and storylines that touched me as a reader. One person may possess several attributes, breaking a pre-determined mold. Like Trish, the protagonist in the Divergent Series, I have long been someone who feels different; one who has broken the mold that society would impose. I hope that this brief column will encourage you to be a supporter of those we deem “divergent” from the norm or the “normal.”
The series captivated me, in no small part, due to my ability to read myself into several of the characters. The author’s major theme -- that society, actual or futuristic, will inherently try to categorize individuals into attribute types – percolates through all three novels.
Trish must undergo a rite of passage, known as “selecting a faction.” (For the real-world equivalent, albeit without the futuristic paramilitary overlay and need to jump on and off moving trains, one should recall the rites of passage experienced by young men and women in Indigenous Peoples of North America.) In Ms. Roth’s young adult novels, categories that teenagers must select – with drastic consequences – are amity, abdication, dauntless, and erudite. As many of us, Trish does not squarely fit into one group or into one category. She is that dreaded “divergent.”
As someone who must work a guide dog across the tough streets of Baltimore and even international cities in the past, I find personal connection with the bravery of Trish, and her instructor-turned-lover, Four. I found that the kindness -- sometimes with blunt talk -- of her friend and fellow member of dauntless, Christine, should be a necessary skill for all of us. Considering all of these, I found great wisdom about the human spirit in the novels, cross translating these to ancient cardinal virtues and my own moral strengths. I understand that, in Chinese culture, many symbols have a two-sided identifier like an old 45-record. Every positive has a reverse.
Well-intended actions often have negative consequences or outcomes. In the novels, the factions, while intended for good, result in conflict and strife. As the author seems to indicate, more harm than good has been wrought in human history by distinguishing the one or the self from others, requiring that all of us, as leaders, be cautious how we categorize others. Think phrases or unstated attitudes like ‘not normal,’ or ‘not capable.’ Perhaps that unstated question: why is he here? This negative categorization can be less obvious or direct than identifying people as abdication – civil servants in the Divergent Series – or dauntless – the warriors. Even unstated or unknown attitudes can shape the access and opportunity of others.
In my travels as a voracious reader but blind person, for example, I often encounter either bias or arrogance that somehow reading is a visual act that the blind cannot access. It is these attitudes that still cause a long-term gap in reading and literacy access and accessibility by those with print-based disabilities. I read these novels with great enthusiasm through a reading platform for those with print-based disabilities known as BARD. Through this platform operated by a division at the U.S. Library of Congress, a patron may download compressed files of thousands of books and periodicals and have these verbalized via adjustable speech on one’s smart device.
I will not describe the conclusion of the third novel and what happens to Trish. For sure, she impacts profoundly the lives of her friends, her foes, and her family members as she defines them.
In conclusion, I hope that all of us can be a little bit of amity, providing for the food security of others. Each of us should be a lot of the better part of abdication, serving our republic. For those of us who are diverse leaders, let each of us be a good combination of dauntless and erudition that opens doors to a better future to those who follow us.
Gary Norman, a 2000 PMI, serves as the attorney advisor to PMAA's board of directors. He is also a Senior Assistant Attorney Advisor at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He is known for semi-regular salons in which he brokers thought leaders, including the disabled and the able, having mentored a range of law students with disabilities. He is partnered with his third guide dog.
**The Library Company of Philadelphia recently approved me as a shareholder member – one of a couple of thousand privileged individuals at any given timeframe. As a Mason public servant, I feel honored to be a member of this institution originally started by Grand Master and renowned public figure: Benjamin Franklin.