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45 pages 1 hour read

Veronica Roth

Insurgent

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2012

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Chapters 24–31 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 24 Summary

The Dauntless depart from Candor headquarters. Jack Kang is horrified to discover that they have tried and executed Eric and are taking their Divergent colleagues with them to the Dauntless headquarters, leaving Jack unable to meet two out of three of Jeanine’s demands. His faction, who have no protection without the Dauntless soldiers, is completely at Erudite’s mercy.

Dauntless engage in a gigantic paintball fight to destroy Erudite’s cameras. The fight reminds Tris of the positive side of Dauntless—their freedom and ability to live in the moment.

Chapter 25 Summary

Tobias asks Tris to accompany him to a meeting with Evelyn and Edward, because she is better at reading situations than he is. Along the way, Tobias tells Tris that he went through his fear landscape again, and it has changed. Instead of shooting an unknown woman, he has to watch Tris die while he is powerless to help her. 

At the meeting, Tobias, as a Dauntless leader, agrees to an alliance with the factionless. Evelyn’s goals are to destroy the entire faction system and to give the factionless an equal voice in the new government. She also wants Jeanine Matthews dead. They agree to join forces to take down the Erudite headquarters.

After Evelyn and Edward leave, Tobias and Tris argue, because Tris does not trust Evelyn. 

Chapter 26 Summary

Christina wakes Tris that night; three Dauntless—Marlene, Hector, who is Lynn and Shauna’s brother, and an eight-year-old Dauntless girl—are standing on the edge of the roof, under the influence of a simulation. Marlene delivers the message that this will happen every two days until one of the Divergent deliver themselves to Erudite headquarters. As the three people jump, Christina grabs the little girl, and Tris must choose: she saves Hector. Marlene falls to her death.

Tris is devastated and determined that this will never happen again.

Chapter 27 Summary

The next morning, Christina approaches Tris and tells her that after witnessing the simulation the previous night, she finally understands that Tris had no choice but to shoot Will. She forgives Tris. 

Tris has already decided to turn herself in to Jeanine, but Tobias asks her not to do anything until the Dauntless leaders come up with a plan. Some Dauntless remain fearful of the Divergent, at this point, while others refuse to give in to Jeanine’s blackmail and want to attack Erudite.

Later that night, Tris goes to talk to Tobias; he asks her to promise that she won’t sacrifice herself to the Erudite. She lies to Tobias and promises.

Chapter 28 Summary

After Tobias falls asleep, Tris leaves the Dauntless compound and delivers herself to the Erudite headquarters.

Peter arrives to escort Tris to a light paneled cubicle of a cell, with cameras in each corner.  

Chapter 29 Summary

Jeanine eventually arrives with her bodyguards, including Peter. She takes Tris to a room with a metal table and a machine in it; she tells Tris that she will study Tris’s mind in order to devise a simulation that the Divergent cannot control. Because Tris is the most divergent—having an aptitude for three factions—Jeanine is happy that Tris is the one who came. Jeanine enjoys showing Tris the table upon which she will eventually be executed. Tris doesn’t react; she merely asks to go back to her room.

Peter arrives and takes Tris to a room with an MRI machine in it. Tris agrees to cooperate with Jeanine’s work, if Jeanine shares the results of the tests with her. Jeanine agrees. 

After the test, Jeanine and her lab lackeys explain that Tris’s brain is wired so that she is very good at directing her efforts toward her goals, but she is not reward-seeking. Jeanine announces that she will develop a new serum accordingly.

As Peter escorts Tris back to her cell, she sees a bloodied Tobias being dragged down the hallway. He tells her that if she dies, he’ll die too. Tris collapses in her cell. Peter says Tobias is stupid; after all, he’s young and can find another girlfriend when Tris dies. She tells Peter that if that’s what he thinks is happening then he’s the stupid one. She begs Peter to find out if Tobias is all right; Peter refuses.

Chapter 30 Summary

Jeanine tests a new serum on Tris. She remains aware throughout the simulation, which is of a bus ride and a conversation with her mother, which means that the serum is not successful.

Chapter 31 Summary

Next, Jeanine tries a fear serum on Tris while Tobias watches, in an attempt to get him to reveal the locations of the factionless safe houses. After watching Tris being tortured, he does. After Tobias leaves, Jeanine tells Tris how she found out that Tris had three aptitudes: her own brother, Caleb. Tris sees Caleb standing outside.

Chapters 24-31 Analysis

Betrayals, arguments, and impossible choices confront Tris and Tobias no matter where they turn in these chapters. Significantly, though Tobias asks Tris to accompany him when he meets with Evelyn, he does not follow her advice. They disagree about nearly every decision, including how to handle the Erudite simulation death-threats. After having to make an impossible choice about who to save on the rooftop, Tris is determined that she will never allow another innocent person to be harmed. Tobias knows that Tris will give herself up so he makes her promise not to. She lies to him but finds that he is true to his word: he will support and back her up, even when he disagrees with her, even when supporting her choices means risking his own life. 

Betrayal splits factions, particularly the Dauntless, whose traitors choose to remain with the Erudite rather than be free, and the cowardly Candor, who intend to hand over their own Divergent to keep a faulty peace. The ultimate betrayal comes when Caleb is revealed to be working with Jeanine; he chooses faction over blood. Tris has now lost her entire family. 

The only bright spot in these chapters comes when Christina forgives Tris for shooting Will. Their friendship is mended.

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