Nature vs. Nurture

Genetics plays a huge role in Allegiant. The United States government believes that genetics is something they can control. They thought that they could get rid of the bad traits within the population to create a perfect world. In their eyes, anyone who didn’t have perfect genes wasn’t worth anything and just caused problems. The Divergent were created in an attempt to breed a genetically superior species. When Tobias learns that he isn’t Divergent he believes himself to be inferior, but Tris is convinced that he’s still the same person and that nothing has changed between them.

Likewise, there are several instances in the novel where Tobias's upbringing is contrasted with Tris's. The fact that she has had loving parents has given her a foundation that does not shift when it counts. Tobias does not have that, and the lack...