Contemporary Fiction
Thomas Grimmer
Suicide
The contemporary issue I selected in my book is teenagers committing suicide. In Divergent, one of the initiates, Al, committed suicide by jumping into the chasm. The reason Al committed suicide was that was ranked 8 out of 9 of the initiates and was probably going to faction-less, also Tris, who Al had a crush on, rejected him and said not to talk to her again.
- Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24
- Suicide is the THIRD leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18
- More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
- Each day in our nation there are an average of over 5,400 attempts by young people grades 7-12.
Tris Prior
Tris was the main character in the book and was the main reason Al committed suicide. Since the beginning of initiation, Al and Tris were friends. But later on Al was dropping in the ranks and was becoming desperate to be higher. Al, Peter, and Drew got Tris in a bag and was going to throw her over the chasm and kill her because Tris was ranked first. They were about to drop her but then 4 came and beat them up and saved Tris. Al went to talk to Tris and he apologized but Tris said No, never come near me again, you coward. Later that night Al committed suicide...
Eric
Eric is one of the Dauntless leaders, he acted a little different then you would act if someone committed suicide, he acted happy and proud and he said that it was an act of bravery and all the members cheered and shouted his name. Eric said that Al was now exploring an unknown land and that he is the bravest out of all of us.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
The organization I chose is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or AFSP.
AFSP is the nation’s leading organization bringing together people across communities and backgrounds to understand and prevent suicide, and to help heal the pain it causes. Individuals, families, and communities who have been personally touched by suicide are the moving force behind everything we do.
Tori
Tori is a tattoo artist and she was the one who hosted Tris' aptitude test and she has been Tris' aid through her adventure in the Dauntless compound; Tori didn't have anything to do with the suicide of Al, but she helps calm down Tris because she was freaking out.
Recommendation
If you know someone that is having suicidal thoughts or self harms themselves, I recommend that you tell an adult or talk to them about it.