Welcome to Futuristic Chicago!
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Main Setting
The setting in Insurgent is a futuristic Chicago where the community is separated by five different factions in the midst of a war. The setting and mood depend on the faction that the characters live in. For example, in the Abnegation faction, everything is gray and plain. Every house looks exactly the same and there is no variety. The Abnegation are giving to others but never self indulgent. On the other hand, in the Amity faction, there are gardens everywhere and all the clothes are vibrant reds, greens, and yellows. The people are always happy and just enjoy life. Most of the city is clean and well taken care of, but there are areas that are extremely unkempt. These areas are where the factionless live. This group consists of people who failed to pass or quit their initiation into their chosen faction. Without a faction to take care of them, they live in the dirty alleys of the city.
What the Setting Affects
One of the things the setting affects is the characters. The state of mind of the character and how they go about their lives completely depend on the faction they live in. For example, in the Abnegation faction, the people are very timid and are reluctant to change after helping other people and not really traveling past the boundaries of their faction. In the Candor faction, kids are taught at a young age to be completely honest and never to tell a lie. They are also taught how to tell when someone is lying. Another thing that the setting affects is the plot. For example, if the setting was a barren area with nowhere to hide when Tris and others were running from the Erudite soldiers in the Amity compound, then they probably would not have escaped the soldiers.
Veronica Roth Talks INSURGENT
To hear how the author feels about the characters she made and hoe she relates to them, watch this short video. Enjoy! (0:00 - 1:19)