Setting and Development of Insugent, the Book by Veronica Roth

In the book Insurgent by Veronica Roth, setting is one of the most important and influential aspects of the story. The setting of a book or story is one of the most important things to the reader as it allows them to imagine the environment surrounding the characters. It creates a tone and an attitude which change the way the reader feels as they continue further into the writing. Roth is able to use the setting of Insurgent as a parallel to the book’s plot and her character’s emotions which helps the reader relate to them. The setting foreshadows most of the plot and helps to develop the characters/factions through small amounts of symbolism.

One of the most important details of the setting for any story is the amount of lighting within the scene. In many works of literature light is a symbol for hope, a symbol of happiness and salvation to anything that it touches. Insurgent goes past the cliché heavenly glow of light and shows a world where light is blinding and hides truth. There are several points in the story where excess and unnecessary amount of light will shine while a character is deceived or mislead by another. Early in the book the main character, Beatrice “Tris” Prior, is drugged by the Amity faction to calm her down. She is given a “peace serum” which alters brain function and rids the user of anger. Beatrice notes, “The room is so bright I have to squint to see.” (Roth, 57) From the beginning of the book, light is the symbol of deception and evil for all who are enveloped in it.

As the counterpart of light, darkness is commonly viewed as an evil and dangerous entity which consumes all and leaves nothing. However, Insurgent ignores the old and cliché use of darkness and makes it the symbol of truth and all that wh...

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...erpiece of a story filled with relatable characters who make you feel like you grow with them. Insurgent is filled with an abundance of small details that some may not notice with their first read through the book. These small details are what allow the setting to help develop the characters and plot without being perceptible. In her own creative and effective way Roth manages to use colors to show personalities, lighting to symbolize morality and the environment portrays the emotions of those whom it surrounds. Every single description and all the small unnoticed details about the setting are what allow Roth to foreshadow the plot and develop the characters/factions throughout the book without the reader every noticing.

Works Cited

"Color Symbolism and Culture." Incredibleart. N.p.. Web. 22 Oct 2013. .