Contents
Chapter 2: Beatrice
Overview
On the eve of her aptitude test, Beatrice prepares dinner for visiting council leader Marcus Eaton and wrestles with Abnegation expectations. A contentious news report about the Memory Vault prompts Beatrice to question aloud, earning a Penalty of Silence. After a quiet reconciliation with her father, Beatrice seeks release by climbing to the roof and screaming into the night, exposing deep conflict between duty and self.
Summary
Beatrice and her mother prepare dinner while anticipating the next day’s aptitude test that will determine Beatrice’s faction fit. Council leader Marcus Eaton arrives, joining Beatrice’s family and the Black family. The conversation affirms Abnegation ideals and notes Beatrice’s recent service to the factionless, which she secretly despises.
A news brief interrupts, reporting Erudite allegations that Abnegation’s Memory Vault has caused memory lapses among Dauntless guards and highlighting Marcus Eaton’s exclusive access. Beatrice questions why Erudite would need a source if they were fabricating claims, inadvertently challenging Abnegation’s integrity in front of guests. Her mother imposes a Penalty of Silence until morning.
While cleaning up, Beatrice’s father (Andrew Prior) quietly empathizes, admitting he too is often penalized for speaking too directly, and advises her to choose her moments. Later, restless and constrained by communal strictures, Beatrice sneaks up to the roof. Confronting her fear and frustration, she leans into the wind and screams, briefly shedding the compliant Abnegation mask.
Who Appears
- BeatriceNarrator; anxious about the aptitude test, questions Erudite’s report at dinner, penalized to silence, later vents by screaming from the roof.
- Beatrice’s motherWarm, composed Abnegation woman; cooks, guides service to the factionless, imposes the Penalty of Silence on Beatrice.
- Beatrice’s father (Andrew Prior)Council member; defends Abnegation, later comforts Beatrice, admitting he too is often silenced for speaking bluntly.
- Marcus EatonCouncil leader; dines with the family, reacts coolly to Erudite’s Memory Vault allegations, emblem of Abnegation authority.
- Mrs. Agnes BlackNeighbor and community garden lead; participates in dinner discussion, supports Abnegation’s image amid Erudite scrutiny.
- Robert BlackAgnes’s son; blushes under Marcus’s attention after mention of his research on soil composition.
- Susan BlackRobert’s twin; observes Beatrice at dinner, studies with the group afterward.