Tris Prior's Desire for Equality in Divergent: A Psychoanalytic Approach

Abstract

Film as a contemporary form of literary expression provides a powerful medium for exploring human psychology and social structures. This study examines the desire for equality of Tris Prior, the protagonist of the film Divergent (2014), directed by Neil Burger. Previous studies on Divergent have analyzed Tris through Jungian, Eriksonian, Marxist, and feminist frameworks, yet none have specifically examined her desire for equality as a psychological necessity through Freud’s structural model of the psyche. To bridge this gap, this research employs Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, focusing on the interrelation of the id, ego, and superego. A qualitative research design was applied using the documentation method, with data collected through repeated viewings of selected scenes, dialogues, and plot events from the film. The findings reveal that Tris’s id manifests as an impulsive drive for freedom in the First Jumper scene; her ego emerges as a rational, goal-directed decision in the train boarding scene; and her superego is reflected in her deep internalization of the faction system’s norms as expressed in Tris’s dialogue with Jenni to the Choosing Ceremony. The dynamic interaction of these three psychic structures culminates in Tris’s assertion of her Divergent identity, which represents the psychological fulfillment of her desire for equality. This study concludes that Tris’s pursuit of equality is not merely a social or political act, but a psychological necessity driven by the tension between instinctual desire, rational judgment, and internalized moral values.