We already live in a world where the family and social class you're born into unduly influences your prospects in life, but Divergent takes it to an entirely different level. Each person is part of one of the five sections of society, and that defines where they live, what they do for a living, and even the personality they're encouraged to display. The factions are as follows: Abnegation (the Selfless), Erudite (the Intelligent), Dauntless (the Brave), Amity (the Peaceful), and Candor (the Honest). Apparently the concept that a person could possess more than one of those qualities was distasteful. If you choose to leave the faction to which you're born, there's an immediate and irreparable rift between you and your family. You live in the same town, and you see them almost every day, but you're not a part of them anymore. It's like when people leave the Amish...you can never go home again. There's all of that, plus all the government intrigue and conspiracies to turn certain members of your community into mindless killing machines, but you know...details.