A Personality Analysis of the Amity Faction: Trait-Dispositional Level (Research Paper Sample)

A Personality Analysis of the Amity Faction
Abstract
The society shown in the novel Divergent is comprised of five factions. The Amity faction is described to be peaceful and completely opposed to violence. In an effort to form a comprehensive view of the faction’s personality, Amity is viewed through five personality perspectives, which are: Trait-Dispositional, Biological, Psychodynamic-Motivational, Behavioral-Conditioning, and Social Cognitive. The Cognitive-Affective Personality System is applied in effort to form a broad view of the Amity faction and it’s members.
A Personality Analysis of the Amity Faction
Introduction
Divergent is set in a futuristic dystopian society, which is comprised of five factions. These factions include: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the honest). At age 16, each individual takes an aptitude test, which determines the faction they will belong to for the rest of their life. Individuals who do not fit into one or show aptitude for more than one faction are known as divergent. Additionally, individuals who fail to integrate, leave, or are expelled from their chosen faction are known as the factionless. This examination will focus on the Amity faction. Amity was formed in an effort to create a peaceful society and are characterized by: peacefulness, kindness, forgiveness, trust, self-sufficiency, and neutrality. The Amity faction experiences relatively poor relationships with most of the other factions. Specifically, Candor considers Amity to be dishonest; Dauntless’ violent nature is in direct contrast to Amity’s core beliefs; and Erudite has started a war with Abnegation. Amity does have a peaceful relationship with Abnegation, which is characterized by them providing safety for Abnegation refugees.
This analysis will examine the personality characteristics of Amity. Amity will be examined through five personality perspectives, which are the: trait-dispositional level, biological level, psychodynamic-motivational level, behavioral-conditioning level, and social cognitive level. Finally, an integration of the five perspectives will be proposed in order to provide a comprehensive view of the faction’s personality.
Trait-Dispositional Level of Analysis
The Dauntless Faction describes the Amity Faction as “banjo strummin' softies” however this is not a completely accurate description. Although Amity members do enjoy music, art, games and laughter, there is a deeper side to them that requires a closer look. For example, they traditionally greet each other with hugs, which is generally attributed to more feminine characteristics and traits. This shows that the men in the faction have taken on more of a feminine gender role thus suggesting that the men tend to be more androgynous, especially when compared to other factions such as Dauntless where more masculine characteristics and traits are dominant.
Individuals with a feminine gender role tend to be more submissive, loyal, nurturing, and affectionate. Conversely, those with a masculine gender role tend to be more decisive, dominant, aggressive, and independent (Bern, 1974). This further suggests the idea that the faction members in Amity may tend to be more androgynous than some of the other factions, if not all, because the members seem to be nurturing and affectionate towards each other whenever they are shown in the book. They also try to remain peaceful as in their manifesto thus staying away from more typical masculine traits such as aggressiveness. Amity members’ enjoyment of the fine arts and being creative also supports the idea that the members in the Amity faction may tend to be more androgynous because men who strongly identify with feminine gender role characteristics along with androgynous women tend to be more creative than undifferentiated men and women, highly feminine women and men and women who reported strongly masculine gender role characteristics (Stoltzfus, G., Nibbelink, B., Vredenburg, D., & Thyrum, E.,2011).
Amity’s ‘happy go-lucky’ attitude also goes along with the idea that most, if not all, Amity Faction members are probably of Type B personality. Whenever the reader gets a glimpse into the lives of Amity members they appear to be satisfied and happy. Type B personality types tend to experience less stress as a result of the frustrations of daily life, feel less pressure by too many things to do. They are also more likely to view life as a joy and express fewer concerns about the meaning of life. In midlife Type B’s tend to be married, employed full time, satisfied with their work, and in better general health. They also tend to have fewer days of illness, visits to physicians, hospitalizations, surgical procedures, and prescriptions (Thomas, S. P., 1986). Amity faction members are also more likely to enjoy the simple things in life such as Night-Sky Watching (Kelly, W. E., & McGee, C. M., 2012).
If it is true that Amity Faction members tend to be androgynous and of Type B personality, then they have a better probability of longevity and successful aging compared to the other factions (Stoltzfus, G., Nibbelink, B., Vredenburg, D., & Thyrum, E. 2011).
Biological Level of Analysis
The Biological Level of analysis focuses on the question of nature versus nurture. 99.9% of all human genes are the same, meaning that there is only a small percentage of every person’s genes that differentiates them from others. There has been much debate over the impact of people’s genetic differences on their personalities. While a person’s environment does play an important role in the formation of their identity, their personality is heavily influenced by their genetic makeup.
Low Neuroticism is the main factor in determining whether a person belongs in Amity. The Neuroticism scale measures a person’s anxiety, negative affect, and moodiness. In Eysenck’s twin studies, he found that a person’s level of neuroticism was one of the highest correlated traits in identical twins (Eysenck, 1951). This means that there is a very strong association between a person’s level of neuroticism and their genes. Tris imagines what it would be like to be in Amity when she says, “I see myself in the back of a truck, singing with the girl, though I’ve never sung before, laughing when I am off-key, climbing trees to pick the apples, always peaceful and always safe” (Roth, 2011 p.128). This quote exemplifies the contentment and carefree personalities of those in Amity.
In order to understand how biology impacts a person’s personality, it is important to examine their family. Traits, affects, and characteristics can often be inherited from one’s parents. If a child shares the same traits as the parent, this could be due to the genetic link between them. In the book Divergent, children seldom choose to leave their family’s faction. They often share their parents’ values and characteristics. There is only one person mentioned in the entire novel that left Amity to join a different faction (Dauntless). This person fails the first test for the Dauntless initiation—jumping off of the train—and becomes factionless. Tris notes that “All the initiates except for the Amity boy made it onto the roof” (Roth, 2011, p.54). His failure to successfully transfer factions implies that he should have stayed in Amity.
Those who successfully transfer factions are changing their environment to be consistent with their genes. Thomas Bouchard Jr. notes that “Current thinking holds that each individual picks and chooses from a range of stimuli and events largely on the basis of his or her genotype” (Bouchard, 1994, p.1701). People actively seek out different environments that are more in line with their natural personalities. In Divergent Robert—who is originally from Abnegation—transfers to Amity. It is unclear whether either of his parents had previously been in Amity, but it is obvious that Abnegation’s environment was not congruent with Robert’s genetic dispositions. He underscores his tendency for an Amity lifestyle when he tells Tris that her goal in life should be to be happy (Roth, 2011). If nurture played as large of a role in personality as people often imply it does, neither Robert nor Tris would have switched from their original faction because that faction is what shaped them.
Psychodynamic-Motivational Level of Analysis
The psychodynamic- motivational level of analysis focuses on the motivations that underlie actions. For the Amity faction, this level would explain their desire for and emphasis on peace and the reasons behind their placement outside the city gates, as well as others. Sigmund Freud was the main proponent of the psychodynamic level, and divided reasons for motivation into three different levels. These levels are known as the id, ego, and superego. The id is the basic instinctual motivation and unconscious wishes and desires. It is completely unconscious. The ego is the organizational and moralizing component. It mediates between the id and superego. The superego is conscious thought, and controls morals and the need to be nice and well behaved. It has been said that the ability to love and work requires harmony between the id, ego, and superego.
Breaking down the levels of Freud’s structural model, there is evidence that shows aspects of the id, ego, and superego. The id is known as eros, or the life or survival instinct. The faction chooses to be separated from all other factions, outside of the lock...