A movie perfect for grads

Social media is buzzing about Divergent. I haven’t heard much about the movie, except the constant comparison to Hunger Games.

There are a number of similarities, like how both movies have factions revolving around the main character, a heroine.

But Hunger Games is Hunger Games, and Divergent is Divergent. Though similar in some ways, the experience differs. I like both, but the plot of Divergent is very simple, and even perfect for graduating students.

(Spoiler alert!) My favorite part of the movie is when the young girl Tris, who is part of the faction Abnegation is running after a group of kids from the faction Dauntless.

Tris grew up in an Abnegation household, where it is forbidden to look at one’s self too long in the mirror. They are helpful and selfless. Each faction has its own set of values — Dauntless is the most free of all the factions. They are also the protectors of the state, tasked to implement law and order between factions.

All members of the factions are given the choice eventually to decide which faction they feel they belong.

The storyline is very simple and perfect for teens because the movie is about self-discovery, and conquering your fears. When Tris was about to make a choice which faction to join, she was reminded by her brother, “Think of the family, but also think of yourself.”

Family has a big influence on the course that children take up in college. An obvious choice for me years ago was Business Administration since both parents are bankers. I was Dauntless, only after college, trying out other possibilities.

It’s intimidating to make that jump — just like when the new members of Dauntless jumped out of the train, and how Tris volunteered to be the first to jump off the building into the pit. More often, students pursue careers based on what’s practical and high-paying. Thankfully, there are many opportunities now for students who graduate with a degree in Business Administration, Engineering and even Agriculture. But for me, the bottomline is finding something that you love.

It does not take so many tests, or a serum as used in the movie, to determine one’s inclination. Usually, you just have look back at your younger years — at a time when there was less pressure to earn and make it big, or conform — when you just did what you loved and chased after your dreams.

Congratulations to all our graduates!

(E-mail me at [email protected].)