Does it seem like the first half of the book is statements about how Dauntless Tris is; and the second half is full of quotes like this that point out how Abnegation she is? We like this quote because a) we're hungry and b) she thinks through a lot of important issues about identity: is identity what you do when you're under pressure? Does it come out in your actions? Or is it something that's true even when your actions say something else?

You know how in the last few Harry Potter books, people start to realize that maybe they should stop playing Quidditch and start, you know, fighting the evil magician who will kill and enslave them all? Well, Tris hasn't quite reached that point yet. Here she is, ignoring all sorts of other issues—like war—and concentrating on her initiation competition. Which means that in this case, competition is getting in the way of both friendship and long-term survival.