I only just barely finished reading The Transfer not even two minutes ago. My immediate reaction? Wow. I honestly didn’t expect to like it so much.
I think, without spoiling the plot, the thing that makes this short story so great is the insight we get into Four’s character. Particularly the transformation that one must face when choosing a new faction.
We get this a lot in Divergent. We see how Beatrice Prior becomes the hard punching Tris that we all love. We witness the evolution that takes place inside her–it’s arguably the meat of the story, the stuff that gets us asking questions. So seeing this similar transformation in a completely different character is refreshing.
In comparison, I feel that Tobias’s evolution is much more critical than Tris’s. His fears (particularly that of Marcus) seem so much more severe and real than hers. His personal obstacles seem so much more difficult to overcome in that aspect and his motives become all the more realistic. Veronica Roth showcases great talent in being able to develop a character so well in so few of words.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Transfer. As a reader, I feel much more connected to Tobias than I had before. In that short hour of reading, his pains became my pains. His choices, my choices. His fears, my fears.
And I’ve learned something from Four: when we overcome our fears, we are free.
What did you think of The Transfer?
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