Quote 16
Eric called Al's suicide brave, and he was wrong. My mother's death was brave. I remember how calm she was, how determined. It isn't just brave that she died for me; it is brave that she did it without announcing it, without hesitation, and without appearing to consider another option. (36.53)
Here Tris is discussing her mom's sacrifice, which was truly brave (Tris thinks) because it was totally selfless. So, this seems to show an evolution in Tris's thinking about bravery. She used to equate it with selfishness, and now she equates it with quite the opposite?
Quote 17
"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of society. Abnegation has fulfilled our need for selfless leaders in government; Candor has provided us with trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless provides us with protection from threats both within and without. But the reach of each faction is not limited to these areas. We give one another far more than can be adequately summarized. In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."
I think of the motto I read in my Faction History textbook: Faction before blood. More than family, our factions are where we belong. Can that possibly be right? (5.35-6)
Factions aren't just groups of people who like the same stuff. In other words, they're not fan clubs. They're groups of people who share the same values, which means they're drawn to the same jobs. But note that after that long (long) explanation of how great factions are, Tris still isn't sure about the whole faction vs. family thing.
Quote 18
I hear a shout and look over my shoulder. A short Erudite boy with red hair pumps his arms as he tries to catch up to the train. An Erudite girl by the door reaches out to grab the boy's hand, straining, but he is too far behind. He falls to his knees next to the tracks as we sail away, and puts his head in his hands.
I feel uneasy. He just failed Dauntless initiation. He is factionless now. It could happen at any moment. (6.15-6)
Tris narrates just about every step of this event, which is very quick (boy fails to get on moving train) but also very serious (boy is now factionless forever and ever). It's a nice reminder of the dangers of Dauntless initiation to Tris (who really doesn't want to be factionless), like when a movie/TV show kills off a minor character so you know that the major ones are never safe. Well, at least this scary moment answers the question of where factionless come from. They're people who failed the initiations.