A 16-year-old girl sits in front of a mirror as her mother cuts her hair. The faction her family belongs to, Abnegation, only allows her access to a mirror once every three months. However, she is due to attend an aptitude test that will indicate which faction she is best suited to. Then, at the next day’s Choosing Ceremony, she will decide whether to stay with her family or choose a new faction to remain with for the rest of her life. She reflects that, on days when her home life seems the most pleasant and normal, she feels particularly guilty for wanting to leave.The narrator and her brother, Caleb, are traveling by bus to the heart of the city. As the Abnegation faction values selflessness, Caleb has given up his seat to a member of the Candor faction. They arrive at school, and the narrator reflects that this is probably the last time that they will walk its halls. She tells Caleb that she is not anxious but, really, she has been worrying about which faction she will be matched with by the aptitude test.

The interaction between students has become tense, with those in the Erudite faction having become antagonistic towards those in Abnegation.