In the arena Tris has to confront her own fears and prove to herself that she can fight and that she is strong. The arena in described as a place in which anyone can become your enemy, specially in the process of initiation during which initiates cannot decide who they are going to fight against.

As we go on reading, we can get to feel the warlike atmosphere around the arena. And many of the unsympathetic comments made by the instructors make initiates feel even more vulnerable. Ir seems like although every Dauntless has been through this process you are on tour own and have to protect yourself.