Finishing a
good book is like losing a close friend. For two weeks Katniss Everdeen was my
best friend… but much to my dismay.. her story is done. I want to share my
thoughts and hear other people’s opinions as well.
If you
haven’t read all the Hunger Games series and plan to (or plan to watch the movies) then do
not read this!
First I would
like to address the Gale vs. Peeta debate. As the book developed I was pretty
neutral about who I thought she might choose, and who I thought she should
choose. In the beginning I will admit I was rooting for Gale, especially in
Catching Fire when he told her he loved her and they kissed, but in the arena
when she kissed Peeta and she said she felt something inside her, I began to
change my mind. By the time their story had progressed in Mockingjay all I
could think about the whole time was, what is going to happen to Peeta? And
when he was rescued and brought to District 13, brainwashed and damaged, I was
devastated, as was Katniss. That’s when I knew it had to be Peeta and at one
point even Gale admits it. The last page when she describes why she chose*
Peeta, it’s not just Peeta she’s choosing it’s also a representation of a way
of living life and prevailing that she’s choosing. That there can still be
compassion after all of the pain and “the bright yellow that means rebirth
instead of destruction.”
*I don’t think there ever was a choice, it was
always going to be Peeta
In some
forums I read, some people thought Katniss and Peeta’s love story wasn’t “epic”
enough at the end. In my opinion it’s not a love story, it’s about war and the
role it plays in humanity. They were broken, but in the end they did love each
other. It was real and that’s what made the story so beautifully heartbreaking
to finish.
Now second
topic: President Coin. I don’t know what everybody else thought, but I thought
there should have been more of an explanation behind the trial. Am I supposed
to believe that Katniss killed the primary leader of the revolution and that
they just attributed it to her being crazy and everybody bought it? Or do we
assume that the other districts understood who President Coin really was? I
felt like this could have been an opportunity to develop the story further, but
maybe the point is that Katniss didn’t owe anybody an explanation anymore. I knew eventually there would be
some sort of showdown/confrontation between her and Coin and I loved the
symbolism of her using the arrow to kill her instead of Snow. She wasn’t going
to be a token anymore for anybody’s war…for anybody’s dishonesty and
justifications of what’s right and what’s wrong.
Finally, I
thought this story was quite deep to be considered a young adult series, with
all the anti- war symbolism and because of the damaging effects on the
characters from the horrifyingly traumatic events. I keep wondering how they
will spin this in the movies, how Hollywood will take the shining heroine and
turn her into a broken, mentally unstable girl who hides in closets and
contemplates suicide. Ultimately that’s what makes this story so ironic because
Katniss never wanted to be star or an icon, but she was forced to be one in her
world and now in ours.
Since I presume all the movies will follow The Hunger Games lead and be 3rd person, that leaves a lot of room for interpretation with regard to what went on "behind the scenes" during the "trial". No question, Paylor plays a large role. The scene where Paylor allows Katniss to go in and speak to Snow...it's Paylor's own solders guarding Snow, I have to believe that Paylor wanted to protect Katniss during the chaos that ensued after the assassination of Coin. It also makes sense that somewhere down the road in Panem's future, some politician would want to bring Katniss back as a political ally, since she really enjoyed the overwhelming support of most of the population. As for studying their history (Katniss refers to her children learning about the Hunger Games in school) I think her contribution would be considered pivotal and there would be no end of discussion/analysis as to what values she stands for. I am also very pleased with the choice of Jennifer Lawrence. It is a very accomplished portrayal and if they stay true to the story, we will see a person who is both very heroic and at the same time, very vulnerable, dealing with the loss and trauma that is the reality and experience of many war veterans.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your insight!
DeleteYes I was always under the assumption that Paylor was "on Katniss's side" as was Boggs and most of the other pivotal characters in the novel. Looking back when Paylor allows Katniss to speak to Snow, Suzanne Collin's must have been foreshadowing the following events. Paylor knew the truth and wanted Katniss to find out on her own...but this also begs the question of who all knew Coin was behind the bombing and was involved in the planning behind it, but again I guess we assume Paylor didn't play a part in this plan. I suppose I also have it in my head that I want the citizens of Panem to know exactly why Katniss did what she did (kill Coin) too.
I thought that the first film was a very good adaptation of a book that was written in first person and I'm curious to see how the rest of the films will turn out. I agree Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant and I couldn't imagine anybody else in the role as this point. I just saw a lot of negative feedback about Mockingjay and I know Hollywood has an inevitable way of glamorizing things so I hope they stay somewhat true to the story. Film is a separate piece of art though so it's open for interpretation.
I love you!
ReplyDelete