Hunger Games: Team Katniss
Before you make me walk the plank, I admit I am very late to the game (ha, ha)reading Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series. I’ve heard so much buzz about the series, and I dutifully put them on my reading list. Yet, some part of me kept going, “Oh, man, I can’t take Lord of the Flies with romance. I mean, can you see Piggy as the romantic lead?” So, while Twitter and the forums buzzed with Hunger Games news, I resisted the Team Gale and Team Peeta debates. Then, with the upcoming release of Mockingjay, I decided it was time to succumb to the wave of excitement.
From the first chapter, I was glued. Katniss is not your average teen protagonist. She hunts and breaks the law and kills to protect herself. A woman of action, she is less concerned with love and fairy tales than she is with keeping food in the mouths of her family. Her every decision is grounded in reality, and her instincts are driven by a strong desire to survive. Aside from these qualities, Katniss is honorable and has the protective instincts of a tiger.
I remember hearing a lot of criticism about Katniss. How cold she is. How she uses the men in the story. How she toys with the feelings of others. I wonder if too many weak female protagonists has dimmed our ability to see a strong, independent one as a good thing. Most of the discussion I’ve heard about Hunger Games has aimed to define Katniss by her relationships with the men in her life. Now that I’ve read the books, I think this may be a disservice to this wonderful character that Collins’ has created.
Katniss is a strong woman. She is not looking for a man to protect her. In fact, love seems to feel like a burden to her. In her society, it simply means one more person to take care of. With the load she is carrying, I can’t really blame her for not wanting to take on another. She comes to accept the comfort of touch – a human desire she hasn’t even realized she needed – but feelings are a luxury for Katniss. I don’t believe this is because she is cold, but because she feels so deeply. We see this each time she stands up for those around her. If she lets herself go, she might break under the grief of everything she’s seen and done in order to survive.
Honestly, part of me can’t wait to read Mockingjay, but part of me is also scared I will be disappointed. Because I am Team Katniss. I don’t want her to end up alone, but I also don’t think our Katniss could live in a warring society and be part of a couple. She would be too busy trying to save her lover’s life and the world. If forced, she would always choose the many (society) over the one (herself or her lover). I see a lot of heartache coming in Mockingjay. And it’s not because Katniss is bitter or untouchable. On the contrary, it is because her heart is so fragile, and she has done everything in her power to protect it.
The Hunger Games series are not romance novels. They are explorations of the moral dilemmas a decent human being would face in a world gone to hell. As I see it, the stories are not about who Katniss will love, but who she will grow to be when pushed to the edge. They are about stripping away all the trappings of life to discover who you are at the heart of things. And I really, really hope Katniss is who I think she is – The Mockingjay…a free thing born in defiance of oppression.
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8 Responses to "Hunger Games: Team Katniss"
on July 14, 2010 | to this post
TEAM GALE.
(hehe)
But really, whichever she picks (cough*Gale*cough) or whether she chooses to be alone, you’re right–she’s a complex, strong character. I actually like her a lot. She has flaws like anyone, but she’s a strong and amazing character.
on July 14, 2010 | to this post
Agree completely, and I almost hope she does choose herself over either of them – almost.
on July 14, 2010 | to this post
That was an awesome look at what makes these books great beyond their captivating plot. I, too, only read them recently after hearing a lot about them and it was definitely worth it! And your last paragraph was stellar – I love knowing that books can mean so much!
on July 15, 2010 | to this post
Your last sentence hits home. I agree with everything you said, though I think it’s mostly because I can’t decide if I like Peeta or Gale more, and therefore can’t imagine how Katniss would either
on July 15, 2010 | to this post
I agree with you, completely. I wasn’t too shocked, actually, when she used the men in her life. It was about survival and staying alive for other people who needed her, and she wasn’t very happy about it.
I feel bad for poor Peeta, though.
on July 15, 2010 | to this post
Saw your post on the AW blogroll and had to jump over …
I’m a newbie to the series as well. I justify it by saying I’m just a couple of years behind on my ‘to read’ list, and I read everything, which doesn’t help.
As for me, TEAM PEETA FTW! No contest. What has Gale ever had to sacrifice for Kat? Peeta keeps biting the dust for her … plus, he’s the bread making artsy type that would also smother you in your sleep if you tried to act a’fool. Sensitive AND strong. See? See?
I was Team Jacob, too, so this probably isn’t going to end well for Peeta. :0(
Great blog, btw!
on July 15, 2010 | to this post
Yes, I agree, Katniss all the way! Still waiting for Catching Fire to come out in audio….with school, the only time I get to read is on the way to campus!
on July 22, 2010 | to this post
I’m firmly in the Katniss camp–I really, really liked her as a character. She was tough and made ugly choices because she had to, but she definitely still did selfless things and cared about people (Rue, for example, and of course, her sacrifice for her sister was HUGE). I gobbled this book up, as well as the sequel. I agree–I hope Mockingjay doesn’t disappoint.
(*disclaimer: this comment in no way implies, infers, or suggests that I am NOT Team Peeta. GO BREAD BOY!)