Katniss is a hero. She’s not just the main character of a book. All main characters do something great. All main characters help people. All main characters did something to deserve a story. But not all main characters deserve the title hero. Harry Potter is a hero. Frodo Baggins is a hero….
words have the power to change us: Why I Love Katniss Everdeen
*SPOILERS FOR CATCHING FIRE AND MOCKINGJAY BOOKS*
I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Brass Monkey or the Asian take, The 3 Wise Monkey. I am also not sure of what will be the correct meaning of it in Western culture but it’s kind of a golden rule in Asia.
The 3 Wise Monkeys embody the principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one symbolizes the principle of “do no evil”. He may be shown crossing his arms.
Don’t you think it’s a wee bit weird that Katniss Everdeen was once deaf in one ear, then swell up on one eye, was not able to speak as an after effect of a strangulation and finally was almost burn to death? All pointing to the mystic apes.
I do remember she lost her spleen too but it’s as if Ms. Collins did that on purpose or was it just a coincidence, we will never know. I am no philosopher but I am curious.
P.S: Don’t get me started with Peeta’s resurrections. He literally died 3 times in the books.
In honor of Katniss’s birthday, I give you all a present! I hope you enjoy it.
Alrighty, Mutthatter posted this about a month ago maybe, but I’ve only just discovered it. And it got me thinking. Food is everywhere in the Hunger Games trilogy. We already know that some foods contain very important symbology to the story (mainly bread and berries). It is possible, in my opinion entirely likely, that any food that has a recurring appearance holds great significance to the trilogy. Bread, berries, lamb stew (lambs to the slaughter, anyone?), and now apples, because they are all over the place in this story. In the post I linked above, mutthatter discusses the three types of berries we see and their importance. Her analysis of the berries – it’s fantastic, I recommend you go read it if you have not already (it’s short and sweet). The only one I’m not completely sold on yet is the blackberries. I’ve seen those used as symbols of neglect and arrogance, so I’m still thinking on that one. The bread is fairly obvious and has been discussed from this side of the galaxy to the next, so what I want to talk about is the apples. Hold on to your butts, I may be pulling this from…yeah, thin air. And it’s a little lengthy.
I’d give this a gazillion stars!
The scene where Gale is macking on Katniss in D2 is the half-way point of the book. It’s also the chapter where he shows his true colors by suggesting turning the Nut into a death trap.
It’s a turning point in their relationship. Katniss finally overcomes feeling like she…
World Within World: shesasurvivor: The scene where Gale is macking on Katniss in D2 is the…
allies-person: theweekendsinner: hawthornhedge: fuckingplebe: reluctantfeminist submitted:
Okay I understand your rage about lack of Peeta generally/him being an active character, but in terms of Everlark vs. Everthorne, Catching Fire is definitely weighted towards Everthorne. The whole I am his he is…
Hmm, I definitely didn’t see Catching Fire as weighted towards Everthorne. There was a lot of weight towards Gale as a CHARACTER (and I loved that) but not really towards Everthorne in a romantic sense.
I loved the whipping scene in the books (I mean, not loved, but you know what I mean haha) because we get a strong sense of Katniss’s loyalty towards the ones she loves (and yes, she DID love Gale, but not in the same way she loved Peeta). It was like the time she volunteered for Prim, the time she was hell-bent on keeping Peeta alive in the arena. It’s what she does. She protects the ones she loves, and it’s admirable and beautiful and many a time done without thinking and so very Katniss.
(Although I have to say, I didn’t like the way it was shown in the trailer. Didn’t feel very Katniss-y to me for her to just say “go ahead.” I may change my mind when I see the actual movie, but IDK, it just felt really cheesy and overdramatized for the sake for shock value. But I digress.)
The thing about Everthorne is – and I’m not going to get too much into this because it’ll probably end up being way too long (ETA: an obvious lie) – is that they’re at a conflict. Throughout the series, after the first book, they’re at a conflict. And this is important, because what’s happening is that for the first time, they’re very clearly not on the same wavelength.
And one can argue that it wasn’t the first time – that Gale had always been leaning more towards a revolution than Katniss, that Katniss had always just “let him rant”, that she’d never been particularly interested in the possibility of revolt.
And you know what? That is very much true. However, the DIFFERENCE is that this is the first time it’s becoming obvious that they’re not entirely on the same page. But both of them are far too afraid to admit that, even to themselves, because of the close bond they’ve shared for so many years. They’re partners, best friends, and they still understand each other so very well despite their differences, and the possibility that that bond could be severed is…
…unthinkable.
These differences weren’t obvious because the thought of a revolution just seemed so impossible and ludicrous and far away and just…not real, and Katniss is one to focus on the here and now, on surviving and providing for her family. So it just wasn’t a big deal to her. She never took it particularly seriously.
Flash forward to Catching Fire. Now, it’s all becoming real and a potential revolution is very much tangible, and she can feel it too. She can feel those differences now, because they’re finally actually facing everything that Gale had once only talked about in the woods.
They’re finally being confronted with their differences, and turning their heads away because they don’t want to see it. It’s too frightening.
It’s unthinkable.
They’re supposed to be partners in everything, and for the first time…they’re not, and it’s so painful, the way Katniss tries so desperately to hang on to him, kissing him when he’s in pain, trying to keep their bond alive, trying to keep Gale and Katniss alive.
Except she’s fooling herself.
She’s slowly falling in love with Peeta, but the thought of losing the ones she loves – including Gale – is a possibility she doesn’t even want to consider.
When she says “anything is unthinkable,” I don’t believe she means it in the sense that she’s in love with Gale and that not being with him romantically is unthinkable. It’s unthinkable in the sense that, losing someone she’s been loyal to all these years is actually just literally unthinkable to her. She doesn’t want to think about it, doesn’t let herself think about it. It’s something she just doesn’t even want to consider.
And Gale knows she’s fooling herself. The best part is that they both start to realize they’re fooling themselves. And they still understand each other very well, know how the other functions, know that they’re breaking. They can feel themselves breaking, can feel the other drifting farther and farther away –
But neither of them wants to admit it, not even to themselves.
Because it’s…
…unthinkable.
So that’s my take on Everthorne throughout the series. I don’t know if the original submitter will ever get the chance to see this, but if he/she does, I hope this makes sense!
Best take on Everthorne that I’ve seen.
My Random Fandom Musings: hawthornhedge: fuckingplebe: reluctantfeminist submitted: Okay I…
In total, Katniss sang 3 songs that had huge significance in her life. These simple songs attracted the mockingjays and like always, her lovely voice was appreciated by recomposing the song in their brilliant manner.
The first song was the valley song. We didn’t know the exact lyrics of the song because she hardly remember the occasion but that particular moment cemented Peeta’s undying feelings for the girl with the red plaid dress.
“And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent.” [The Hunger Games, Chapter 22]
The second song was the mountain air song, the lullaby she used to sing for Prim, the same one she sang to Rue during her final moments. Not only she managed to fulfill her last wish, she realized what game the Capitol put them through and sent the message nationwide.
“Then, almost eerily, the mockingjays take up my song.” [The Hunger Games, Chapter 18]
The third song was The Hanging Tree. Caroline McCormick sang it beautifully on the audio book and I found some nice melodic version of it on Youtube too. I particularly liked the way Ms. Lost-on-cloud-9 dissected it here. It was perfect!
“Peeta’s right. They do fall silent when I sing. Just like they did for my father.” [Mockingjay, Chapter 9]
This is also the song in which Peeta showed some significant progress post-hijacking.
Just like the pearl from which we could relate beauty (that arose from pain) and purity with Peeta, the pin connected freedom and rebellion with Katniss. Note that both are gifts given to her and both are lost after Katniss went back to District 12. You can check her box. I tell you the pin and the pearl was gone, probably destroyed in the same fire that scarred Katniss and Peeta for life.
Why?
In my opinion, the writer omitted the reappearance of the gifts for some obvious reasons. The pearl symbolized Peeta and he was back in her life. She no longer had to kiss the pearl for missing him so badly. He is her pearl so she won’t be needing a substitute anymore. On the other hand, the pin symbolized the rebellion and there is no need for one at the time being. Panem is free.
I do believe that you never lost anything. It’ll just come back to you dressed in a different suite, different shape, different colors, so many different ways.
Like, perhaps two babies.
There was quite a list of curious coincidences stemmed from the mockingjays. It surely meant a lot on so many different levels. The first significance we learned came in the form of Katniss’s father who was particularly fond of the birds. Katniss reconnected to her past after examining the pin and telling us how his father used to sing to the birds, how they recreated the songs and how beautiful his voice was. By that point, we agree that she associated some meaning to the pin. That’s the first step for us to buy this idea. There was no mention if her voice was just as beautiful but that was how the birds – and Peeta noticed her. Even Plutarch offered her to sign in a singing show. I guess the hints are there.
The next one is Rue. It triggered trust on her part. The back story was simple. Back in District 11 the mockingjays were her friends.
“They carry messages for me.” [The Hunger Games, Chapter 16]
She’d sing a 4 note run and the birds would spread it around the orchard. That was how everyone knew when to take a break. In the Games, it was the same song that Katniss learned from Rue so that they can communicate with each other (she then taught a simple 2 note whistle to communicate with Peeta inspired by the tragedy.) Rue’s death had a strong impact on Katniss that she can no longer tolerate the Capitol. When requested, she sang and all of Panem got the message. It was like the ultimate calling telling them that it is time. Actions must be taken for a better tomorrow.
This is not the first message. Katniss realized later that the image inspired the rebels in so many ways. Be it stamped on crackers from District 8 or the disappearing bird in the pocket watch of the Head of Gamemaker. The bird tells her who to trust.
The next incident was not deliberate too, when Katniss met Twill and Bonnie who escaped from their rebelling district. They had their hopes in District 13, a district known to be obliterated and damaged for the past 75 years. They told a story about the same mockingjay footage that has been reused every time on national television and Katniss knew in her heart that the Capitol has been lying about District 13. That was one of the ways the mockingjay proved to be the perfect symbol to defy the Capitol.
And the most obvious was the transformation of Katniss’s tragic wedding dress (intended to humiliate her) to the ever so legendary Mockingjay plumage dress on national television live through out Panem.
That must have been a kick right in Capitol’s nuts.
It was the most curious little thing.
The golden pin was introduced to the readers as Katniss and Gale were interacting with Madge, Mayor Undersee’s daughter. The tesserae system was mentioned not long after and we had a glimpse of the invisible division between the rich and poor; the merchant and the people from the Seam.
Nonetheless, Madge did not seem to care about it and apart of Katniss, I was quite surprised when she gave her the pin. Token from the district, she said. It sounded insignificant at first. Who would worry about a pretty brooch while being trapped in the arena with other 23 kids trying their best to murder you? Call me insensitive but I would have not even cared.
But the thing about Suzanne Collins was that she is a master of simplicity. It’s all in the little things. How love actually started an uprising. How a handful of berries fueled the revolution. How a whistle started a collective stand. How an innocent song translated as a tool for action. How a flower suggested hope. How a painting made powerful men cringe. How a book full of lost memories healed broken people.
O.K. Focus.
Back to the pin.
It was once belonged to Maysilee Donner, Madge’s late aunt who was Mayor Undersee’s wife’s twin sister. She was reaped 24 years ago in the 50th Hunger Games, otherwise known as the 2nd Quarter Quell. Unfortunately she didn’t make it back home and the victor for that particular year was none other than Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss’s and Peeta’s drunken mentor.
You could tell that Madge wanted to be just like her aunt, another brave soul. Unfortunately the odd was not in her favor. Theoretically, she could have waited for the coming year, when she would stand another chance in The Reaping but she decided to give the pin to Katniss. I do wonder that if for the briefest moment, she’d failed to do so…What would happen then? Would Katniss still be The Mockingjay? Will the bird stand a chance to be incorporated as the symbol of the revolution? Assuming everything else went according to the story; Katniss would still be recognized as The Girl on Fire. Wasn’t fire enough? Why did the writer have to invent a long story for an accidental hybrid bird mutt for the simple purpose of fueling the revolution?
Say we reverse the situation. Say Madge was picked by Effie instead of Prim. Would there still be a revolution? Was there really a plot designed by the rebels? Would Madge even survive the 74th Hunger Games and gave the same impact to Panem as Katniss did?
Very curious indeed.
Personally, I think fire is not a good choice because it could easily manipulated, tamed, crushed and put out. It doesn’t have the will and reason to survive, like the mockingjay.
As shared by Katniss, it was a slap in the face for the Capitol. The Jabberjays, a carefully engineered weapon backfired as the rebels figured out their sneaky purpose. The birds were left to die but they found new life instead by mating with the mockingbirds. The mockingjays, the instant result of two species had the best of both worlds. They can repeat a range of human vocal sounds and recreate songs.
This is foreshadowing another string of stories.
We perfectly knew that The Hunger Games was designed as the ultimate weapon by the Capitol. Imagine their surprise when a boy had such an impact in his interview only by using simple words and then a girl sang her heart out for her fallen ally. Like the mockingjays, they used love as their defense.Together they survived the looming death by protecting each other. Can’t you see? They are the mockingjay.
“Of course we will go into this as one.” [Catching Fire, Chapter 15]
In total, Katniss sang 3 songs that had huge significance in her life. These simple songs attracted the mockingjays and like always, her lovely voice was appreciated by recomposing the song in their brilliant manner.
The first song was the valley song. We didn’t know the exact lyrics of the song because she hardly remember the occasion but that particular moment cemented Peeta’s undying feelings for the girl with the red plaid dress.
“And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent.” [The Hunger Games, Chapter 22]
The second song was the mountain air song, the lullaby she used to sing for Prim, the same one she sang to Rue during her final moments. Not only she managed to fulfill her last wish, she realized what game the Capitol put them through and sent the message nationwide.
“Then, almost eerily, the mockingjays take up my song.” [The Hunger Games, Chapter 18]
The third song was The Hanging Tree. Caroline McCormick sang it beautifully on the audio book and I found some nice melodic version of it on Youtube too. I particularly liked the way Ms. Lost-on-cloud-9 dissected it here. It was perfect!
“Peeta’s right. They do fall silent when I sing. Just like they did for my father.” [Mockingjay, Chapter 9]
This is also the song in which Peeta showed some significant progress post-hijacking.
Just like the pearl from which we could relate beauty (that arose from pain) and purity with Peeta, the pin connected freedom and rebellion with Katniss. Note that both are gifts given to her and both are lost after Katniss went back to District 12. You can check her box. I tell you the pin and the pearl was gone, probably destroyed in the same fire that scarred Katniss and Peeta for life.
Why?
In my opinion, the writer omitted the reappearance of the gifts for some obvious reasons. The pearl symbolized Peeta and he was back in her life. She no longer had to kiss the pearl for missing him so badly. He is her pearl so she won’t be needing a substitute anymore. On the other hand, the pin symbolized the rebellion and there is no need for one at the time being. Panem is free.
I do believe that you never lost anything. It’ll just come back to you dressed in a different suite, different shape, different colors, so many different ways.
Like, perhaps two babies.
[bisa] 