In Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, Katniss must make a decision between which guy she would like to be with. This is not exactly her highest priority, because of the war, but nonetheless, the reader knows that she is going to end up with one of the two guys in the end. There is Gale, who she's known for a long time and is her best friend, and then there is Peeta, who she got stuck in the Hunger Games with and they bonded. When discussing which of them Peeta and Gale believe she is going to choose, Gale says,"Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without."
I thought this was an interesting way to put that. Katniss herself is shocked at how selfish that makes her sound when she overhears them talking. I actually believe it fits her character perfectly. All throughout the series, that is what she has had to do; survive. She interprets what Gale is saying as saying that she will pick whoever can offer her more or extend her life. In a way this is what he means. But not in a bad way. Katniss has gone through so much. First her dad died, then she got thrown in the Hunger Games and had to fight to stay alive. Then her little sister, the person she cared about more than anyone else in the world, also died. She still made it through all of that. So maybe when saying that there is some one that she cannot survive without, that really does mean a lot.
Katniss comes to the same sort of realization in the end of the book, when she states that she will pick the peace that Peeta offers. That is what she cannot live without. It's not about how she will literally survive. She can do that very well by herself. It is about what will really keep her going and make her want to survive. So in the end, what Gale said could not have been truer.
In a way, this can apply to everyone's life. There are always those things that we do not believe we would be able to survive with out. Maybe it's family or friends. Without these things, we could not survive. If Katniss lost Peeta, she would not have the peace or promise of life that she needs to survive. And those are things we all need.
I really liked your post, Ellie! And having read the Hunger Games Series a few times, I definitely understand what you're saying. Katniss is the type of person that needs to be able to rely on her partner, since she's had to rely on herself for so long; what with the death of her father and her mother being emotionally absent for all those months. Great analysis of Katniss' relationships.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your thoughts, and have read the books a few times. I think that Katniss needs a sort of trust in her life, and having gone through so much, she needs to have someone she knows will always be there.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked your connection at the end of the response, it tied up the response nicely, and I thought I could connect myself to it. :)