by Cookie N Screen
Here is a brand new novel coming to a novel near you. She’s a young girl living in a regime that is failing the people. Even though there is literally death, poverty and starvation, no one seems to care much. When a change that jeopardises the lives of her and/or her family, she must lead a rebellion against the very system that put her there. Luckily, she has the help of two boys who are madly in love with her.
Wait, wait, wait, let’s stop right there because while the above statement is true and yes, a slew of young adult rompy fiction has plagued not only our novels but our cinemas, Katniss Everdeen is so much better. And here is why;
Here is a brand new novel coming to a novel near you. She’s a young girl living in a regime that is failing the people. Even though there is literally death, poverty and starvation, no one seems to care much. When a change that jeopardises the lives of her and/or her family, she must lead a rebellion against the very system that put her there. Luckily, she has the help of two boys who are madly in love with her.
Wait, wait, wait, let’s stop right there because while the above statement is true and yes, a slew of young adult rompy fiction has plagued not only our novels but our cinemas, Katniss Everdeen is so much better. And here is why;
Katniss Everdeen is the much beloved heroine of The Hunger Games series. That best selling trilogy of books (now turned into four films because studios like to stretch plots out so thinly it gets more money *cough* The Hobbit *cough cough*). She lives in the fictional future America named Panem that has been divided into twelve Districts and one Capitol. For those living in the latter, a yearly reaping where kids are picked to fight to the death is the most famed televised event. Katniss, however, after seeing her sister picked, volunteers. Cue a whole lot of regime counteracting, death and the rise of a heroine.
When it comes to Katniss Everdeen, it is important to note that in the book series she is, how do I put it? A fucking legend. Of course, she possesses a first person narrative that intertwines the readers in her every thought which can get scratchy for people un-fond of the young adult genre particularly when she harps on with lines such as “I must look wonderful as everyone gasps” or something of that ilk. Add this to the affections she gets from both Gale and Peeta as well as an adorning bout of fans and Everdeen could easily wander into Bella territory of feeling like the protagonist star that is super loved, respected and acclaimed.
However, stepping back and re-reading the books, you’ll see that she leans more into a female version of Harry Potter where not only is her mind-set pretty on point for a seventeen year old thrust, without want, into the limelight of leadership. For a start, her entire view point on her life and the world wavers quite a few times into selfishness and spite. Now, Katniss is entirely sacrificial and cares a lot for her sister and mother. But she fights back against a lot of people because frankly, she deserves too. In Catching Fire, there are a stirring few pages on whether her poisonberry act in The Hunger Games was for the show, for the survival of Peeta, or for herself. The fact that she’ll never know and we’ll never know allows another dimension to be added to her character. She even alludes to wanting to go back and never produce those berries because she can’t handle the responsibility of pretence and fighting back. And it’s not just this scene. She actively makes people dislike her because she doesn’t know how to be sociable (possibly due to the fact that the entire country is bating for her death) and she is frustrated at being used, on both sides, as a pawn. Mockingjay is great because she has no qualms in openly speaking her mind and dismissing the political games of those around her. She also suffers accurately through PTSD which no one around her, apart from Peeta, really address which places her in a horrible position of nightmares, flashbacks and an inverted personality because she has been hurt by people in power. Is she selfish? Yes. Yet she has every right to be.
When it comes to Katniss Everdeen, it is important to note that in the book series she is, how do I put it? A fucking legend. Of course, she possesses a first person narrative that intertwines the readers in her every thought which can get scratchy for people un-fond of the young adult genre particularly when she harps on with lines such as “I must look wonderful as everyone gasps” or something of that ilk. Add this to the affections she gets from both Gale and Peeta as well as an adorning bout of fans and Everdeen could easily wander into Bella territory of feeling like the protagonist star that is super loved, respected and acclaimed.
However, stepping back and re-reading the books, you’ll see that she leans more into a female version of Harry Potter where not only is her mind-set pretty on point for a seventeen year old thrust, without want, into the limelight of leadership. For a start, her entire view point on her life and the world wavers quite a few times into selfishness and spite. Now, Katniss is entirely sacrificial and cares a lot for her sister and mother. But she fights back against a lot of people because frankly, she deserves too. In Catching Fire, there are a stirring few pages on whether her poisonberry act in The Hunger Games was for the show, for the survival of Peeta, or for herself. The fact that she’ll never know and we’ll never know allows another dimension to be added to her character. She even alludes to wanting to go back and never produce those berries because she can’t handle the responsibility of pretence and fighting back. And it’s not just this scene. She actively makes people dislike her because she doesn’t know how to be sociable (possibly due to the fact that the entire country is bating for her death) and she is frustrated at being used, on both sides, as a pawn. Mockingjay is great because she has no qualms in openly speaking her mind and dismissing the political games of those around her. She also suffers accurately through PTSD which no one around her, apart from Peeta, really address which places her in a horrible position of nightmares, flashbacks and an inverted personality because she has been hurt by people in power. Is she selfish? Yes. Yet she has every right to be.
I also just finished reading an article about her frank and dis-likeable personality which summed all these points except they ended the entire article going "but everyone seems to like her." Well, no. In fact, there are about three people who take to her initially, the rest are warmed around because deep down she cares and has integrity to those who trust her. Underneath this cold exterior, she does actually love and help; the entire series is based on her selfless act to save her sister. There is a really great scene in Mockingjay where they talk about moments that moved them and a lot of them are hostile to her personality. But in the moments that transpire, they know because they have seen her power on and sacrifice herself for other people. Look at Prim, look at Rue and look at Mags, she genuine has this warm core. It's natural that she is abrupt with people but by no means is Katniss a "bitch."
Peel her back once more and, with exception to her epic hunting skills, Katniss is less then battle ready. In The Hunger Games, she cheats death many times by hiding in trees and only fights when necessary. She burns herself and falls over, a lot. It’s only thanks to the spark of ingenuity she had in the final moments and being forced into conflict that Katniss overcomes and powers through. In Catching Fire, she mistakenly causes riots and back in the arena, it’s the people sworn to protect her that pull her through it. Mockingjay, in similar retrospect, has Katniss blankly unfollowing orders and getting herself and her crew pretty well, blown up. The first half has the majority of Katniss having her wounds tended to for her and stirring up trouble because she’s a seventeen year old girl thrown into the midst of a war-zone unwillingly.
Peel her back once more and, with exception to her epic hunting skills, Katniss is less then battle ready. In The Hunger Games, she cheats death many times by hiding in trees and only fights when necessary. She burns herself and falls over, a lot. It’s only thanks to the spark of ingenuity she had in the final moments and being forced into conflict that Katniss overcomes and powers through. In Catching Fire, she mistakenly causes riots and back in the arena, it’s the people sworn to protect her that pull her through it. Mockingjay, in similar retrospect, has Katniss blankly unfollowing orders and getting herself and her crew pretty well, blown up. The first half has the majority of Katniss having her wounds tended to for her and stirring up trouble because she’s a seventeen year old girl thrown into the midst of a war-zone unwillingly.
Not to mention that by the end of Mockingjay, this supposed love triangle dissipates in a glorious way. Sure, yes, there are two boys who are interested in her but it’s their admiration, not Katniss’. Throughout the entire series, there are only glimpses of reciprocation and not once does she mention that they have saved her. The nearest you get is to how Peeta, through his own characterisation and not because Katniss is totes amaze (see: the morphlin death scene,) makes packs with other people to save her (one can argue about this but Peeta is simply a nice guy and this has nothing to do with wanting to get in Katniss’ pants). Katniss never fully makes a decision, she never tells us that she is obsessed with these boys like their her own personal brand of drug. In fact, they are a side note. No, wait; a side side note to a war erupting in the world around her. And then there is this terrific seen in Mockingjay where Gale and Peeta are debating who Katniss will choose because she needs one of them. Her narrative, however, goes along the lines of “And in that moment, I realised I didn’t need either of them so they can get fucked.” Of course, she does end up with one of them but it is on her terms, rather than anyone else’s and it isn’t a swooning happy ending either. In fact, the epilogue brings to light the pairs depression, mental illness, non-trust with the world and that people have died for their shred of happiness.
The Hunger Games, unfairly, has been marketed a bit skewwhiff and only recently are people bending to the idea that Katniss Everdeen is no Bella Swan. Heck, she is no Tris either. There is something so fresh about reading the monologues and interlocking thoughts of The Hunger Games series that instantly attacks your prejudice views on her. She is interesting, intriguing and ever changing; able to harness part of her “mockingjay” act whilst still frustrated that her world is entirely broken and being the cause of so much destruction (because, in part, she is). She is a different brand of feminine icon.
She is wholly real.
The Hunger Games, unfairly, has been marketed a bit skewwhiff and only recently are people bending to the idea that Katniss Everdeen is no Bella Swan. Heck, she is no Tris either. There is something so fresh about reading the monologues and interlocking thoughts of The Hunger Games series that instantly attacks your prejudice views on her. She is interesting, intriguing and ever changing; able to harness part of her “mockingjay” act whilst still frustrated that her world is entirely broken and being the cause of so much destruction (because, in part, she is). She is a different brand of feminine icon.
She is wholly real.
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