As we all know, Katniss establishes a lack of trust in others from the very beginning of the novel due to her mother's emotional disappearance after her father died. Yet, even when she tried to revert back to not trusting, Katniss showed more trust in others while away from home. Her first automatic trust is with Cinna, her stylist. In the way he cares for her and wants her to be herself, Cinna is almost the parental figure Katniss never had. Their time together is short, but Katniss latches on to thoughts of Cinna and things he has said to push her farther into the games and giving her encouragement. With Peeta, that was an uphill battle, Katniss never knew if she should completely trust him or if he was playing with her. Katniss internally fought with herself to figure out what to do about him, but eventually she overcame her thoughts. It seems that Katniss believes she can only trust Gale who has gone through a similar time as she, but once she realizes that there are others who are just as trustworthy, she lets her guard down no matter how different they are from her.
One of the most prominent comforts Katniss finds within the games, is the person that reminds her of home. Rue, the girl from District 11, is her biggest reminder as she represents Prim while they are away. Aside from Rue being younger and smaller, she looks up to Katniss for guidance and as a friend. Even though Katniss is struggling with trust, she immediately is comforted when Rue puts her head on Katniss' shoulder as a sign of trust and that eases Katniss more. It was not until that point that Katniss realized how lonely she felt and having Rue there brought her back home to the bond she shared with her sister, reminding her how hard she needs to fight to return to her.
Because Katniss spends most of her days in the woods back at home, the scenery of the games gives her a bit of advantage over the other tributes. Katniss' survivor and hunter modes kick in allowing her to stay alive throughout the games. She knows her ability to climb high into the trees to stay away from the Careers, she is aware of the berries that are safe enough to eat, and she is able to recognize the plants she mother uses for healing to help her tend to her wounds.
Katniss becomes an obvious strong competitor in the Hunger Games as her knowledge, trust, and comfort strengthens with each passing day. She begins to stop undermining her ability to win the games and uses that to the best of her ability and trusts her gut. Katniss' ability to find things in the games that push her along mentally proves she will be the ultimate survivor.
I think you bring up a very good point about how Katniss finds comfort in her surroundings and demonstrates mental toughness throughout the games. I can only imagine the emotional trauma that Katniss must endure, and yet she finds solace in the people she surrounds herself with, which gives her the strength she needs to work for victory. Like you mentioned, Rue is a source of comfort for her since she reminds Katniss of her younger sister, Prim. As Rue is dying, she asks Katniss to sing, which reminds Katniss of the “remarkable voice” of her father, and how she typically only sings when “Prim is very sick” (234). Rue’s death is tragic for Katniss, but the emotion that it brings gives her the courage to continue to fight. Rue brings back memories of home, whether they involve her father or her sister, which remind Katniss what she is fighting for and why she must continue to be brave and push herself to succeed. On one hand, it could be perceived that Katniss’s emotions are a weakness, since her empathy makes her want to protect the people she cares about. However, I would argue that she turns her emotion into strength because she uses her memories and the people she loves as a reminder of why she must continue to fight. Without the comfort she finds in her memories, she would have no motivation in the games.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up many very good points about how Katniss truly immerses herself in the games, giving her a competitive edge as they progress. I think you correctly analyzed Katniss' comfort within the games by connecting people and items to District 12. That is where she grew up, where she hunted not for sport but to provide food for her starving family. Katniss had been unknowingly preparing herself in the best way possible for the games, and that is by performing these tasks in order to just see another day. Katniss' mother became "blank and unreachable, while her children turned to skin and bones" after her husband died in a coal mining accident (8). This event altered the trajectory of Katniss' life, one may argue for the better because it forced her to hunt and scavenge, giving her the necessary skills for the games. These skills were then only aided by her iron clad resolve and strong will.
ReplyDeleteKatniss reminisces about Prim multiple times throughout the games, always concerned that Prim is going to witness her die. This devotion to her family, mostly her sister, gives her the ability to push through some near impossible times. Although Rue reminds her of Prim immensely, I think the true captivating factor that brings her comfort is knowing that Prim does not have to witness her be murdered in front of all Panem. As Katniss is struggling to escape after the mines explode around the Cornucopia, she thinks about the thought of Prim having to watch [which] keeps [Katniss] doggedly inching [her] way toward the hideout" (219). I believe the biggest motivating factor for Katniss was Prim. Rue, the serenity of the woods, and the calming figure of Cinna all brought Katniss full circle back to her little sister, watching the games from home. This thought propelled her to victory.