Although
Katniss Everdeen’s personality remains constant throughout the novel, she is
forced to make certain decisions due to the circumstances she is under. Ever since
she was a child, Katniss was forced to provide for her family: through the
death of her father and depression that her mother undergoes, it becomes a
necessity for her to be responsible for the lives of her sister and mother. Readers
gain utmost respect for her and empathize with her character upon learning just
how mature and self-sufficient she is for her age.
Perhaps
the most significant scene in the novel (and the book) is when Prim’s name gets
called in the draw, and Katniss volunteers to take her place: “With one sweep
of her arm, Katniss pushes her back. “I volunteer,” she gasps. “I volunteer as
tribute!” (Collins 22). Katniss knows her little sister wouldn’t survive a
second in the Games, so she steps up and takes Prim’s place, sacrificing her
sister’s life and giving herself up for the District 12 community. Despite knowing
that she’s walking into her own death, Katniss makes this sacrifice because
Prim is the only person in the world who she was certain she loved.
Once
the games begin, readers start to notice Katniss’s transformation. She begins
to question every aspect of her life, and learns that in order to win, she’d
need to collaborate and trust other individuals. This was especially difficult
for Katniss as she had trust issues from her troubled childhood. The first
instance of this was when she teams up with Rue, a young yet resourceful
tribute that reminded Katniss of her beloved Prim. After Rue dies, Katniss
covers her body and flowers, reminding everyone back home of their humanity. At
this point in the games, Katniss just wanted to survive; however, after seeing Rue
die in her own hands, she becomes inspired to avenge her death and win the
games. Another instance of her transformation is when Katniss acts as if she’s
lovestruck with Peeta, who was actually in love with her. Never before in her
life had she been in love, but she knew this is what the Capitol wanted, and it
was a surefire way for her to come out victorious and return to her family.
Katniss’s
awareness of her circumstances is what allowed her to win the Hunger Games.
Despite ever being in love or trusting many other individuals, she acknowledges
early on that this was necessary for her to come back home. Collins beautifully
illustrates the aspects of humanity that are present, even in a post-apocalyptic
world where children are put to the test of death for entertainment purposes.
I agree that Katniss changes over the course of the novel. When she was younger and had to provide for her family, Katniss is willing to give up, but she continues because of the love she feels for her sister. Before Peeta gives Katniss the bread, Katniss is willing to "let them call the Peacekeepers and take us to the community home" (30), as well as letting her "die right here in the rain" (30). Again, when she is in the room saying goodbye to her mother and Prim after volunteering as tribute, Katniss keeps trying because of Prim. Katniss knows that she cannot win the game, but Prim convinces Katniss to try.
ReplyDeleteThis characterization of only trying for her sister changes later in the novel. Katniss is willing to go on the offensive in the game because of her relationship with Rue. She says that “Prim has my mother and Gale and a baker who has promised she won’t go hungry. Rue only has me” (213). Once Prim has died, Katniss shifts her focus from the individual people involved in the games to the overall injustice of the games. She does so by giving Rue some respect in death, defying the Capitol.
Another aspect of Katniss’s personal transformation is evident in the way she changes her mind about her odds of winning the Hunger Games. At the reaping, Katniss repeatedly reflects, “No, the odds are not in my favor today…the odds have not been very dependable of late” (Collins 25, 33). After volunteering to take Prim’s place as the female tribute from District 12, she almost immediately counts herself out and accepts her impending death. She doesn’t believe that she could ever beat the terrifyingly skilled tributes from the other wealthier districts, who spend their whole lives training for the Games. But a major shift occurs when Rue dies. “I really think I stand a chance of doing it now. Winning…Something happened when I was holding Rue’s hand, watching the life drain out of her. Now I am determined to avenge her, to make her loss unforgettable, and I can only do that by winning and thereby making myself unforgettable” (Collins 242). Katniss’s thirst for vengeance inspires confidence. She resolves to do whatever it takes to win the Games, both for Prim’s sake and for Rue’s. Despite having the odds stacked against her, Katniss, the girl on fire, succeeds in establishing herself as an unforgettable hero of the Games and a symbol of rebellion. All it took was a change in perspective, from deciding she was inevitably going to die to using her vengeance as a means of survival and victory.
ReplyDelete