Identity and Perception in The Hunger Games

The theme of identity, and how identity is colored by perception, come up often over the course of the novel. In chapter 10, after Peeta confessed to loving Katniss in his interview, Haymitch tells Katniss that “It’s all a big show. It’s all how you’re perceived” (Collins, 164). For the people of the capital, the games are a form of entertainment. Because they feel separated from the contestants’ humanity, the games cause the tributes’ identities to be changed and warped.

Later in chapter 10, Peeta voices his worry of losing his personhood, losing control over who he is, saying, "I don't know how to say it exactly. Only…I want to die as myself. … I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not…. I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games” (Collins, 172).

Peeta’s ruminations touch on the theme of identity, and how the way other people see you often change how you see yourself, going as far as to change the way you act. While in the Games, every tribute is acutely aware of how they are being watched, from the manipulation of the environment to the appearance of gifts from sponsors. This knowledge of how they are actively being dehumanized, how their identities are being seen from the Capitol, puts them at risk of losing those identities.

Katniss does not understand Peeta at this point in the novel, but after her encounter with Rue and Rue’s death, she comes to the same conclusion, while echoing Peeta’s words, “I want to do something, right here, right now, to shame them, to make them accountable, to show the Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do that there is a part of every tribute they can't own. That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I” (Collins, 286).

Katniss goes on to surround Rue’s body in flowers in a kind of funeral. This is an act of grief, a distinctly human emotion. This act works to remind the audience of the hunger games that the tributes are human, that they have identities all their own that cannot be taken, even in death.

Survival and Humanity

          In Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games, survival is of the utmost importance, and this is portrayed through both her description of daily life in the districts and in the games. Katniss’s character reveals how quickly children are forced to grow up in Panem, and especially in districts like District Twelve. There is no one to provide for Katniss and her family, so she takes that responsibility on herself. She becomes a fighter, going out and hunting so that she can ensure that her mother and Prim have food on the table (Collins 5). Collin provides further commentary on the state of the district when Peeta’s mother hits him and calls him a “stupid creature” for burning loaves of bread he kindly gives to Katniss (30). This shows the severity of the wealth distribution and hunger problems within the district, which the Capitol has done little to improve and instead uses to its benefit.

              Fighting for survival is stressed even more when teenagers are chosen for the games, knowing that being selected is almost certainly a death sentence. Survival is the games, however rare, is the goal that each tribute hopes and strives for. Collins portrays this through her emphasis on violence and the tributes’ willingness to betray others to come out on top. When Gale is encouraging Katniss before she leaves for training, he compares killing the other tributes to killing animals – something that should be easy for her (40). Collins does this to comment on the extreme measures needed for survival under oppression. As we discussed in class, the wealthier districts have Careers who “have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment,” as they believe training is the only thing that gives them a chance at survival (94). The tributes give up their sense of compassion when they must choose between brutality or death. Humanity becomes less of a priority when one is put under circumstances where they are forced to fight for their life. 
              An interesting choice Collins makes in her portrayal of the characters and their will to survive is choosing to subvert typical gender roles. Katniss is the fighter, and Peeta’s mother refers to her over her own son in believing “maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner” (90). Peeta, on the other hand, comes off as a kinder, less threatening individual, but has very little chance at survival. Usually, a male lead would be the one to take charge and fight for survival, but Collins’s choice highlights Katniss as the hero and the person that can find a balance between survival and humanity to challenge the oppressive forces of the Capitol.

Plants in the Hunger Games

Plants appear to play an extremely important role in the Hunger Games. First of all, many of the main characters are named for plants. Katniss, Primrose, Clove, and Rue are just a few of the characters who are given plant names. Many characters’ names, whether plant names or not, appear to tell important traits about each of the characters, even before the reader learns much about them. For example, Katniss is named for the small, bluish tubers that grow near water, which have “leaves like arrowheads.” Her father tells her that “as long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve” (52). In this short description of the plant, the reader learns a lot about Katniss. First of all, her skill with a bow and arrow is unmatched, and this is paralleled with the arrow-like shape of her plant’s leaves. She also knows how to survive. Katniss may not be a beautiful plant, but near water it will grow and thrive, just like Katniss the person, who hunts for her family and will do whatever it takes to keep them and herself alive. With her, her family will never starve, which is why it is so important for her to fight to get back to them. Next, primrose is a pretty plant that blooms in the spring. In one interpretation of the flower’s meaning, it is a plant that says “I can’t live without you” (Flower Dictionary). This appears to be very true at least for Katniss. Her sister Prim is the most important person in the world to her, and the thought of living without her leads Katniss to volunteer for the hunger games, which is a rare occurrence in District 12. Prim is a shy young girl in the first book, and her beauty and strength just continue to grow throughout the series. However, she always remains one of the most important people in Katniss’s life.

Furthermore, plants play a huge role in survival in the novel. If the characters eat the wrong plants, they will die, such as when Foxface dies because she eats the poisonous nightlock. This plant kills off a competitor, as well as allows Katniss and Peeta to win the game when they threaten to eat it. When Katniss is at home in District 12, she also needed to have a thorough knowledge of plants in order to find food for her family to survive. Additionally, the plants that Katniss and Prim use to draw the venom out of their tracker jacker stings allow both Katniss and Peeta to live. Without that plant, Katniss may have died. Katniss even uses flowers to decorate Rue’s body after she dies, to honor her death and recognize the beautiful impact she had on Katniss’s life. The usage of plants for both naming and plot points in the novel likely connects to the idea of survival in the novel. Each character does what they can to survive, and their inner traits as well as the true plants allow them to do so.

Finding Comfort in the Games

      Going to a place you know you are more than likely not to return from can have a strong affect on your mindset and how you perform; however, throughout her time in the games, Katniss seems to find comfort in her surroundings that potentially helps her win.  Even when times get tough, she uses her best judgment on where to go and what to use that puts her a level above the rest.  Katniss finds new trust within in others, reminders of home, and survivor knowledge to make it through the Hunger Games.

      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.

The Debts We Owe

Throughout The Hunger Games, Katniss reflects on what it means to owe someone. Katniss dislikes and attempts to avoid owing people because she feels as though she will never be able to repay them. Later in the novel, she discovers another tribute, Thresh, also dislikes owing people. This comparison between Katniss and Thresh highlights the hard-working and independent characters of not only the two tributes, but also Districts 11 and 12. 

            When Katniss first sees the red-headed girl on the train, she is struck by the sense that she has seen the girl before. She remembers the girl and a boy running in the woods of District 12, and the Capitol’s hovercraft plucking both the boy and the girl from the sky. She knows the boy is dead, and the girl’s tongue has been removed. She feels “ashamed [she] never tried to help [the girl]” (85). However, when Katniss sets out to apologize, the Avox girl reacts by “[tapping] her lips with her fingers then [pointing] to [Katniss’s] chest,” signaling to Katniss she would have “ended up an Avox” also if she had helped (119). While Katniss still feels as though she can never repay this debt, the girl provides closure for her.

            Katniss relays the story of Peeta’s throwing her the burned bread to show that, before the Games even begin, she owes him. After he confesses to the Capitol that he likes her, she realizes she owes him yet again for making her look desirable and bringing her more sponsors; she asks herself, “Will I ever stop owing him?” As Peeta and Katniss struggle in the arena, the debt continues. Peeta tells Katniss to run from the Careers after she drops a tracker jacker nest on them, knowing he will have to face the Careers himself for letting her get away. Yet again, Katniss is struck with the fact that “Peeta Mellark…saved [her] life” (194). However, when Katniss discovers she and Peeta could both win the Games, she finds him and begins nursing him back to health. Therefore, she starts to repay some of the debt she owes him by saving his life as well.

            At the feast, Clove manages to capture Katniss and proceeds to taunt her about her alliance with Rue and Rue’s death. Right before Clove is about to kill Katniss, she is picked up by Thresh and killed. Thresh turns on Katniss, but not to kill her; instead, he asks about her alliance with Rue. Katniss claims she “tried to save [Rue],” but when it was clear she couldn’t, she “sang her to sleep” and “buried her in flowers” (287-288). Thresh spares Katniss, telling her, “Just this one time, I let you go. For the little girl. You and me, we’re even then. No more owed” (288). Thus, because Thresh does not like owing people, he lets Katniss live. This proves that, although he is similar to the Careers in stature and threat, his character differs from theirs extensively.

            Katniss’s and Thresh’s hatred for owing people stems from their lives in their districts. District 11 and District 12 are both very poor, and their citizens must often work much harder than the citizens of other districts to keep their families alive. Favors, such as the burned bread in Katniss’s case, often signify a failure to provide for oneself or one’s family. Because this is key to survival in Districts 11 and 12, the fact that Katniss and Thresh both dislike owing people shows they are survivors, both within their districts and in the Games.

Muttations: Reminder of Restriction and Rebellion

Throughout Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, readers learn about Capitol-created muttations. Katniss Everdeen finds herself interacting with these muttations, especially during the games. She relies on mockingjays for connection and communication, uses tracker jackers as a killing method and battles vicious wolves resembling her fellow tributes. The mutts simultaneously reveal the true power behind the Capitol and return some agency to Katniss as a revolutionary figure.

            The Capitol has advanced technology that achieves currently impossible genetic modifications and creations. This limitless possibility should prove successful for the Capitol, but one creation, mockingjays, reminds Katniss of her past and orients her towards the future. As Katniss explains, the Capitol developed jabberjays for eavesdropping (pg 43). Eventually, the Capitol left jabberjays to die in the wild, but they mated with mockingbirds, creating mockingjays. Katniss’ dad “was particularly fond of mockingjays” (43), so when Madge gives her the mockingjay pin, “it’s like having a piece of [her] father with [her], protecting [her]” (43). In the arena, Katniss uses mockingjays to both bond and communicate with Rue, who already reminds her of Prim. Rue explains that in District 11 she “[sings] back and forth for hours” (209) with mockingjays. Through the mockingjay, Katniss connects Rue to her family, which in turn ignites a deeper relationship between her and the other oppressed Panem districts. Mockingjays may have originated from the Capitol’s creativity, but Katniss turns heir dark past into a symbol of hopeful perseverance and a vision of future rebellion.

            Tracker jackers, unlike mockingjays, have not bred with any other organism and are still a pure Capitol mutations. Tracker jackers resemble large wasps, with gold bodies and huge stingers that leave palm-sized swellings and cause hallucinations (183). Even though Katniss uses their deadly abilities to kill Glimmer and wound the other Career tributes, tracker jackers force her participation in the games. The Capitol possesses a certain power over the tributes that grants autonomy in action, but also manipulates their mental states and decision making.

            Finally, the simply named “mutts” that attack Katniss, Peeta and Cato near the games’ conclusion present the Capitol’s complete, diabolical creativity. The mutts “resemble huge wolves” (325) and “stand easily on their back legs giving them an eerily human quality” (326). Eventually, Katniss realizes that the mutts reflect the physical likeness of “all of the other tributes” (328). The Capitol has purposefully engineered these mutts to target Katniss’ emotional resilience; after already killing several tributes, in a sense, she now must kill them again in their grotesque, deformed states. However, after the initial shock, the mutts do not greatly phase Katniss. She refers to mutts as their human models, stating that “more tributes are coming” (328) and then promptly yells for Peeta to “Kill it!” (329). By not allowing her emotions to affect how she perceives the mutts, Katniss completes a small, rebellious and independent act against the Capitol.

While in all cases the muttations represent the manipulative and dictatorial state of the Capitol, Katniss manages to turn some of the manipulation around by using them to her advantage as symbols, weapons or cathartic release.

The Transformation of Katniss Everdeen

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.

The Hunger Games and its reflection on class

    At the heart of the Hunger Games lies a commentary on wealth and the divide in opportunity it creates within the nation. In the Hunger Games, poorer districts are less likely to win because of the poor condition the tributes are usually in as many of the tributes come from poor families that have hardly enough to eat to survive. Meanwhile, the wealthier districts have tributes that are well fed and prepared for the Games, often training beforehand to ensure their success. This divide between the poor districts and wealthy districts can be compared to the divide in college admission rates between the wealthy and the poor in the modern society.
     The symbol of wealth among the districts is held within the Career districts, or districts 1, 2, and 4. As Katniss explains, the tributes from these districts "have been fed and trained throughout their lives for [the Hunger Games]" (Collins, 93). The tributes from the career districts have a distinct advantage that allows for them to win the Games more easily as they are well fed and knowledgeable about the in's and out's of the Games. On the other hand, tributes from the poorest district 12 are already at a severe disadvantage, shown by the district 12 tributes from the year prior, "two kids from the Seam who’d never, not one day of their lives, had enough to eat" (44). These tributes do not have spare time to worry about preparing for the Games as they are more focused on having food to eat each day, putting their odds at winning the Games at a low.
     Comparing the situation of the districts in the Hunger Games to the modern society, it is clear that students from wealthier families are more likely to get into and complete college than poorer students. As reported by Forbes, 39% of high school graduates coming from families with an income of under $30,000 enroll in a four year college, compared to the 61% of high school graduates coming from families with an income of $100,000 or more. This gap in enrollment stems from a variety of issues and one of these issues is that students of lower socioeconomic status do not have enough time to participate in extracurricular actives or school work as they are most likely busy working at part time jobs to provide for their family. On the other hand, students from wealthier families often do not need to work part time and can spend their time working on their resumes and college application skills, participating in extracurricular events and studying to maintain high grades, mimicking the advantages tributes from districts 1, 2, and 4 have over tributes from district 12.     

Trust or Death

Katniss Everdeen is, to say the least, not the most trusting individual in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.  Typically, other characters need to prove their worth and character to Katniss in order to gain her trust.  As a result, Katniss is presented as a cautious, independent survivor; however, Katniss also exemplifies how being independent and being isolated are two vastly different concepts that should not be used together.  In short, Collins uses Katniss Everdeen to demonstrate that it is important to be self-sufficient but able to work collaboratively, as it may mean the difference between life and death. 

Early in the novel Katniss reveals she was forced to grow up quickly in order to provide for herself, Prim and her mother.  Collins cleverly reveals this fact when Katniss describes her initial distaste toward Prim’s pet cat, stating, “The last thing I needed was another mouth to feed”(3).  Katniss frequently hunts for food, and she does so with her close friend/hunting partner Gale.  Katniss greatly respects Gale and his skills, reflecting on him by saying, “Both of us can hunt alone, but we’re better as a pair.  Particularly if we’re trying for bigger game.  But also in the littler things, having a partner lightened the load, could even make the arduous task of filling my family’s table enjoyable” (Collins 109).  Though both hunters are great at what they do, they still depend on each other to help ensure the survival of each other and each other’s family.  Working together meant more food on their tables and less time searching for food.  Though Katniss and Gale could still support their families if they hunted by themselves, their cooperation makes both hunters realize that working together leads to greater benefits. 

              Katniss further recognizes how essential collaboration is when she fights to the death in the Hunger Games.  A young girl from District 11 named Rue earns Katniss’s trust after not only helping her escape from a group of Careers, but also treating her wasp stings.  Katniss teams up with the girl and explains, “But I want her.  Because she’s a survivor, and I trust her, and why not admit it? She reminds me of Prim” (Collins 201).  Rue reaches out to Katniss and helps her to survive the games.  Katniss recognizes this and respects Rue based on her character, her skills, and her ability to survive thus far in the Hunger Games.  Katniss sees Rue as a potential asset and recognizes that an alliance with Rue could increase her chances of survival. 

              Trust proves to be vital to survival.  Katniss realizes, throughout the story, that being self-sufficient is a great gift to possess; however, to be a lone wolf could prove to be foolish, if not fatal.  Collins’s The Hunger Games aims to convey that trust is the most important tool to possess, as it leads to communication, support, and strength. 

Peeta the Weak: No Personality and No More

In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Peeta Mellark is introduced as the foil to Katniss -- he is the opposite District 12 tribute, the son of a baker with "medium height, stocky build and ashy blond hair" (Collins 25). He is a very kind and caring character, with a very likable personality. According to Cinemablend, however, 58% of voters thought Peeta "sucked", because he is viewed as a character who offers nothing but being nice and lovestruck.
Peeta is first introduced as the male reaping for District 12, where he is described as "[struggling] to remain emotionless" but "blue eyes [showing] alarm" (26). His first moment where he truly stands out, however, is when he embarrassingly claims he wouldn't be able to date his crush if he wins, "'because...because..... she came here with me'" (130). From that moment on, he is known as "Lover Boy" by those around him, which describes the only way he acts from there on out (161).
From that point on, Peeta's only personality trait is being lovestruck. While he initially appears interesting, seemingly having aligned with the Careers, he is revealed to have only done so to watch out for and protect Katniss. He is then found camouflaged after being attacked by Cato, and his first request is for Katniss to "'kiss him anytime you feel like it'" (253). His purpose for the rest of the games is purely to act as Katniss' lover, in order to gain more sponsor gifts. He is not unique or interesting in any way, as he does not have the passion or intensity for anything aside from Katniss.

Peeta's very plain and basic personality is the forefront for why many reading the book don't like him as a character. He only survives the Hunger Games because "viewers sympathize with young love", sending him medicine and food (Rawden). In fact, his general incompetency is the only way he kills Foxface, inadvertently baiting her with poisonous berries that would have killed him as well, if not for Katniss. At the end, he is willing to kill himself for the sake of Katniss, further reinforcing the idea that himself, and his personality is based off of Katniss. Peeta, in my opinion, would be more well-liked and favored if he were to have any traits only for himself.

Rawden, Mack. “Hunger Games: Am I the Only One That Hates Peeta?” Cinemablend, 2012, www.cinemablend.com/new/Hunger-Games-I-One-Hates-Peeta-30146.html.

The Role of Food in The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games heavily features a recurring motif throughout the novel: food. Collins, through Katniss, often describes the food she is eating and often compares her low-quality food in District 12 and during the games to the “rich fare” of the Capitol (Collins 45). Collins uses the motif of food to draw a stark contrast between the difficult lives of those in the Districts to the decadent lives of those in the Capitol.

                After the death of her father in the mines, Katniss describes how she was desperately waiting to turn 12, in order to obtain the tesserae grain and oil, which “cooks down to an unattractive brown mush” (65). As she waits, she attempts to sell “some threadbare old baby cloths,” but fails to find any buyers (28). The same day, Peeta throws her loaves of burnt bread, which Katniss and her family gratefully eat, preferring burnt bread to starvation. It is not until she begins foraging and hunting that Katniss is able to get enough food to feed her family, but even then, that food is “a poor substitution” for the Capitol’s food (65). Katniss’ first Capitol meal includes “a thick carrot soup,” “lamb chops,” and “a chocolate cake,” foods much more delicious and decadent than any she could have found in District 12. Later, when served a meal with chicken, oranges, and pudding, Katniss states that it would take “days of hunting and gathering for this one meal,” which Cinna obtained with only the press of a button (65).

The ease with which Capitol citizens can obtain luxurious food while citizens in the Districts struggle to avoid starvation reflects the massive wealth and power disparity between the groups. The Capitol, having complete control over the districts, also has great control over food. This power disparity is also seen in the games themselves, wherein Katniss must once again hunt for her food. She even resorts to eating tree bark at one point, and considers the dried fruit a District 1 tribute had as being a luxury. Her difficulty in not only feeding herself but even getting water reflects her powerless position as a pawn of the Capitol. Upon winning the games and being treated in the hospital, Katniss, restrained in her bed, is given a simple meal of broth, applesauce, and water. She gripes about how her “homecoming dinner” should be more “spectacular” (349). Even after winning the games, Katniss is still in control of the Capitol, who can feed her as “spare” a meal as they choose (349). Later on, when she finally gets “a real meal” of roast beef and rolls, her portions are still controlled, as the Capitol does not want her to throw up on stage. Katniss must still play a role for the Capitol, and cannot eat or act as she really wants to because of the pressure she faces from them. The Capitol controls her meals, just like they control her.

Comparing Prim and Rue

Suzanne Collins compares Rue and Prim throughout The Hunger Games. Both have meaningful relationships with Katniss, the main character of the novel, and the two little girls impact her performance in the Hunger Games. While in the arena of the games, Rue gives Katniss a sense of security because she reminds her of Prim. However, the differences between the two are also highlighted.

Prim is Katniss’s little sister. She means a great deal to Katniss, considering she says that Prim “is the only person in the world I’m certain I love” (10). She does her best to protect Prim by providing food for her through hunting and tesserae withdrawals. Katniss believes that the only thing she cannot defend Prim against is the reaping, which forces a boy and a girl from a district to compete in the Hunger Games. However, she disproves this belief when she volunteers to go in Prim’s place. Katniss would rather be killed than know she let Prim die without trying to save her. In the games, Katniss receives motivation from thinking about Prim back at home and her promise to try to win the Hunger Games for her.

In the games, Katniss forms an alliance with Rue, who is a twelve-year-old from another district. When they meet, Katniss immediately thinks of Prim. The two are similar in their demeanor, and she notes that “Rue is a small yellow flower that grows in the Meadow. Rue. Primrose. Neither of them could tip the scale at seventy pounds soaking wet” (99). She interacts playfully with her new alliance member, similar to the way she does with Prim. Katniss also remembers how unlike Prim, Rue had no one to volunteer for her in the reaping and take her place. The greatest difference between Rue and Prim is Rue’s fighting spirit. When Katniss discusses a plan in the games with Rue, “You can see the glint of excitement in her eyes. In this way, she’s exactly the opposite of Prim, for whom adventures are an ordeal” (210). Unlike Prim, Katniss is unable to save Rue. This is why she has such a difficult time dealing with Rue’s death. She wishes she could do something to save Rue, as she does with Prim. In her grief, Katniss mixes the two when she says, “but if this is Prim’s, I mean, Rue’s last request, I have to at least try,” proving she thinks of Prim and Rue similarly (234).

Katniss’s love for Prim translates into her love for Rue. Like her promise with Prim, Katniss makes a promise to win the games for Rue. She remembers “I told Rue I’d be there…And somehow that seems even more important than the vow I gave Prim” (242). Katniss’s vow motivates herself to win the Hunger Games. Without her internal motivation from Prim, and her desire to avenge Rue’s death, it is unlikely she would have survived the games. This emphasizes the importance of Rue and Prim in the novel.

When Your Mother Causes You to Have Trust Issues

In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the main character, Katniss, clearly has some trust issues. Katniss’s internal conflict with her past affects her actions and first impressions of people in the present. Throughout the book, Katniss struggles with trusting people after her father dies.

Katniss expects to rely on her mom since her father is not there to take care of the family. Yet, Katniss describes how her mother “didn’t do anything but sit propped up in a chair or, more often, huddled under the blankets on her bed, eyes fixed on some point in the distance” (Collins 26-27). Her mother began to slip away from reality. With her husband gone, it makes sense to why she reacted in that way. As a mother, her responsibilities were to take care of her daughters, Katniss and Primrose, and make sure that the family continued to survive. Instead, Katniss was burdened with the responsibilities and had to take care of the family. She relied on herself and the knowledge that her father gave her about hunting to survive. Because of her past, Katniss struggles with trusting her mother. When Katniss volunteers on Prim’s behalf for the Hunger Games, she has the chance to say goodbye to her mom and sister before leaving to go train and prepare for the games. She shouts at her mom, “You can’t leave again” (Collins 35). She tries to make sure that her mom does not go back to being lifeless like when Katniss’s father died. Katniss says this to her mom in such an aggressive manner to make sure that Prim (her sister) is taken care of now that Katniss will not be able to do so. Because Katniss’s mother broke her trust with her eldest daughter, Katniss shows how her damaged trust with her mother affects her future in the games.

When thrust into the Tribute (a fighter in the Hunger Games) life, Katniss has to trust Haymitch (her mentor) since he is the only person from District 12 who has won the Hunger Games. She has every right to not trust him because he is always drunk and not a very good mentor. When she asks Haymitch advice for the games, he responds with, “Here’s some advice. Stay alive” (Collins 56). This advice does not help Katniss in any way. She hopes to get some input on how she should approach the games, but her first impression of Haymitch does not make her trust him. Throughout the Tributes’ time preparing for the games, Haymitch’s strategy to make Katniss seem likable to the audience makes her feel uncomfortable. She does not feel like herself when Haymitch tells her to act a certain way and pretend to be in love with Peeta (the male Tribute from District 12). Yet, she starts to trust Haymitch when she begins to receive gifts from sponsors (people who bet a specific Tribute will win by aiding them during the games). After all, the only person that would be able to get her sponsors to help her in the games would be Haymitch. Although Katniss’s trust in Haymitch was wary at first, she eventually trusts him at the end of the book. Collins shows how Katniss’s trust in others evolves after the Hunger Games experience.

Breaking Free From Capitol Rule

In Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, the Capitol of Panem maintains strict control over its Districts.  The citizens of the 12 Districts are faced with severe punishments at the slightest acts of rebellion.  Those that speak out against the dictatorial government or try to flee their Districts into the wilderness between the Districts’ walls can have their tongues cut out, be flogged, or put to death if they are caught.  The severity of the punishments for those that hint at rebelling forces most citizens of the Districts to suppress their anger; Katniss learns to “hold [her] tongue and to turn [her] features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read [her] thoughts” (Collins 6).  Katniss is a survivor, and she knows that in order to survive and take care of her family, she must hide whatever emotions about the Capitol she has.  When Gale talks of running away and leaving everything behind, Katniss does not “know how to respond [because] the idea is so preposterous” (Collins 9).  When in the Capitol after Katniss volunteers for The Hunger Games, Peeta tells her “[he] wants to die as [himself]…[he doesn’t] want them to change [him]”, but Katniss does not understand “how [he could] die as anyone but himself” (Collins 141).  Peeta wants to “think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own [him]”, but Katniss tells him “[he’s] not, none of [them] are.  That’s how the Games work” (Collins 142).  Katniss lives her whole life up to the time she enters the Hunger Games just trying to survive.  In Panem, acting against the Capitol and surviving cannot coexist in Katniss’s mind, so she suppresses all anger and hatred about her rulers and replaces it with the will to survive.  Thus, Gale’s wish to run away and Peeta’s wish to show the Capitol they cannot control him do not make sense to Katniss, because those acts can result in severe punishment for resisting Capitol rule. 

However, Katniss’s attitude toward rebelling changes upon entering the Hunger Games.  In the arena, Katniss faces near-certain death more than she ever has while in the District.  Her will to survive is pushed to the limits on multiple occasions as she struggles to live, and she begins to question everything.  When her friend Rue is killed, Katniss’s mindset shifts completely.  Peeta’s words from before resonate in her mind, and she realizes exactly what he meant about wanting “to die as [himself]” (Collins 141).  Katniss knows she is live on every screen in Panem and “Rue’s death [forces her] to confront [her] own fury against the cruelty, the injustice [the Capitol] inflicts upon [them]” (Collins 236).  Katniss shows “the Capitol that whatever they do or force [the tributes] to do there is a part of every tribute they can’t own” (Collins 237).  Katniss realizes the power she holds over everyone in the country while she is in the Games.  She knows the importance of her message, and by decorating Rue’s body, shows that the Districts do support one another.  She resists to Capitol’s rule and proves to everyone watching her that although the Capitol may punish and kill the citizens of the Districts, the citizens will never be owned and they act of free will.  With the same mindset, Katniss again breaks free from the Capitol’s rule by making “the whole thing blow up in the Gamemakers’ faces” (Collins 345) as she and Peeta attempt to kill themselves by eating the berries.  The frantic congratulatory response by Claudius Templesmith shows that they have succeeded in breaking the Capitol’s rules, that Katniss can no longer be controlled.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press, 2009. Paperback.

The Capitol's Anti-Rebellion Tactics

            The Hunger Games are a yearly event in which 24 tributes from the 12 districts, one boy and one girl, are released into an arena to fight to the death until only one remains. It is established very early in the novel why the games take place every year. In explaining the origin, it says, “Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve [districts] were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games” (Collins 18). In this way we know that they were created from the ashes of rebellion. A reminder of a failed attempt to remove the Capitol from power. The games become the ultimate tool for the Capitol to keep the districts in line, and to keep their grip on power. The set up of the games, and more generally the set up of the districts, incites a perfect storm of obedience and forced ignorance. This is illustrated most obviously in how Katniss interacts with tributes from the other districts, specifically, Rue.

            Within the first day of aligning with each other in the arena the two girls start talking about what life in their respective districts is like. Rue describes a difficult life in District 11, with strict rules and intensive work hours. Katniss has always thought that the other districts had it better than her district, District 12. However, in hearing how Rue had grown up, Katniss’s mind opens a bit. She tells Rue, “I’d have thought, in District Eleven, you’d have a bit more to eat than us” (Collins 202). Without any knowledge to base it on, Katniss has always assumed that the districts with lower than numbers than hers had an easier life. This is a way that the Capitol works to keep the districts submissive. They have no way of contacting each other, no way of sharing their experiences. In fact, when Rue and Katniss are talking, Katniss wonders “if the Gamemakers are blocking out [their] conversation, because even though it seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another” (Collins 203). The districts who believe their lives to be worse off will soon become envious of those districts they think have it easier. It keeps the districts isolated, holding at least a decent amount of animosity towards each other.

            There is one time in which the people within the districts get to see a little from the other districts, during the Hunger Games themselves. The only time people within one district can see a person from another district is when they are slaughtering each other. It would be hard, impossible even, to not hold hostility towards the other districts when year after year you must sit and watch members from them murder members from yours. It’s an extremely effective way to keep the Districts at odds with each other. Even though they all know it is the Capitol forcing them to perform these actions, they can’t help but see the district behind the murderers. Katniss can understand the full depth of this anti-rebellion tactic when the boy from District 1 murders her ally Rue. She thinks, “To hate the boy from District 1, who also appears vulnerable in death, seems inadequate. It’s the Capitol I hate, for doing this to all of us” (Collins 236). She doesn’t hate the district 1 boy for murdering Rue, she hates the Capitol for putting him in a position where he had to. However, this is not a connection we can expect most people to make. It’s far easier to hate the people doing the actual murdering, rather than hate the system that forced them to.

            The isolation of the districts combined with the Hunger Games creates an environment of ignorance and hostility between the districts. In this way it is hard for the districts to work together against the force that keeps them in their impoverished states. How can they create an effective rebellion when they know nothing about each other and are forced to murder each other year after year? It isn’t until Katniss and Rue breach that gap and show the districts that they are more similar than they are different, that the rebellion becomes possible.

Katniss's Love For Peeta: Real or Not?

Suzanne Collins skillfully creates a world of tension in The Hunger Games about survival, but also about love. Throughout the novel, Katniss fights feelings towards Peeta, knowing that she may have to kill him in the arena. Katniss has thoughts of feelings for Peeta, but her denial shows that she is putting on an act for the purpose of The Games.

Part of her denial is that Katniss often thinks of her best friend Gale, and about if he is more than a friend. While Katniss daydreams of home, she considers Gale in particular, “Gale’s not my boyfriend, but would he be, if I opened that door?... I wonder what he makes of all this kissing” (280). Wondering about Gale in this way suggests that Katniss cares about his opinion and considers the future of him as her boyfriend. She sees Gale as her possible future while Peeta is just the other District 12 tribute stuck in the arena for the present.

Katniss gets confused while she and Peeta share a conversation that she thinks they are having for the viewer’s enjoyment. Peeta tells Katniss that he has been working up the nerve to talk to her for eleven years without success, so he is lucky that his name got drawn at the reaping. In response, Katniss is unsure, “For a moment, I’m almost foolishly happy and then confusion sweeps over me. Because we’re supposed to be making up this stuff” (301). Her instinct response was to be flattered by Peeta’s comment, suggesting developing feelings for him. However, her following thought shows that she wants this to be only for the show and the sponsorships, perhaps because of her feelings for Gale.  

Towards the end of the novel, Katniss has an eye-opening moment about love. Just after leaving the arena, Katniss reflects on seeing family members stay by the side of their injured or dying loved ones as her mother tries to save them. This image comes to her because she is watching doctors work to save her fellow winner, Peeta. Remembering seeing those loved ones watch her mother work, Katniss recalls thinking, “’Why don’t they leave? Why do they stay to watch?’ And now I know. It’s because you have no choice” (348). In this reflection, Katniss is comparing herself to those that love the patient of her mother’s. By doing so, Katniss is allowing herself and readers to believe that she may love Peeta, yet she is still confused.

While being displayed by his side shortly after on stage, however, Katniss is only getting close to Peeta for Haymitch’s benefit instead of affection. After sitting down next to Peeta, Katniss looks to Haymitch before moving closer, “one look from Haymitch tells me it isn’t enough… I tuck my feet to the side and lean my head against Peeta’s shoulder” (361). This close gesture of affection comes only after realizing it’s not enough for the audience, it is not a natural instinct of love for Peeta. In the arena, Katniss plays into the love for Peeta in order to capture the audience, therefore getting sponsorships for their survival. Through the entire novel, Katniss’s focus is on fulfilling her promise to Prim and winning the games so she can go home to Gale and her family.  

Realization of Divergence and it's Effect on Self-Esteem

In Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese, three storylines are introduced which contribute to the central conflict that deviation from the norm is something to fear and avoid. In two of those three cases, this idea is brought upon by society and the influence of others. In the case of the Monkey King, his life is fulfilling and happy, up until the point where the dinner party of the gods rejects him. He is left feeling a sense of dissatisfaction with his identity and a severe drop in self esteem. Despite a feeling of rage toward the other gods, he begins to want to become like them, he wants to be part of the norm, as he reflects on page 20 of the graphic novel, the caption states, "the smell of monkey fur greeted him. He'd never noticed it before. He stayed awake for the rest of the night thinking of ways to get rid of it."
This transition into low self-esteem and displeasure with one's old customs is reflected in the experiences of Jin, the main character of the novel. After coming from San Francisco, where his community was supportive and similar to him, as were the Monkey King's subjects, Jin arrives at Mayflower Elementary, where he is immediately ostracized and looked down on (31-32). Despite his animosity toward his caucasian bullies, Jin begins to feel inferior to them, and wants to become like them, even styling his hair a certain way to mimick one of his classmates, in an effort to appear more likable to his crush (98).
Both of these characters originally had high self-esteen and happy lives, but were told by their societies that who they were made them inferior. Unfortunately for both of these characters, they fell into the trap of believing them.

Chin-Kee: Why What He Represents is Supposed to Make You Uncomfortable

Gene Yang’s Chin-Kee character serves an interesting purpose in this book. His crude, offensive existence brings to light the horrible stereotypes America imposes on Asian Americans, albeit in an exaggerated way. The medium of the graphic novel gives a face to the character, accentuating his large front teeth, his slit eyes, and yellow skin. His speech bubbles include a crass “Chinese” accent. Chin-Kee is, in every respect, a caricature of Asian Americans as perceived by white media, meant to shock and offend. I believe this is a very effective tool for Gene Yang to address these stereotypes.

There are several scenes in which Chin-Kee embarrasses those around him, especially Danny. From pages 117-120, Chin-Kee follows Danny through the lunchroom to various classes, peeing in his friend’s Coke (after which he exclaims, “Me Chinese, me play joke, me go pee-pee in his coke!”) and answering questions loudly and correctly in class, followed by mirthless laughter from other students. Danny is seen hiding his head in his hands in shame.

After Danny’s detention on page 22, he finds Melanie in the hall and apologizes for Chin-Kee’s behavior the night before. Though Melanie says she forgives him, she quickly turns down Danny’s invitation for another date. Danny gets defensive, saying, “I’m not like him, Melanie” (123). Melanie insists his connection to Chin-Kee has nothing to do with their breakup before pointing out that she has noticed his teeth look a little bucked (just like Chin-Kee’s). Danny immediately covers his mouth, doing anything to stop a comparison between himself and his annoying cousin.

This caricature does not only isolate Chin-Kee himself; it isolates anyone with whom he is associated. No one wants to be like the “other.” This storyline highlights the way white America is so afraid of its own creation, of things it perceives “different” than the All-American, traditional way of existing. By creating a character so exaggerated, Yang points out the way white America concocted its own idea of Asian Americans, thus establishing its own “other.” I agree with Yang: the best way to tear down a stereotype is to force people to look at the horrible thing they themselves create and fear. Chin-Kee is a masterful rendering of this.

Graphic Novels vs. Traditional Novels

                As we talked about in class on Monday, graphic novels still have a stigma in America today.  They are often not considered “real” books or are viewed as having less literary value than traditional books. They are not often taught in schools and written off as purely entertainment based, lacking depth and complex themes.  American Born Chinese is just one of the few graphic novels that challenges these traditional views.  American Born Chinese uses both words and detailed pictures to tell a story that tackles issues of racism, bullying, and what it means to grow up feeling like an outsider.

The graphics in the novel help to enhance its message in a way that a traditional novel might not be able to.  For example, the sharp contrast between how Chin-Kee is portrayed relative to the other characters in the story might not be as apparent without visuals.  The amount of blatant racist characteristics portrayed by Chin-Kee are staggering. When he is first introduced on page 48, he completely fills the frame, showing off his yellowed skin, squinted eyes, buck teeth, and traditional hairstyle and dress. His bags are represented as take-out food containers, and he is shouting, “Harro Amellica!” The number of racist stereotypes that are packed into one page is incredible.  I remember turning the page and feeling almost sick to my stomach. I was immediately shocked while taking in the contains of that first introduction of Chin-Kee, in a way that I do not think would be possible in a traditional novel.  It really did feel like a “slap in the face,” which is how Gene Luen Yang wanted his readers to feel when reading the sections devoted to Chin-Kee. 

Graphic novels have the unique ability to combine words and illustrations in a way that traditional novels cannot.  The subtle placement of characters or objects in a panel, how large they are, as well as their appearance or expression can be an important storytelling tool used by graphic novelists to enhance the message being expressed through the descriptions and dialog.  I think graphic novels allow readers to explore a new way of reading and absorbing literary themes. It really makes you combine your comprehension of words and pictures to form a whole story.  I hope that educators will start to view graphic novels in a new, more positive light and start teaching them to their students.  I think exposing people to different ways of communicating ideas only helps people become more adept at understanding and communicating ideas in different ways. These skills will help students succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Converging Jin's Dual Identity

American Born Chinese sheds light on the psyche of immigrant children, breaking down the simple and complex prejudices they are forced to face along the way to adulthood. It focuses on the stereotypes that Chinese students faced in particular, through the lens of Jin, the novels protagonist. The most effective illustration of this struggle comes through the authors depiction of characters Danny and Chin-kee, two students on opposing ends of the social spectrum bound by their Asian identity. This personification of dual identity is the author’s most compelling portrayal of how young people deal with their heritage, and proves the empathetic resolution that can come out of it.

Throughout the story, author Gene Yang makes clear that there are no similarities between story lead Danny and his immigrant cousin, Chin-kee. Danny is a charming, confident teenager who understands the ins and outs of social culture, and enjoys the benefits of his status as a jock. He seems to have no problems talking to his friends, going on dates with girls, etc, until his cousin, Chin-Kee, is introduced. His abhorrent behavior (peeing in the Coke can, shouting in class, calling Melanie a “pletty Amellican girl wiff bountiful Amellican bosom” (53)), embarrasses Danny and creates a not-so-subconscious connection between him and his cousin. This goes so far as to ruin his standing with Melanie, who later remarks that “[she] never noticed it before, but your teeth kind of buck out a little” (127). 

Chin-kee’s weighing down of Danny represents a parallel of Jin’s perception of his own culture. While ultimately protective of it, he saw his heritage as an obstacle, until coming to the revelation that the character of Chin-kee was indeed a facet of Jin’s identity all along. His eventual acceptance of this comes with a token of self peace, as Jin realizes the best course of action is to accept himself as a whole, Danny and Chin-kee, and appreciate his true identity.

Transformers and Transformations

In American Born Chinese the role of the transformer toy is of great importance to the overarching theme of the novel. From claiming a spot on the front cover of the novel to forging a connecting between Jin and Wei-Chen, the transformer is a constant reminder of how the main characters- Jin, Danny, and the Monkey King -want nothing more than to change their identity and transform into someone else.

However, these desires do not come without a consequence. The Chinese herbalist warns Jin that "it's easy to become anything you wish...so long as you're willing to forfeit your soul" (Yang, 29). This is evident in all of the main characters. Jin wants to become independent from his asian roots and even fellow asian classmates. Danny wishes nothing more than to escape the shadow of his cousin Chin-Kee, stating that "by the time [Chin-Kee] leaves, no one thinks of me as Danny anymore. I'm Chin-Kee's cousin" (Yang, 127). Finally, the Monkey King, though highly regarded by his subjects, wants to distance himself from his monkey roots by practicing and mastering the twelve major disciplines of Kung-fu. The Monkey King then changes his identity to "The Great Sage, equal of Heaven" (Yang, 60). The consequences of transformation are most evident in the case of the Monkey King, for he becomes buried under a mountain of rock for five hundred years.

In all of these characters, the most inherent issue is separation from their asian roots. Jin dissociates himself from his asian heritage by rejecting Wei-Chen's original offer of friendship, which becomes more clear at the end of the novel when we are shown that Jin is actually Danny. Danny shows the true feelings of Jin- he wants to escape the reign of his Chinese roots by rejecting his cousin. Chin-Kee is a clear representation of Chinese heritage and how it is oftentimes seen by others. However, no matter where Danny moves to, Chin-Kee returns each year to wreak havoc on Danny/Jin's life, exemplifying the fact that transformations do not come without a consequence. In the end, however, the characters are more accepting of their identity, with the Monkey King stating that he "could have saved [himself] from five hundred years imprisonment beneath a mount of rock had [he] only realized how good it is to be a monkey" (Yang, 223). It is with this statement that the reader is left with a true sense of the theme of the novel- accepting who you are is the only way to live a happy life.

Parallels of the Monkey King and Jin

In American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, the role of the Monkey King narrative serves as an inspiration for Jin to reidentify himself. The narrative begins with the Monkey King mastering the “Four Major Heavenly Disciplines,” where he learns to be an effective fighter (Yang 10-11). These disciplines allow the monkey king to gang strength and be an effective leader to his monkeys. However, when the Monkey King attempts to enter a dinner party that turns him down, after accepting every other leader and even demons, the Monkey King feels insecure of his identity. The scene closes with the last panel displaying the Monkey King in pitch black lighting (20), which displays how desolate and alone he feels in his own skin.

Jin Wang has a similar crisis with his own identity when his family moves and he begins to attend Mayflower Elementary School. Jin realizes that he is one of only two Asian students in his class (31), leaving him to feel excluded from the group, just as the monkey did at the dinner party. On the first day of recess, panels display all the white kids at the school having fun playing tether ball, four square, and tag (32). On a panel just below these kids, Jin sits by himself at the end of a long picnic table eating dumplings (32). The fact that Jin is sitting on a long table, meant for a big group, all by himself, demonstrates how alone he truly is, relating his own feelings to those of the Monkey King.

Because the Monkey King feels so alone and unworthy as a monkey, he feels as though he needs to change his identity in order to fit in. As a result, the Monkey King then masters the “Four Disciplines of Bodily Form,” including shape shifting, a way to actually transform his outer appearance (58). The Monkey King believes that if he is no longer a monkey, the gods, goddesses and demons will actually respect him. He even goes as far as to change his name to “The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven” (60), enabling him to completely strip himself of his identity as a monkey.

The Monkey King’s transformation in image and identity provides hope and inspiration for Asian Americans like Jin, who believe they can change their identity to fit in. As Jin continues to feel left out from the white kids at his school, he decides he needs to conform to the appearances of those around him. He decides to change his hair to curly like Greg’s, hoping that this change will influence his crush, Amelia, to go out with him (97). However, he realizes that this change is not drastic enough, as  he still feels like an outcast among the white boys at his school. In particular, Greg, who had previously stood up for him, asks him to not ask Amelia out again because he thinks it will ruin her reputation (179). Therefore, just like the Monkey King completely changes his image and identity, Jin wishes he were a white boy and changes his name to Danny to complete his transformation (198). This transformation allows Jin to finally feel as though he belongs, instead of feeling lonely like he and the Monkey King did before they transformed their identities.

Dismantling Racist Stereotypes

          In American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, the main character, Jin, struggles with identity issues that are often reinforced by the people he interacts with. The kids at school bully and stereotype him, calling him slurs and accusing him of eating cats and dogs. As a result, he has a very poor opinion of himself and gets defensive about anything related to his heritage. When Wei-Chun arrives, Jin is very skeptical of him at first and tries to make him speak English. Essentially, he treats Wei-Chun the way that white kids treat him. This does a lot to show how racist stereotypes really affect the people that they are inflicted on. Jin is so insecure about his identity that he takes it out on someone who, by all accounts, he should be able to empathize with. Jin being able to put aside his perceptions and fears in order to befriend Wei-Chun.
          The part of the novel depicting the story of Danny and Chin-Kee also goes a long way to prove that racist stereotypes are prevalent and how people often cope with them by reinventing themselves. Jin perms his hair and tries to act like he doesn't have any ties to his culture because he's so scared of how people will treat him if he doesn't conform. "Danny" is very embarrassed by Chin-Kee and all that he represents, not to mention how he doesn't seem to understand the cultural norms that Danny wants him to. Chin-Kee represents the part of Jin's identity that he's ashamed of and wants to leave behind.
          The biggest change comes when it is revealed that Chin-Kee is part of Danny all along and that their story is a metaphor for how Jin feels. He can try to change himself as much as he wants, but he will never feel better until he accepts the part of him that he dislikes and that others made fun of. Jin dismantles his own stereotypes of how he believes he's supposed to act by accepting the reality of who he is and the fact that it doesn't make him worth anything different than others.

Structure of American Born Chinese

The structure of American Born Chinese obviously plays a large role, as the events are not presented in the order in which they happen. It is interesting that Yang chose this method of storytelling instead of a more linear one. While this non-linear form does add an exciting element to reading the graphic novel, I would argue that Yang also made this decision to emphasize the similarities in experiences that many Asian Americans feel. 

The first part of the graphic novel is presented in what appears to be three separate storylines. The reader has no indication that the Monkey King, Danny, and Jin are all connected in any way, let alone that Danny is Jin and that the Monkey King is Chin-Kee. Throughout this part of the story, I believe that Yang intended for the events that the three characters, the Monkey King, Jin, and Danny, experienced to have similarities. Although each character, obviously, has their differences, they each are used by Yang to show the importance of being who you are and owning your identity. Jin struggles to accept his Chinese heritage, and this, as we later learn, causes him to turn into Danny. Even before he learns his lesson by becoming Danny, the reader is shown that Jin is struggling to accept his Asian-American identity. For example, he avoids being friends with the other Asian-American girl in his class, and he fights becoming friends with Wei-Chen. This struggle to accept his identity is also reflected in the Monkey King.

Yung successfully compares the Monkey King and Jin by eventually having both characters undergo physical transformations. These physical transformations from a monkey to more human and from Jin to Danny represent the respective characters disregarding their identities in favor of what they believe is wanted of them. The Monkey King’s drive to be a deity ultimately does him a disservice, as it forces him to stay stuck in the rocks until he becomes a monkey again, and Danny is not able to understand that he has become a completely different person.

Even at the beginning of the graphic novel, before it is revealed that all three storylines are connected, Yang connects the characters in a way that reinforces the idea that people experience similar problems with identity. Without the knowledge that all three storylines are connected, the reader is able to draw connections between the characters. If the reader simply saw the plot happen chronologically, then this connection between storylines would be lost.