Once Katniss and Peeta are chosen to be tributes and participate in the Hunger Games, they are unsure of how to treat their relationship. Katniss remembers details she’s never really thought of about him. She remembers that he purposefully burnt the bread in his family’s bakery, knowing they would want to throw it away, so he could toss it over to Katniss. She realizes that she never got to thank him. Now, she thought to herself, it was too late. She doesn’t want to think about his nice gestures; soon they would fight to the death. As they both have to leave their home, they are forced to spend a significant amount of time together. Not only that, but their mentors and stylists tell them to always be together in public, pretend to be friends, and be matching. Katniss contemplates what his true intentions are. He’s being nice to her now, but could that just be part of a plan of his? She says, “I sense he has a plan forming...He is already fighting hard to stay alive...Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave me the bread, is fighting hard to kill me” (60). In their dinners and meetings with the mentors, however, they always get along well. They talk each other up mentioning the opponents strong points. Katniss reminds herself, “Don’t be so stupid. Peeta is planning how to kill you...He is luring you in to make you easy prey. The most likable he is, the more deadly he is” (72). Katniss starts to believe that everything is an act. She fights back the same way and kisses his bruise.
As the games progress, situations become even more unclear. Katniss learns that Peeta has formed an ally with the strongest competitors, the careers. Not only did he ally with them, but Katniss overhears them talking about killing her. When Peeta saves Katniss’s life, she realizes that his intentions and reasons for joining the careers is completely different than that what she anticipated. She now owes him again.
I definitely agree. Its frustrating to see how clueless Katniss is when it comes to Peeta's true feelings. Even when Peeta is dying Katniss continues to examine their relationship from a survival standpoint, she doesn't like to involve her true emotions at all: "Haymitch couldn't be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth" (261). Although it's true, I wish that Katniss would think something like "This will comfort peeta and sway the crowd" instead of thinking of it as an opportunity to convert resources.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, Katniss just doesn't see the romance or Peeta's love at all. When she kisses him, she thinks, "It's the first time I've ever kissed a boy, which should make some sort of impression I guess, but all I can register is how unnaturally hot his lips are from the fever" (260-1). Even in the middle of a passionate act, Katniss can't help but remain cold, calculating, and logical. Good traits for ensuring her survival, but traits that would make the crowd hate her if they could know what she is thinking.
As the book nears an end, I hope that Katniss can finally realize that Peeta isn't just acting, so that she can stop playing with him. The romance inside the arena is all very real for Peeta, and I'm sure he hopes that Katniss isn't "just acting." Katniss needs to decide if she has any true feelings for Peeta, and then act accordingly.
I agree with both of you. I find Katniss's emotional distance to make her an almost unrealistic character. I'd like to think that some sort of realization, some sort of warmth, might break through her toughness. Given the softness of her feelings toward Prim, it seems strange that there is so little evidence of it here.
ReplyDeleteIn a lot of dystopian novels, the whole thing is an act, and it adds an interesting dimension to have a character that isn't acting all the time. Peeta is acting a little for the society, but overall, he is much more genuine than everyone else in the book, even Katniss. Katniss is much more a product of her society than Peeta is. Katniss is trying to win the Hunger Games, which is what the Capitol wants, but Peeta is trying to get Katniss to win the Hunger Games, which is not what the Capitol wants. Usually in dystopian books, the main character is the one, or one of the ones, trying to undermine the government, but if it came down to a choice between saving herself and saving Peeta, I don't know what Katniss would choose.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Katniss and Peeta is very interesting throughout the whole book. I remember reading this book and being confused about what Katniss really thought about Peeta because she seemed to switch her views often. Peeta clearly has always been nice to Katniss, as you pointed out about when Peeta gave Katniss the burnt bread because it was clear that she needed food. When I learned that Peeta was forming an ally with the strongest competitors, I remember being confused and angry. I never understood why he would do that because he seemed to really like Katniss. I could not believe that he would betray her like that. I always wondered if there was another story to it that Katniss was unaware of at the time. As is learned later, Peeta only joined the careers to help save Katniss. I thought this act should convince Katniss completely that Peeta is looking out for her, although it still takes Katniss awhile to realize Peeta’s true motives. I agree with Mrs. Graham that I would think the kindness Peeta has shown Katniss would break Katniss. Katniss is obviously very protective about her family and because of family events has a tough outer shell that seems to be hard to break.
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