The Hunger Games: MockingJay 1-12-12

     The Hunger Games is an insightful in that it looks to the future and also implies what could happen to our planet if democracy was destroyed and a corrupted hierarchy of awful dictators was put into place instead. The story paints you into the lives of the poor and suffering people of District 12, as well as the citizens of all districts 1 through 13. By experiencing Katniss's hardships, I almost feel a sense of pride. When I read a book, I am literally in the book. Every thought and feeling the character expresses, I also express. Often times when I am reading a book and I come across a phrase such as "she crinkled her nose as the wretched smell permeated the air", I in my bed, in my chair, or in my student desk, am also crinkling my nose, smelling the noisome odor. I try not to do that at school too much, when people can observe my acting out my book though .
        Back to hardships, although Katniss may not feel pride particularly in her situation,as an outside observer pride is what I feel the most for these people. To live in such oppression and just scamper by is an accomplishment in itself, but to overcome the oppression by still finding joy in family and friends and also defying the intended oppression by hopping the fence and hunting illegally is amazing. Katniss is so strong. She took over the male roll in her family after her father died and provided emotionally for her vulnerable little sister and depressed mother. She also provided material things for not only her family but for the entire community, hunting with Gale in the woods and selling her game to the Hob. So how can one not feel accomplished and pleased with themselves, feeling that they themselves have accomplished these tasks as the character? I have a lot of respect for poor people in America, Africa, and even this fictional book. The oppressed are so strong.
        "A token of the boy with the bread". Although the book evokes pride, it is not a particularly inspirational story as much as it is an adventure. But this quote has meaning to me. Katniss uses this phrase when she takes to the capitol with her the pearl she received from Peeta during the second hunger games. The Peeta she knows now is much different than the Peeta who loved her, the Peeta who adored her, the Peeta who gave her the pearl. Now he hates her. When she refers to Peeta as the boy with the bread, she refers to the Peeta she knew before,as if Peeta was even two people. I think this was an interesting way to differentiate between the Peeta she loved and the new Peeta. It also evokes a lot of emotion, because it forces you to miss him, as an innocent and self-giving boy, sacrificing himself for the good of Katniss, as usual.