The Hunger Games
discussion
Does anyone else hate Katniss?
I would have to agree with most of what you said. In the first book, I liked Katniss well enough, she was her own person and I could tell she loved Prim and eventually Rue. By the end of the third book, I hated Katniss because she couldn't get out of her own way. She used Peeta and her distrust of people grew tiresome. A little bit of honesty and vulnerability would have gone a long way. I did like how the story was told because I personally like a focused story. Lots of people talk about how strong Katniss was, but I saw a scared girl who grew up in a second and did not know how to deal with people.
Malorie wrote: "I would have to agree with most of what you said. In the first book, I liked Katniss well enough, she was her own person and I could tell she loved Prim and eventually Rue. By the end of the third ..."I definately agree with you. Although I didn't like Katniss much, it is quite a unique point of view to see from. I haven't read many books quite like it.
I hate katniss. She's too soft, she's too emotinal, and she knows it so why is she volunteering anyways??? Yes, I understand for her sister, but then become hard-minded, for god's sake!!!! I found her irratating, so i tried to ignore her which was hard bcu it s from her point of view. :P
Tinath wrote: "I hate katniss. She's too soft, she's too emotinal, and she knows it so why is she volunteering anyways??? Yes, I understand for her sister, but then become hard-minded, for god's sake!!!! I found ..."I have to say that I have the exact opposite impression of her. She's very strong, intelligent and self-reliant. I like her as a character. Unlike all the other heroines in these YA series (Bella from Twilight and Clary from Mortal Instruments leap to mind), she doesn't moon around talking about her feelings all the time. She's analytical and practical; I can relate to her way more than I could to those other characters. She's not a traditional heroine, but she has her own set of issues she has to struggle with (trust being the major one obviously.) I think her strength and independence and the fact that she doesn't make a boy the centre of her world makes her a good role model for young girls.
I think Katniss the character was written well, but I COULD NOT STAND KATNISS, she was sooo irritating. The boys, the blood, the guts, & the kiss kept me interested. I did love the series, especially Mockingjay.
Ruby wrote: "It's something that has been playing on my mind. Katniss, in my opinion, was a terrible main character choice, especially because the series were written in first-person. I believe that she wasn't ..."I can understand her not having faith in anyone. There has been no reason for her to show that faith. After her father died her mother gave up and left her responsible for the care of her little sister when she was only a child herself. Now wouldn't that cause you to lose faith? I found her to be a strong girl who didn't carry her heart on her sleeve. She did what she felt was necessary to survive.
Chelsea wrote: "Tinath wrote: "I hate katniss. She's too soft, she's too emotinal, and she knows it so why is she volunteering anyways??? Yes, I understand for her sister, but then become hard-minded, for god's sa..."I agree that Katniss is analytical and practical, but her constant questioning of others really got on my nerves. I think the animosity she felt toward Peeta was put on way too thickly by Collins, Katniss hardly gave him a fair chance and even when she knew what was going on, aka that Peeta was saving her, she couldn't be honest with him. I was so frustrated by the lack of honesty on almost all the character's parts.
You have to view Katniss' actions and thinking through the lens of a dystopian society. She lives in a civilization where trust in others may get you killed. The Capital created the mutts to inspire fear and spy on the populace and crush dissonance as it arises. Katniss and Peeta are competing in competitions which have had a single winner walking away for 73 years. That's 73 years of watching children kill each other in an effort to be the one standing. Why would Katniss trust Peeta? Katniss was born into an grew up in this environment. I think it's unfair to hold a character living in a dystopian society up to the social mores of a, though not utopian, certainly more idyllic society and find her wanting because the social mores of one can't fit nicely onto the other. Even her mother, the one character who she probably should have developed a sense of trust in, broke that trust when she shut down after her husband's death and left Katniss to fend for herself and her sister.Haha, okay I have to get to work now :)
I think Katniss is the best MC Na because she is one of the few strong female protagonist in these world of books. It also seems she has strong morals, but she is a bit cold hearted, but strong. She killed those mutts as she had to but, she did regret it a bit. Katniss was also like dang, I got bow skills so gtfo u know. She was walking around the trap forest and she lived. She also helped peeta while there, even though it was a ffa, so it does show she is still kind even though she was like a tsun later on. It just shows her tough shelll she formed from the harshness of her everyday life. It also shows her how she does care for peeta, but in a he is my dog kinda of way, can't let it die you know, or else it haunts me
You are all crazy Katniss is the best main character and narrator in dystopian fiction.
I did not hate Katniss. She was very skilled and dedicated to what she knew how to do. She was really lovely to her family because she replaced her sister's life with hers. She did not want to risk her sister's life so she decided to play the games. By doing this she was a really brave and strong character! I really liked her.
Chelsea wrote: "Tinath wrote: "I hate katniss. She's too soft, she's too emotinal, and she knows it so why is she volunteering anyways??? Yes, I understand for her sister, but then become hard-minded, for god's sa..."I did not finish the last book. However I did read books the Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I would disagree and say that by mid book in Catching Fire Katniss made boys the center of her world. I did not read the third book feeling it was going to become a romance novel. She is much stronger character than Bella, but for the revolution that surrounded her she should have looked at the bigger picture. She needed to realize that she needed to work for the greater good. She should have realized that after her time in the Capitol.
Eloise wrote: "You are all crazy Katniss is the best main character and narrator in dystopian fiction."I would say Winston Smith from 1984 by George Orwell is a more interesting character.
Katniss.When I started these books, as a cat lover, I absolutely loathed her. She killed (or almost killed) two cats within the first chapter. Then she started acting all ruthless with Peeta for no good reason. Eventually her love for Prim and Rue won me over.
Brandonk wrote: "I think Katniss is the best MC Na because she is one of the few strong female protagonist in these world of books. It also seems she has strong morals, but she is a bit cold hearted, but strong. Sh..."I have to disagree with this statement.
The best female protagonist I have found in a book is Lilly from Wolfbreed.
I find Katniss to be bland and heavily undeveloped. I never progressed past the first book because her POV just does not interest me; She has the personality of a rock.
I'm not big on Katniss either. I'm about 2/3 through CF, and I'm just getting increasingly annoyed by her superiority complex. She believes she knows better than everyone else in Panem, except for when she allows someone else to be right -- and even then, she'll never "admit" it in the dialogue. The Careers are awful people because, oh my god, they actually want to win the Games and live...just like she does! Peeta constantly puts her first, but she constantly patronizes him. Then she turns around and is weeping in his arms and prosing about how good it feels to be so close to him. I continue to root for her because it's not necessarily hard to, but I'm gonna need for her to get some comeuppance at some point. Someone -- Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, Prim, Madge, I don't care who! -- has to rein her in.
I never liked Katniss much either (I couldn't STAND her in Mockingjay), and I actually thought most of the characters in THG were pretty bland. I liked the characters in Suzanne Collins's Underland Chronicles much better.
I felt Katniss was very strong and intelligent, but unlike a lot of other heroines she didn't just stand around worrying about love and trying to learn how to become semi decent in a fight because she was 'born for a destiny'. This story wasn't a romance, it was a rebellion, and Katniss's problems weren't solely about a love triangle, they were about trying to survive and creating her own destiny. I agree at times she annoyed the crap out of me and was not very kind or understanding, and yes she used Peeta and took him for granted far too often for my taste, but doesn't that just accurately display life? I think Katniss's personality was a pretty realistic example of how many people put in her situation would act. The only thing that really bugged me was how in Mockingjay she basically loses her mind and becomes deeply depressed, which was when I started to lose a bit of interest. Besides that and how she treated Peeta, I thought Katniss was an intelligent, brave, and realistic heroine.
Why do so many people read a series just to complain about it there is no point to finish a series when you have a complete hatred for the main character it seems like a waste of time
I loved the first and second books of this series. I agree with both sides of the argument. Katniss is very loving towards her sister, Rue, Gale, and eventually Peeta, but I think she has a hard shell that throughout the series refuses to come out of. She was a very different heroine that many others, but I think she could've been a little bit more revealing about her emotions throughout the series. Overall, Katniss was a very strong, intelligent, and occasionally loving character, but she had no faith in anyone else, showed no affection to her mother, and absolutely gave herself no hope during the Hunger Games. I think she could've been a little bit more positive during the books. She had many admirable characterists, being strong, brave, and courageous, but many undesirable characterists, such as being sullen and aloof. She also did some very brave things, for example, hunting on illegal property to keep her family from starving, and volunteering for her sister in the Hunger Games. She also did some undesirable things, like faking to love Peeta, even though he saved her life countless times. I think Susanne Collins did a good job creating the character Katniss, but she could've made her a more relate able character. I did enjoy her many strong qualities, but a few bad traits threw her off. Overall, I was pleased with Katniss.
Yeah i dont like katniss. I like her tho in the first book when she wasn't a total crazy person.
I just started reading this, and for some weird reason, I like Katniss in the movies a lot better than in the books. I don't know why :P I think she is a more developed charecter in the movies.
Megan wrote: "Why do so many people read a series just to complain about it there is no point to finish a series when you have a complete hatred for the main character it seems like a waste of time"You don't have to like the main character in order to like a book. If it is well-written, it shouldn't matter if you like the main character or not. For example, I can't stand the hero (Mr Rochester) in Jane Eyre but it is still one of my favorite novels and I have reread it several times.
Katniss' father died leaving her with her mother who ultimately forced her take care of Prim at 12 years old. No kid should have to do that. With this in mind, I don't blame her for not trusting anyone. She has to take care of the family on her own, so she is more self reliant and independent. Katniss was forced to grow up too fast.For those who think that she ignored the boys, she didn't really have time to think about romance in the middle of an uprising.
AND SHE'S STILL A KID WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPEN. A KID SHOULD NOT GO THROUGH A WAR, THE LOSING OF LOVED ONES AND WATCH OTHER KIDS GET KILLED.
I liked Katniss because she was strong. And we can't forget that she developed PTSD at the end.
i do hate her, but i like and understand her too. i mean, she has flaws, she can be selfish (although, she can also be unselfish, like when volunteered). but i can see why she's like that. i mean, look at everything she went through. she HAD to be like that to survive. i believe the main reason i kinda dislike her sometimes is because she can be kinda bitchy with peeta, and he is my favorite character in the whole series.
katniss could have been more determined about peeta x gale, but i do believe she did not know how she felt about them both. and i did like very much the story of the books, and if she was more direct, the books would have been way shorter about the romance
Malorie wrote: "I would have to agree with most of what you said. In the first book, I liked Katniss well enough, she was her own person and I could tell she loved Prim and eventually Rue. By the end of the third ..."Same progression for me too. I fell in love with Rue as she did but at the end, after all the death, she seemed so uncaring except for herself, even to Peeta and Gale. What's up with that?
there were times when i didnt like Katniss but i loved her most of the time
I totally disagree. Katniss was an amazing character.
Katniss was a great character we just have to remember that she did go through a lot and she has her reasons for not letting people in. she is afraid she will end up getting hurt. I mean she lost her father and her mom was in shock, she lost rue and almost lost her little sister. my opinion of her is she is very brave and would do anything to protect the people she cares about.
I agree with Ziclaly. She was only seventeen and went through so much. Hating on her for little reasons like being "whiney" is a little harsh. And unreasonable. Most people would have been a lot worse and she had every right to be angry and "whiney". Don't ignore that she is compassionate and brave and way better than a lot of heroines these days (Tris Prior, Bella Swan, etc.)
I despise Katniss too. I think the author most likely wasn't exactly thinking about how a typical teenage girl would be like when she was writing down the whole thing. Of course, I'll definitely vouch for Prim even. Why isn't Prim all rabid like her older sister is? She's been through all the same horrors, for crying out loud!
Normally, the protagonist of a dystopian novel is brave, smart and wise; no matter how young they are. Katniss is brave, but really, really selfish. I have never really seen such a selfish lead role. And she has this horrendous case of superiority complex which just disgusts me. She seems to think she's better than everyone else, when actually, she's not. She's totally not.
Okay, she has trust issues, fine. Anyone who's basically lost both their parents, like almost all hope, would turn out like that. But, when she uses other people's trust and acts for herself, it's appalling. She basically used Peeta. And let's not even get into how she has no unplatonic feelings whatsoever until people forcefully maje out with her or something.
Miaperxy wrote: "I despise Katniss too. I think the author most likely wasn't exactly thinking about how a typical teenage girl would be like when she was writing down the whole thing. Of course, I'll definitely v..."
Prim and Kanitss were both mixed up - it's just Katniss DID go through more (TWO Hunger Games, the pressures of the Capital, and she was the head of her family since she was eleven, and had to be strong and stable for her sister all the time.)
I don't see why you think Katniss thinks she's better than everyone else - the only time I could see what you mean is when it comes to the people of the Capital (her prep team, for instance) and even then I disagree because she had every right not to think highly of those from the Capital; however, she STILL cared for some people there, such as Effie. And in fact, she's helped them (like when she saved her prep team in Mockingjay.)
And by "using" Peeta, she SAVED him (along with herself.) I would be able to see why you would be upset with her for doing that if she just killed him after, but she didn't. She actually went out of her way to save him multiple times.
And her feelings - like, THOSE kind of feelings - were very complicated. She even said herself that she couldn't really think of that kind of stuff because of what was going on (and rightfully so.) And also, don't all characters feel something when they kiss someone? I don't see your point..?
Oh, and another thing: selfish? I know she could be selfish sometimes, but she acted SO selflessly so many times.
I despise Katniss. She's awful... I can't even express how much I don't like her. They're great books, but I can't stand her
Leahxx wrote: "I despise Katniss. She's awful... I can't even express how much I don't like her. They're great books, but I can't stand her"She isn't awful. She's great.
HOW CAN U DISLIKE KATNISS?!?!?!?!?!?! SHE IS AMAZING AND BRAVE AND STRONG! KATNISS IS A WAY BETTER PERSON THAN ALL OF YOU! HOW DARE YOU! YOU ALL WOULD DIE IN THE HUNGER GAMES IN THE FIRST SECOND!
Tris wrote: "HOW CAN U DISLIKE KATNISS?!?!?!?!?!?! SHE IS AMAZING AND BRAVE AND STRONG! KATNISS IS A WAY BETTER PERSON THAN ALL OF YOU! HOW DARE YOU! YOU ALL WOULD DIE IN THE HUNGER GAMES IN THE FIRST SECOND!"
Everyone is entitled to their own opinons and sees people/characters in different ways. You don't have to scream at them, just let your opinion be known
Everyone is entitled to their own opinons and sees people/characters in different ways. You don't have to scream at them, just let your opinion be known
I kind of agree with something on both sides of this argument. Personally I did not like Katniss, to me she seemed kind of confuesed, selfish and mentally unstable. And then she just kept treating Gale and Peeta badly. But I also have to agree that a lot of what she went through was to blame for those things and occasionlly she showed that she was an alright person.
I think the only way I would have really liked her character is if we actually had a chance to see her grow as a person and maybe even become something of a good role model for teen readers. I didn't think she was a good example especially when it came to how she dealt with Gale and Peeta
I think the only way I would have really liked her character is if we actually had a chance to see her grow as a person and maybe even become something of a good role model for teen readers. I didn't think she was a good example especially when it came to how she dealt with Gale and Peeta
I believe that Kaitness wasn't a deep charctor because of all the problems she had to face when she was a kid. I mean if you had to go through all of that and be able to trust people, I don't think so. Katiness is a amazing charactor and why say she isn't a good charactor because she was a amazing main charactor, I mean would you have liked it any better if Peeta told the story or Gale. I would have been the same thing except from a different point of veiw.
Ok if Kaitness has an obssession with Prim it is because Prim is her sister I mean if it were your sister you would probably do the same. Kaitness loves her sister so why shouldn't she do the things she dose for her. If it wasn't for her love of Prim their would be no story
Paul wrote: "Kaleigh wrote: "Ok if Kaitness has an obssession with Prim it is because Prim is her sister I mean if it were your sister you would probably do the same. Kaitness loves her sister so why shouldn't ..."First of all, Katniss specifically told Prim NOT to sign up for tesserae because Prim would totally die in the Hunger Games. Also, that's not exactly enough to feed her well. Also, Coin did a lot of bad things other than being responsible for Prim's death. If you reread Mockingjay it will be quite obvious.
All this aside, part of Katniss's character is her love for her family. It's not obsession. It's love.
I have to disagree. I've read so many young adult books and Katniss will always be my number 1 female character. She has never annoyed or disappointed me. She was real. She wasn't perfect that's why I ADORED her. She is flawed, and she made mistakes. But when you take a look at her past, you really understand why she is very hard, cold and distrustful.
Nourfandomy wrote: "I have to disagree. I've read so many young adult books and Katniss will always be my number 1 female character. She has never annoyed or disappointed me. She was real. She wasn't perfect that's w..."I completely agree. Words of wisdom right there. c:
Kristina wrote: "Nourfandomy wrote: "I have to disagree. I've read so many young adult books and Katniss will always be my number 1 female character. She has never annoyed or disappointed me. She was real. She was..."I'm happy you agree !
I don't hate Katniss, I think she was a realistic, strong main character. My problem with her though is I don't think her character progressed much during the series and because of that I quickly grew bored of her. Like, in the first book you've just met her and she was awesome, not perfect, easy to relate with (well as easy to relate as you can in a dystopian novel) and a good role model. Then in the second and third book I feel like it's the same character in a different plot.Anyone else share this opinion or is it just me?
I seem to be the only one who hates her for one reason only. She cheated all the way through the hungry games. Everyone did her killing for her but then she's hailed as a hero. Wtf? One on One she would have her ass kicked just another fake
Her choices at the end of Mockingjay horrified me. I wish, after being sickened that adults enjoy these books, and that they were written for children, that I had stuck to my guns and not read the books, or watched the films. I had the TV on one day and "Catching Fire" was on. I paid attention because I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and it was wonderful to see him again. Then, when it became clear (or so it seemed, I don't think Plutarch was doing a good thing, after reading the final book, he is just another fan of sitting back and putting horror on television) So I thought, "Oh yay, they're going to change the world! Get rid of the "games" and end this disgusting way of life, establish democracy...".But then Prim is killed, we don't even get to know for sure by whom (I felt screwed as a reader by these books like none before, and I have been reading and loving books since before I started Kindergarten).
Our heroine being flawed would be fine with me, I like real people who mess up and do better, then mess up - probably because I like someone I can really relate to.
No part of me liked Katniss from the moment she voted "yes" for more Hunger Games. My first thought was of Rue- how shocked and sad she, and Prim.... And Cinna and so many others,would feel. HOW could Katniss wish this horrible thing on more children?? And worse, how could the author take this young woman and make her not one bit better than those who cheered during her games? That was not consistent behavior. Then, she kills Coin. Doesn't kill Snow. Huh?
There was nothing left to cheer for. No one left to cheer for. Our hero has become indistinguishable from anyone else. She is a murderer.
I know there was some discussion in the study guides that hinted about PTSD, but that wasn't in the actual text. We know she somehow has children and lives in 12, but what about anyone else in the books?
I guess I don't "hate" her- the Capitol and District 13 broke her. So all I can say is, "Well, let's not give children so many horrible burdens to bear, as they will lose their moral compasses (sp?) and just kill randomly.... but this was worse! Katniss heroically went into the Games to spare her sweet little sister. And then it was all for nothing, because oops, someone put a 13-year old "medic"on the front line in war, and she died.
I think I hate the author, actually. And I have a feeling my words will be attacked, which is sad, we should be able to have discussion. But these books were the most sad, hopeless things I have probably ever read. And this world does not need more bad news. I would have loved a Katniss who made better choices in the end. But she didn't, and it all made me more sad. (I hope I can edit this, my battery is about to die and I wrote too much!)
Casey wrote: "I don't hate Katniss, I think she was a realistic, strong main character. My problem with her though is I don't think her character progressed much during the series and because of that I quickly g..."When exactly did she cheat in the, er "Hungry Games"? Did you read these books? One can't really cheat, they are allowed allies and help from people outside the game, like Haymitch. So I don't understand why those things would elicit "hate". Can you explain a bit more?
Amy wrote: "Casey wrote: "I don't hate Katniss, I think she was a realistic, strong main character. My problem with her though is I don't think her character progressed much during the series and because of th..."Grr, no, that was NOT who I was responding to. I was questioning Phillip, who wrote that he hated Katniss because "she cheated"
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All angry rants aside, what do you think?