Mockingjay
discussion
Who else has a problem with the kids part of epilogue
I just hated the whole epilogue
Mikela wrote: "I just hated the whole epilogue"Me too, but this was the most problematic part, in my opinion.
I totally disliked it. It was like you said, plus, she couldn't even be bothered to tell us the kids' names. It's like Katniss was disconnected from everything about her relationship with Peeta. She's not my favorite heroine. Probably one of my least favorite because she had so much potential, but she was completely unlikeable and never got more likeable. Meh.
Jeni wrote: "I totally disliked it. It was like you said, plus, she couldn't even be bothered to tell us the kids' names. It's like Katniss was disconnected from everything about her relationship with Peeta."This x 100. Her level of disconnect was such a bummer in the end, just left everything feeling flat. I mean, I kinda get that there should be a bittersweet ending, I don't like naive Happily-Ever-Afters where the heroes who much have hardcore PTSD just bounce back no problem. But living in isolation with just Peeta, estranged from her mother and friends, with kids she never wanted...just takes it too far.
I sobbed when the cat showed up, because it was just a tiny ray of gladness.
I especially have a hard time with her referring to her kids as "the boy" and "the girl," as if their presence was annoying. I have three kids and the love and protectiveness you feel for them as you carry them is indescribable. Even when they are unexpected--which two of mine were!--you can't help but feel something for them as they move inside you. Granted, not everyone is thrilled to have a child, but it made me dislike her more than ever because I WAS glad to have my children. I can't fathom not being invested in your offspring. If feeling that dislike for Katniss was SC's intent, she succeeded well.
the whole ending was terrible especially the epilogue it didn't add much to it there wasn't that much point in having it
I felt she just slapped together some depressing epilogue in conclusion to the depressing story as a whole.. sounded kinda like something I'd do when I was bored of writing and wanted to finish it up fast. Ugh.
Samantha The Escapist wrote:"This x 100. Her level of disconnect was such a bummer in the end, just left everything feeling... "I totally agree.
Also, I'm not sure if it was your intention, but I laughed, (probably harder then I should have), with that cat comment.
I do not feel it is as grim an ending as you guys seem to be making it. She all but states that she decided to have kids because she loved Peeta so much. After all they went through, that is definately something.As for the kids names. We NEVER found out what Polgara's twins were. That was after 12 books. We don't even know what they were. We never found out what Elayne and Rand's kids were either (14 books) It isn't all that uncommon for that to happen in modern lit.
Really? I loved the ending and I thought it was hopeful and realistic. Hey half of you were probably never wanted and I assume your parents loved you or you think they did anyway. You know maybe Katnis realized that not every single person on earth is as interested in your kids as you are. Okay so YOU feel this way or that about your kids guess what not everyone is like you and there is room for all kinds. I appreciate the fact that she was not some fake (okay except for the total fact that this is dystopian fiction) character who is magically healed by love in an unrealistic time frame. Love does not heal all that is a fairy tale. It does help though. We think it and our parents thought it too, at a certain age, we all look at the world and think oh thank god, I am not having kids now.
Joni wrote: "Really? I loved the ending and I thought it was hopeful and ralistic. Hey half of you were probably never wanted and I assume your parents loved you or you think they did anyway. You know maybe K..."COMPLETELY AGREE! :)
I didn't like the book and the epilogue made it worse. I would've been happy if she would've ended up being single. I don't like Katniss in fact she makes it to the top of my "most annoying heroines" list, she deserved neither Peeta nor Gale nor the children.
Joni wrote: "Really? I loved the ending and I thought it was hopeful and realistic. Hey half of you were probably never wanted and I assume your parents loved you or you think they did anyway. You know maybe ..."Wow someone is bitter
Theresa wrote: "Joni wrote: "Really? I loved the ending and I thought it was hopeful and realistic. Hey half of you were probably never wanted and I assume your parents loved you or you think they did anyway. Yo..."Haha I was afraid it would come across that way. That is due to this not really being a dialogue. That is also the problem with communication today, too much misinterpretation due to email, voicemail, texts etc. I guess it is what you think it is...nothing I can do about that, but I don't feel bitter.
Theresa wrote: "I felt she just slapped together some depressing epilogue in conclusion to the depressing story as a whole.. sounded kinda like something I'd do when I was bored of writing and wanted to finish it ..."The entire book felt like that. It was terrible.
Although I do commend the trilogy in general. Had me up all night reading them that's for sure!
Yes it was plain awful and depressing.
The epilogue seemed very bleak to me. Katniss was so disconnected that I couldn't even enjoy how Panem had changed. I was surprised that she had kids, and thought about them like that. I mean the reason she didn't want kids was because she didn't want to bring them into that world. But if the world changed shouldn't she at least be a little happier. Ok she wasn't insane anymore, but it was as if she just didn't care. Which was annoying seeing as it was her family that were being described.
yeah i had the same feeling. After all that, Her and Peeta should be overjoyed to have found one another, after being through so much together, Gale would have never understood. Anyhow, brighten up. Life aint as bleak as she puts it ;-)
I thought I was the only one who hated the epilogue. I honestly didn't feel any emotion towards it and it was just dull and horrible. I don't seem to understand why, after all that happened between them, they just suddenly "Grew back together", it just doesn't make sense, it frustrates me so much. The end seemed hasty and also as if Collins didn't know what to write so she just put this. Horrible ending to a horrible book.
Jeni wrote: "I totally disliked it. It was like you said, plus, she couldn't even be bothered to tell us the kids' names. It's like Katniss was disconnected from everything about her relationship with Peeta. ..."I agree that she is unlikeable, I don't understand how so many people like her so much and look up to her. I mean I liked the first two books, but I was so big on Katniss.
Layal wrote: I agree that she is unlikeable, I don't understand how so many people like her so much and look up to her."I understand why people liked in the first or even the second book, but in third she's just lost herself.
I agree, after all the war, the deaths, the plotting, the hijakcing, the falling in and out of love (because of hijacking), I thought we could excpet more of Katniss future life, and of what happened to Panem. For the only part of the epilogue that I loved was teh last line, i thought that was the best ending that book could have. "But there are much worse games to play"
Kristina wrote: ""It took five, ten, fifteen years for me to agree. But Peeta wanted them so badly."I felt like Suzanne Collins slapped me with this sentence. I've discussed on other topics how ruined Katniss' ch..."
Oh sweetie, just wait till you fall in love! lol
Tina J wrote: Oh sweetie, just wait till you fall in love! lolSomehow I doubt it's about acting like a zombie.
I like the end of the book actually, also especially the last line.
Neal wrote: "I do not feel it is as grim an ending as you guys seem to be making it. She all but states that she decided to have kids because she loved Peeta so much. After all they went through, that is defi..."I agree. I liked the ending, I felt it fell in line with her character.
On a separate note, I hope that wasnt the Wheel of Time series you just spoiled for me, I'm still on the first book! LOL!!!
I think Collins could've done away with the entire epilogue. I think leaving the "real or not real" statement at the end would have wrapped things up and showed us at least a little ray of hope for Katniss's previously likeable self. She talks about how Peeta is the one she needed because he was like a fresh, new beginning, and a light of hope so to speak.The epilogue, to be honest, is what I would have expected if Coin became president and there were still some kind of bleak outlook on life, or still been Hunger Games, even. Then it would've made sense for Katniss to have such a dull view of her own children [which she never wanted because of having to put them through the Hunger Games. It was so underwhelming how she went from really loving Peeta in the end, to being numb about her family (that she was finally allowed to have free of worry) in the epilogue. She even mentions that the children were difficult to carry, but nothing about any sort of love or bond toward them. Frustrating.
Salome, not much of a WoT Spoiler there. It becomes pretty obvious even in the first book.
The epilogue, the ending... the book was finished like author was really lazy to write couple pages more. it was like she just wanted to finished it.i mean some of her really simple thoughts lasted for several pages but choosing peeta, marring and having children, whose names had never been told, lasted for 2 pages. however the sentence was really good " after 20 years it gets really boring, but there are worse games existing " ( smth like this). i wont say that i dont like happy endings, but it ended like a love story and it comletely ruined the idea that the book is actually about hunger games and how those games made a girl really strong after they destroyed everything she had. well close enough i think.
Kileen wrote: "I think Collins could've done away with the entire epilogue."I'll see that and say she could have dispensed with the entirety of Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
Rushed, slapdash and uninspiring in all the ways The Hunger Games was the opposite.
Ok i read this series a while ago like this time last year. i remember being mad she chose peeta and that her kids didnt have names. at least all looses ends were tied. try reading the delirium series or the wolves of mercy falls and then whine about a shity ending
I just couldn't stop asking " and Gale?". I think that say all about the epilogue.
I wish it wasn't written. I loved the other books, but some epilogue a shouldn't exist.
London 617 wrote "The epilogue didn't seem to properly conclude all that had happened..."I agree completely. My Contemporary and Classical Lit class had a huge discussion on this. It appears that Collins ran out of time, pages, ideas, etc. She built the plot up so high and then drop-kicked it off a cliff.
It was still a phenomenal trilogy as a whole. However, if you are going to be bold enough to write a story about such a strong subject you need to be able to support it all the way through the plot.
Ryann wrote: "I would have ended it at Catching Fire.MockingJay ruined it for me. The entire series. I was 13 when I read it, and it was one of the worst books I have ever read. Yes, I was Team Gale, but that ..."
You said it all.
After THG or CF, this was such a letdown. I hate when what started as a great series gets the crappy ending.
Ersla wrote: "I just couldn't stop asking " and Gale?". I think that say all about the epilogue."This. Gale, one of the three mains, gets a one sentence resolve. And I'm being pretty bold here calling it an actual resolve.
ME, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WHOLE FRICKIN EPILOGUE!I MEAN KATNISS WAS THIS STRONG DETERMINED FEMALE AND NOW SHE IS WHAT?, A HOUSEWIFE, A MOTHER AND A WISH FULFILLING ONE AT THAT? SHE USED TO BE ONE WHO MAKES HER OWN DECISIONS, SEEING HER TURN SO SERVILE FOR A WHILE I JUST ...... OH FOR GOD'S SAKE THAT LINE DESTROYED THE WONDERFUL READING EXPERIENCE OF THE TRILOGY!
I actually was sooooo confused
I think the book would have ended better without the epilogue.
I have to say that although I had hoped for a better ending the epilogue was somewhat understandable. The ending consisted of pretty much everyone leaving her and her not really knowing what to do next. Peta is really the only one that stayed by her side and after everything they both needed time to heal from what they went though. People learn how to love each other and one self. I think the author left us with us seeing that Katniss is still learning how to love her self and the people around her without the fear that death is to close by. And probably on another note, I think that the Jennifer will probably show more emotion at the end of the movie to better help this sad ending.
It was totally unnecessary and even though I wanted to know what happened I didn't like it at all, so I think it would have been better if it was left for us to imagine.
While I was not thrilled at how Collins ended Mockingjay, I totally think it was the right call. It wasn't slapdash. It wasn't rushed. It made perfect sense. First of all, her disconnect with her children is a result of being severely depressed/traumatized etc. She didn't want to have children to begin with because of the consequences that could and did happen in her younger years. Also the walls she put up to guard herself from the pains she felt from losing Prim who, in a lot of ways, was her child because she had taken over as primary caregiver her when her mother checked out after the death of her father. As far as being a "housewife" and a "wish-fulfill-er" Katniss had children because she knew how much it meant to Peeta. Not because she was giving in, not because she was taking on that "wife and mother" role, but because the person she loved, who loved her, and who helped her through really, really dark and traumatic times (and I'm not just talking about the Hunger Games or the world she lived in) but the death of her sister, wanted children. It would give him joy and happiness. Who wouldn't want to bring that kind of joy and happiness to someone they love?
She severed the connections with everyone else because she couldn't handle the loss. it's a coping mechanism. That's a perfectly realistic portrayal of someone in a grief-ridden state. Most of us don't have the luxury of cutting ties with the rest of humanity for financial, economic, etc reasons.
As for the names things, that's a bogus complaint. What do the names matter? They are incidental characters that we are not going to read about. I've read entire books where you don't know the name of main characters.
Anyway I think Mockingjay ended well, rightly, and that Collins did an excellent job.
Earlier in the series Katniss said she never wanted children, because like you said, she would not want to see them Reaped for the Games. Peeta probably convinced her how wonderful it would be to have children over time, is what Collins is probably saying. She did not just agree all of a sudden just because he wanted them. I do think the Epilogue could have been worded better. The whole purpose of an Epilogue usually is to fill in those questions of "What happened next?" However, it is extremely hard to justify an Epiologue equivalent of an entire series of books. But honestly, the only question anyone wondered at the end of the series is if Katniss and Peeta ever made a family. After the Games were eliminated and Snow was dead, there was no other option for a topic of an Epilogue. In conclusion, I think all Collins was trying to point out by that statement was Katniss was not going to agree easily and wholeheartedly against her previous beliefs by having children. All Collins was trying to say that these things take time.
Theresa wrote: "I felt she just slapped together some depressing epilogue in conclusion to the depressing story as a whole.. sounded kinda like something I'd do when I was bored of writing and wanted to finish it ..."I totally agree.
I was just bugged by like 70% of this book in general. It just fell flat for me after the rest of the series.
Heather wrote: "While I was not thrilled at how Collins ended Mockingjay, I totally think it was the right call. It wasn't slapdash. It wasn't rushed. It made perfect sense. First of all, her disconnect with her c..."I couldn't have said it better! Thank you for these words. Katniss is, in that epilogue, a real person that suffered a terrible loss.
I didn't like the last book at all. It was like what the hell. Katniss really didn't do anything. I just don't think the last book turned out well.
Korey wrote: "I didn't like the last book at all. It was like what the hell. Katniss really didn't do anything. I just don't think the last book turned out well."That was kind of how I felt. It just really bugged me.
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I felt like Suzanne Collins slapped me with this sentence. I've discussed on other topics how ruined Katniss' character was in the last book, but this was the worst. Peeta wanted them? And that's all? You zombie-agreed just because Peeta wanted it?
I expected that after everything Katniss went through, she will be changed, but there are some limits that should not be crossed if you want your main character to still be likeable.