Mockingjay
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Did anyone else find Katniss annoying?
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Lara
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rated it 4 stars
May 16, 2014 09:16AM
I found her flaws quite refreshing, as they reminded us that she was human. Should she have been perfect and flat, then the book would have been a less enjoyable read, regardless of whether I was frustrated with her at many points in the story.
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I hate Katniss. She is selfish, too suicidal, and overly emotional. At first glance, you'd think she's so selfless as she's very much willing to die for the war, but I personally think otherwise. She doesn't think of the people she'd left behind (a.k.a. her mother, Prim, Gale, Peeta) every time she would immediately result to a suicidal / "martyred" act without even thinking first of an alternative solution. I think Katniss always tries very hard not to lose her loved ones yet she always volunteers to die, because she doesn't want to be the one getting left behind. Also, I really agree with Gale when he said to Peeta that "Katniss will choose the one she can't survive without." Yep, she's that selfish. She'd go around kissing both of them and not choosing between them. She wants both of their attention, but she does not think of how one of them could be hurting. She said in Mockingjay that she doesn't need to choose at the moment because she could survive just fine without Gale or Peeta. But whenever one of them's in danger, she loses herself! I think she's always just making excuses so she would still have all the attention without having to pick.
I also think she over reacts too much all the time, as she often blames herself for the things that are happening. She's so conceited! She feels that people are getting into dangerous situations and dying all just because of her. While reading, I was like "Girl, the world doesn't revolve around you. They are not stupid. They also have brains, you know. They're not dying for you. They are dying for justice that just so happened greatly depends on you, so quit feeling so much of a VIP."
Rio wrote: I really agree with Gale when he said to Peeta that "Katniss will choose the one she can't survive without." Yep, she's that selfish. She'd go around kissing both of them and not choosing between them. She wants both of their attention, but she does not think of how one of them could be hurting. I completely agree with you and Gale. Like Gale said, "She'll choose the one she can't live without." For a while she didn't choose because she needed them both. She needed Gale to take care of her family and to help her in District 13. She needed Peeta to help her in both of the games. I think she would have led them both on forever, if she could have. Katnis only made her final decision when she had to.
She's an irony, really. She's a selfish martyr (someone who's very much willing to die for the war, but doesn't think of the family she'd left behind or even choose between the two guys who love her) and a courageous coward (for wanting to run away with Gale instead of fighting the Capitol in Catching Fire, for not wanting to be the Mockingjay even if it is the most logical thing to do, etc.)
I don't find Katniss annoying. She cares about the protection of humanity and she cares for her family, even more so than she cares about herself. If I do have one complaint about her, it's that she didn't let Peeta in romantically until later on.
Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me.I hated this book SOOOO much. Not only was the plot all over the place, but Katniss acted unbelievably annoying the whole time—I tolerated her in the first two books, but this one: no. Just no. She got even worse toward the end.
Sorry. It's just the way I feel about it.
she is a tiny bit Annoying
Nope. I couldn't have finished the books if I felt that way. I loved her. The sacrifices she makes for her family are inspiring. She is a strong character
deleted user wrote: "I liked her, I think she was just acting like a girl who had been put through a lot of stress and was worn out and didn't know what to do..."Agreed. It was good that Suzanne was realistic with Katniss in how a normal teenager would act in this environment. A normal teenager would mentally shut down.
I found I disliked how she acted but only in the final book. Though I pretty much hated everything about Mockingjay.
Roni wrote: "I found I disliked how she acted but only in the final book. Though I pretty much hated everything about Mockingjay."Totally. Mockingjay really stunk. I hated it.
It is really interesting to read a book like this and feel that your "hero" needs to be and act a certain way. I didn't like Katniss in this book either mainly for the way she keeps flip flopping in her relationship with Gale and Peeta. To the people of Panem, who only know her as a symbol, she is the rebellion, she is freedom. To us...she's imperfect and we see all her flaws. It's like how we view our own politicians or leaders...we expect them to be very good and moral people but they are only human too and ultimately...we relish when they show us their flaws too.
I really hated what Katniss had become in Mockingjay. One of my favorite things about The Hunger Games was how strong of a lead Katniss was; she was always so capable, and always knew how to take charge. But then, in Mockingjay, she just...wasn't. I understand that it was a realistic portrayal of PTSD, I understand that after what she had gone through, she was starting to break but... Sometimes, I don't want a completely realistic portrayal. Her weak and aloof character in the final book really ruined the entire series for me, which is a shame, because I loved the first two so much.
Cathy wrote: "I really hated what Katniss had become in Mockingjay. One of my favorite things about The Hunger Games was how strong of a lead Katniss was; she was always so capable, and always knew how to take c..."Part of the reason I enjoyed the 1st book so much was the strong female lead. She was tough! It's sad she didn't stay that way. :(
I think she is real. I mean, we all mess up, and have different personalities. But overall, she shines through beautifully to me.
Katniss was a contrived and obnoxious character who did not align with the virtues of a person who could have survived those circumstances. Suzanne Collins forced a Tiger Beat teenager into an Anne Frank situation. Would Hannah Montana survive the Tet Offensive?
Slow down! I'm sorry she's not perfect, but what did you want? A martyr? She sacrifices herself for her sister, genuinely cares for those around her, and even feels bad when she hurts bad people! Yeah she is confused a lot, but it's understandable. And I would hardly call her Hannah Montana.
Kat wrote: "And I would hardly call her Hannah Montana. "Well if she were Miley Cyrus, she could have crazied her way through the games, then joined the capital and twerked her way into hosting the next games!
My point is not that she does bad things, but that she lacks the qualities necessary to have accomplished such great things. I don't believe that somebody who could survive all of that would grovel as much, or agonize over which boy she likes more, and so on. In essence, that's why she annoyed me.
Kat wrote: "Slow down! I'm sorry she's not perfect, but what did you want? A martyr? She sacrifices herself for her sister, genuinely cares for those around her, and even feels bad when she hurts bad people! Y..."Listen to her!
Yeah really. She made it through a lot. Give Katniss a break.
Ian wrote: "Kat wrote: "And I would hardly call her Hannah Montana. "Well if she were Miley Cyrus, she could have crazied her way through the games, then joined the capital and twerked her way into hosting t..."
Really? The reason she did survive is because she was so imperfect. Could a perfect person kill? Let other people put themselves in dangers way for their own neck? I don't think so. I think she survived because she isn't so perfect. She doesn't always follow the rules or treat people right. But could a seriously mean annoying person...
Volunteer herself to save her little sister
Risk her life for her friends (Peeta to get his medicine)
Not even consider killing Peeta when it's the end of the games (Because personally, he would be gone if it was me)
and become a symbol of the rebellion, putting herself in immense danger even though it wasn't necessary. She chose to stray away from the speech in the district to honor Rue. She chose to film videos, and she obeyed when Cinna told her to spin when the wedding dress caught fire.
"Fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us."
Remember that?
And about Peeta and Gale, she was confused. Her boyfriend or best friend, she just didn't know. Like said before, she said she would marry the one she needed both. She did need them both. Once she figured out it was Peeta she loved she didn't give Gale false hope.
So come on, stop putting down Katniss. She is 3 times less annoying than most real people I know...
I loved her. She was a deep thoughtful emotional person. All she wanted was to be free. All her decisions were made for the same reason. She was forced to walk this life. It wasn't a choice. She was always on the edge, but never free. Forced to hang on when she just wants to give up but Prim, and others force her to go on. Do you not remember the hanging tree song. She wants to love, to feel, to be and always something slaps her down. She didn't want to fight. She never wanted the war. She wanted her loved ones to be safe and protected. In the end it was all gone. It was all useless and all she wanted to do is give up and die. I can not only like that I could love it.
Kat wrote: "Ian wrote: "Kat wrote: "And I would hardly call her Hannah Montana. "Well if she were Miley Cyrus, she could have crazied her way through the games, then joined the capital and twerked her way in..."
She didn't give Gale false hope because her choice was easy. Peeta was the only one that looked for her in the end, Gale went and got a government job. In one of the chapters she did say she would be with the one she needed. But Gale never looked for her because he thought that she would never look at him the same way again after Prim's death. It wasn't entirely his fault and I'm sure if he did look for her and talk to her about it she would be confused all over.
***** already sorry for my English ******I am also one of the people who was annoyed by Katniss. In the first book, SC created this image of her as a very strong woman, by volunteering to replace her sister, by showing good performance in the games; we can connect with her. With the second book, it is also the same, more or less. But I should admit that I felt more and more distant the more I read Mockingjay. Maybe because of the trauma she had and because that we expected more from the main character. We wanted her to be what we can not become. Personally this is why I read books. The more trauma she had, the more messy she got.
In addition to the why she did not become the mockingjay sooner, I will focus more in the romance part. I really admired the character Peeta and this is why my below items will be mostly about him.
1. I did not understand why she did not even try to save Peeta from the day one. Instead of crying, hiding in a closet; I would expect her to at least check the possibilities of saving him.
2. Immediately after she believed that Peeta is gone - he was yelling that Katniss was a mutt-, she found herself in Gale's arms.. She did not even try to save him back. I am really spending an effort here to understand why she acted like this and try to convince myself that there could be some valid reasons but the only thing I can come up with is that she just could not bear it anymore, did the easiest and ran away. Tried to forget by kissing Gale and even made the plans to commit suicide after killing Snow. This is a sign of her caring too much about Peeta, that she thought she could not live without him. Even having Prim, Gale and her mother alive was not enough for her which is fine but then I don't understand why she commits suicide again after killing Coin. Prim is gone, yes, but Peeta is there, Gale is there.. I just can not make the logic here please help me..
3. At the end of the book again, she would not care less about Peeta. After he plants the roses, I would at least expect her to give him a hug but no, we had to wait for the cat to show up.. It was a good part though..
I liked the series but sometimes I wanted to slit the troat of Katniss because she acts like a little baby all the time
I cannot believe any of this. I respect your opinions, but... Katniss?! A whiny girl? No. No. No. Katniss Everdeen is not a heroine. She is someone whose destiny was forced upon her. She had no choice to be selfless. Throughout her life, she couldn't make her decisions. Why? Because if she chose wrongly, everyone close to her would be dead. Drug addled? No development in thought? On the contrary. Life cut up Katniss- her family was in tatters. Her home. Forced into the Games to see things no human should've seen.
Katniss wasn't meant to be likeable. You love her, unconditionally. She's relatable, real and genuinely broken.
She wasn't likeable, she admitted it herself. But she inspired love and connection- she inspired people despite her flaws. She had resilience that no heroine I've read of ever could dream of possessing. Not Tris Prior, not Celaena Sardothien... no one. You know why? Because Katniss Everdeen is real, broken, yet she still has the courage to love and to hold. That is why she is the greatest heroine of the 21st Century, of any dystopian novel hands down.
I think the problem is you don't understand Katniss. Her whole nature was against killing and therefore any time she killed or got someone killed it tore her up inside. So many people don't even get the hints that her father did not die in a mining accident. It was more like sabotage because her father openly apposed the government. You see it in the songs he sung to his daughter and the hunts. Peeda reminded her of the debt she thought she owed and the games she wished she could forget. Gail was quiet walks in the woods and freedom to speak your mind. Why wouldn't she want Gail but that didn't mean she wanted to hurt Peeda. He was a nice guy she cared about and grew closer to as the story grew. Funny how it turned out she loved him because she had to.
She took care of Prim and her mom because she had to. She volunteered because she had to. When she was strong she had to be. She didn't want any of this . She just wanted people to leave her and her family alone. Because they wouldn't she had to. They even took her own childhood. She made choices no adult should have to make and she was a kid herself. So pardon her if she isn't the noble hero you wanted. She didn't want to be a hero at all. She wasn't even lovable until 'wait for it' she had to.
A note to the grammar and spelling police, I know the rules say not to end with a preposition but I wanted to anyway, so I did. 'chuckles' Sometimes people violate the small rules because they don't like the system. As for spelling it would be nice if there was a system to it. If you find a system to it let me know otherwise get a life.
Matthew wrote: "I liked the series but sometimes I wanted to slit the troat of Katniss because she acts like a little baby all the time"To be fair, she didn't act like a baby in the first book, but in the second book, she got no development in personality and thoughts, and in the third book, she isn't so much better than a baby.
Mizuki wrote: "Matthew wrote: "I liked the series but sometimes I wanted to slit the troat of Katniss because she acts like a little baby all the time"To be fair, she didn't act like a baby in the first book, b..."
her whole world was destroyed. Gail only got a handful out to safety. Safety being another capital that was a prison state. All the people she went to school with every day, dead. She wasn't a baby she was a human that loved and lost those she loved in the worst way. Remember they said the mines where still burning at the end of the book.
Tim wrote: "her whole world was destroyed. Gail only got a handful out to safety. Safety being another capital that was a prison state. All the people she went to school with every day, dead. She wasn't a baby she was a human that loved and lost those she loved in the worst way. Remember they said the mines where still burning at the end of the book."Gale witnessed the whole District burnt down but he still gathered himself up and made himself useful for fight back, unlike Katniss.
And how about *before* District 12 is destroyed? In book 2, what had Katniss ever been womaned-up and stood up for herself and others even just for a moment? Peeta tried to reach out and help Rue's family, what had Katniss ever done?
To be frank, I'm sick of this 'Katniss' world got destoryed', 'Katniss had through a lot'. Come on, she isn't the only one who suffered, for heaven's sake.
Gale could have led those people anywhere. He chose District 13. Gale had little family and tried to stay unattached to just about everyone. By the time Rues family was offered part of their winnings Snow had already payed her a visit and threatened her family. A threat she knew full well he could and would carry out. Unlike Gale Katniss blamed herself for the district being distroyed. She blamed herself for the old man in 11 executed. She didn't want to be the mockingjay because she saw so much more she would blame herself for she just wanted to be left alone. There is a lot of difference in your world being destroyed and thinking you could have prevented it somehow. Introspective makes a world of difference.
Tim wrote: "Gale could have led those people anywhere. He chose District 13. Gale had little family and tried to stay unattached to just about everyone. you lose me here, don't know what you're talking about. So Gale leading the survivors to 13 is a fault as well, according to you.
Unlike Gale Katniss blamed herself for the district being distroyed. She blamed herself for the old man in 11 executed
You have a fine point here, all Katniss did is blaming and blaming and blaming herself and thinking there would be no war if everyone just lay back down and let Capitol/Snow continue to step on them. She didn't blame the soldier who shot the old man, she didn't blame the commander who ordered the shooting, she hardly blame Snow for years of suffering the people have been subjected to. No, she blamed herself (oh, woe is me!), and latter she blamed Gale and Distinct 13 for their 'wrong-doings' (regardless those are real wrongdoings or not.)All of those look awful to me.
As to Katniss's blaming herself, you might see 'oh she feels guilty for the suffering of others!', but what I see is self-center-ness (and to be fair, it isn't uncommon for teenagers to feel the world revolves around them and all the good things/bad things happen *all because of them*). Rio from message 206 above expresses it better than I can, and here I quote:
I was like "Girl, the world doesn't revolve around you. They are not stupid. They also have brains, you know. They're not dying for you. They are dying for justice that just so happened greatly depends on you, so quit feeling so much of a VIP."
Not to mention in book 3, Katniss throws herself pity parties when people from across the country are fighting and dying outside. And according to you Katniss only wants to be left alone when people are fight and dying outside, I don't know about you but it sounds awful enough to me.
Again they all had a choice she never did, did she? She was kidnaped first by one side then the other. Always her loved ones hanging in between. I've been to war. It was almost 30 yr ago and every so often I still wake up in cold sweats from it. You might want to look up PTSD. Grown men (Millitary men) act the same way she did. Not for days but for years after they serve. Meny never are able to rejoin civil life again.To quote AnnaSophia Robb in the movie Have Dreams Will Travel "I'm sick when you kill someone it messes you up inside."
Tim wrote: " I've been to war. It was almost 30 yr ago and every so often I still wake up in cold sweats from it. You might want to look up PTSD. Grown men (Millitary men) act the same way she did. Not for days but for years after they serve. Meny never are able to rejoin civil life again."I have no experience like this, but I still want to point out Katniss is not to only one who suffered, Finnick, Hayitch (sorry for misspelling their names but it has been too long I picked up those books), Gale, Joanna and even Peeta had been put through Hell. They didn't ask for this, they have their loved ones killed or threatened, but they (expects Peeta) are still manage to do more than Katniss. So you can stop making it sounds like Katniss is the only one.
The only excuse I can have for Katniss is she is young and she doesn't have enough time to recover from PTSD or whatever she's having, the bottom line is: she isn't the only one who suffers, unlike what Katniss's POV and her creator S. Collins would have us believed. To be frank I think if you bought too much into Katniss' narration it's easy for you to believe she is the only one who has suffered and she's the victim (and we are supposed to pity her with no question asked). Once again it looks like a case of being self-centered to me.
You can’t expect people to react the same way. Brains are unique to the individuals, Katniss simply didn’t have the disposition to fight off PTSD like her allies did. Some people are just naturally drawn to develop depression due to the wiring in their heads.And despite suffering crippling depression she still found the strength to fight back, it did take a lot for her to stand up but fighting depression is hard, and that’s admirable.
She’s not as admirable as someone like Peeta , even from her point of view, to her and everyone else, he was the best of them with his kind heart. And we never got into Gale’s or Finnick’s head. I suspect if we read what Gale was thinking with all his anger and hate and willing to create vile weapons that killed harmless citizens as well as soldiers, people wouldn’t think Gale was that admirable but an emotional damaged, possibly sick individual. I don’t think Gale is any better than Katniss.
Haymitch took many years before he did anything to fight back, after turning to alcohol to numb his pain. Maybe Katniss would have done something eventually, if given time to fight her depression.
Joanna had to turn to drugs to help her combat her crippling depression and give her strength, something Katniss couldn’t do though was tempted.
I think the only thing that annoyed me about Katniss was her paranoia, it stopped her from trusting and seeing the truth. And I don’t think the writer wanted her to be the most admirable character, I think the writer intended for her to be a flawed character with good and bad traits. There are times when she wasn’t admirable, or strong or brave, but there are times when she was. She was just being her, the way she was wired.
I do think Peeta and Finnick were the best of them.
If you see movies like American Sniper you see two brothers one suffers from PTSD the other longs to get back on the front with the only stress being the hours spent on the home front while good men die.
Not the best protagonist ever but ok
yes, katniss annoyed me increasingly as the series continued. By book three, the melodrama was just about more than I could deal with. She never could, as a character, get over herself. I like Triss in Divergent series MUCH better.
Nuran wrote: "You can’t expect people to react the same way. Brains are unique to the individuals, Katniss simply didn’t have the disposition to fight off PTSD like her allies did. Some people are just naturally..."yes to Peeta and Finnick being the most likeable characters in the book -- and JoAnna too.
I liked her until the end because I couldn't believe that she was so upset about Rue dying and the Hunger Games in general, and then I couldn't believe that after knowing firsthand how much pain it causes, she still wanted more Hunger Games.
I've read the series several times and own the audio books as well. I never realized until listening to the end of Hunger Games how annoying and whiny she was. She does a lot of good things and no one can blame her for her raging PTSD that she's dealing with. However, I found myself telling her to stop whining about who she really loved how annoying she thought Haymitch was.
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