Mockingjay
question
Would you consider it a happy ending?
Shabnaj
Apr 01, 2012 06:07PM
After I finished the book, I was instantly depressed. I was completely gutted by Finnick's death that I had a hard time concentrating on what was going on afterwards, and all that followed after his death was a blur to read. His death came to me as such a shock, and I was bounded by disbelief and remorse that by the time Prim's death occurred, I almost didn't feel anything. Just confusion. Which is excellently done by Collins, because I felt like my emotions and reactions to these two deaths resonated the same way it did for Katniss, with confusion and utter disbelief and numbing pain. Because it all happened so quick, that it was hard to fully grasp in a coherent way.
Initially, I hadn't realized it, but now after I have taken it all in, I am able to see that the dandelion in the Spring did indeed symbolize Hope for Katniss, and that she did find reason to live and to go on because of Peeta. And that she loved Peeta. But at what cost?
I think that's was so difficult. The Capitol was defeated and the Hunger Games were obliterated. But the damage done to these characters is irreparable. There's no reprieve from what they had gone through, and now they are these broken beings. Even if Katniss and Peeta have found each other in the end, and had a family together, I feel like they will never be the same. I have trouble believing that Peeta fully recovered from his hijacking. I think a part of him has been lost forever, and that it must have changed him. How could it have not? I noticed that Katniss did not really address this. But I believe that he just not completely recover from his torturing.
And Katniss, her sister's death, her tarnished friendship with Gale which breaks me heart. I don't believe that she hates Gale, or blames him even. It's just that his face will always remind her of what happened to Prim, and that it's to painful for both Gale and Katniss to ever go back. They can't go back. I think that's one of the saddest things for me.
And then there's Haymitch who also breaks my heart.
These characters, their lives, it all feels so tragic. They won the war but the war and the games have changed them and demoralized them. And they all have to live with it. Even if Peeta and Katniss are together, I still believe it is a sad ending.
Initially, I hadn't realized it, but now after I have taken it all in, I am able to see that the dandelion in the Spring did indeed symbolize Hope for Katniss, and that she did find reason to live and to go on because of Peeta. And that she loved Peeta. But at what cost?
I think that's was so difficult. The Capitol was defeated and the Hunger Games were obliterated. But the damage done to these characters is irreparable. There's no reprieve from what they had gone through, and now they are these broken beings. Even if Katniss and Peeta have found each other in the end, and had a family together, I feel like they will never be the same. I have trouble believing that Peeta fully recovered from his hijacking. I think a part of him has been lost forever, and that it must have changed him. How could it have not? I noticed that Katniss did not really address this. But I believe that he just not completely recover from his torturing.
And Katniss, her sister's death, her tarnished friendship with Gale which breaks me heart. I don't believe that she hates Gale, or blames him even. It's just that his face will always remind her of what happened to Prim, and that it's to painful for both Gale and Katniss to ever go back. They can't go back. I think that's one of the saddest things for me.
And then there's Haymitch who also breaks my heart.
These characters, their lives, it all feels so tragic. They won the war but the war and the games have changed them and demoralized them. And they all have to live with it. Even if Peeta and Katniss are together, I still believe it is a sad ending.
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I think it's difficult for any of us to believe a happy ending could result from such a tumultuous tragic story.
War is terrible. Indescribable. Utterly consuming. Collins portrayed this remarkably.
To me, the way I choose to look at it, is that Collins gave us the happiest ending we could get considering the circumstances. She remained realistic. Joanna (or maybe Haymitch?) says earlier on in the book how everyone has changed, since the games. That it's no use looking back because of the drastic transformations made.
The hopeful note is that there is the unquenchable drive in humans to persevere, to move forward. To survive. Even though all this has happened, people find a way to rebuild and start anew. Peeta was always, always good for that and I think that's why Katniss finds a sense of peace in the end. Is it an unconditional peace? I don't think it is, but it's probably more profound than we could imagine. Because only someone who suffered the way they did could appreciate deep peace.
It's the way I try to look at it; I would have loved a happier ending (obviously without the death of Prim or Finnick) but Collins stayed true and, in a way, gave us something more compelling and poignant. A stronger message about the human spirit.
War is terrible. Indescribable. Utterly consuming. Collins portrayed this remarkably.
To me, the way I choose to look at it, is that Collins gave us the happiest ending we could get considering the circumstances. She remained realistic. Joanna (or maybe Haymitch?) says earlier on in the book how everyone has changed, since the games. That it's no use looking back because of the drastic transformations made.
The hopeful note is that there is the unquenchable drive in humans to persevere, to move forward. To survive. Even though all this has happened, people find a way to rebuild and start anew. Peeta was always, always good for that and I think that's why Katniss finds a sense of peace in the end. Is it an unconditional peace? I don't think it is, but it's probably more profound than we could imagine. Because only someone who suffered the way they did could appreciate deep peace.
It's the way I try to look at it; I would have loved a happier ending (obviously without the death of Prim or Finnick) but Collins stayed true and, in a way, gave us something more compelling and poignant. A stronger message about the human spirit.
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I don't think it was supposed to be the 'and they lived happily ever after' type ending. It's supposed to be realistic.
In comparison with the alternative of the rebellion failing, I think it was a very happy ending. Because everyone is able to begin to rebuild their lives and the future is much brighter for the majority of the people. However, the extent of what happened is never going to be reparable. War is ugly and painful. Those who survived all those thousands of needless deaths are never going to be able to have that kind of fairy tale ending.
I was just as upset about Finnick and Prim and especially Rue's deaths, but they were necessary to show just how horrible this can all be and how necessary it is to fight that kind of a society because plenty of good and innocent people are usually the casualties.
So, no, for Katniss and Peeta, they'll probably never fully recover. They've been through too much.
In comparison with the alternative of the rebellion failing, I think it was a very happy ending. Because everyone is able to begin to rebuild their lives and the future is much brighter for the majority of the people. However, the extent of what happened is never going to be reparable. War is ugly and painful. Those who survived all those thousands of needless deaths are never going to be able to have that kind of fairy tale ending.
I was just as upset about Finnick and Prim and especially Rue's deaths, but they were necessary to show just how horrible this can all be and how necessary it is to fight that kind of a society because plenty of good and innocent people are usually the casualties.
So, no, for Katniss and Peeta, they'll probably never fully recover. They've been through too much.
No, I wouldn't call it happy. Katniss doesn't exactly sound very cheery. I guess it was meant to be happy, but have this sad, depressed cloud over it. If that makes any sense...
Its definitely not a happy ending, but really, under the circumstances (civil war with crazy technology and all that), I really don't think it could be any happier. In that situation, it would be unrealistic if main characters didn't die, even though it makes it horrendously sad. I still liked the ending; I found it satisfying even though I was sorta in shock, my face was wet, and there were loose ends (e.g.. What happens to Gale). Anyways.. loved the ending regardless of how sad it was.
I think it was the perfect ending. Happy? No, they still face their demons, but content. They are growing together and falling in love. It was perfect for the subject matter of the book.
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