Mockingjay
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Is Gale to blame?
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Monkique
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Oct 23, 2012 05:59PM
No! It wasn't his fault! BUT I can understand what Katniss felt with all this situation.
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Just curious Daniel- how did you arrive at the conclusion that Coin sent her there to be killed? I don't recall anything in the text implying that- not that your assumption is a stretch; I do find Coin to be a vindictive and deceptive individual who would sink so low at to put Prim in danger but it's still an assumption.As for Gale's blame/non-blame, I find this question to be exquisitely hard to answer in a unbiased manner. For those that have liked Gale throughout the series, it's hard to view him in such a violent, murderous light. For those (like myself) who have cared little for Gale, it's a knee-jerk reaction to rain the blame down upon his head.
When I try to step back from the situation, I try to reason that a tragedy such as this is difficult to tie to a single person's actions, mainly because there are so many variables. Prim is her own person, Gale does not have the power of premonition, and they are in the middle of a freakin' war. Nothing is predictable which is exactly how Suzanne Collins wanted it. Things happens and sometimes there is no logical reason for it.
I was relieved when Gale pointed out the obvious post-victory, how Katniss would not be able to separate him from that day and in a way, that's blame enough. I don't feel the need to crucify him any more than that because in the end, he has to pick up the remaining pieces of his past (which are pathetically little) and find a way to move on, which was never his strength in the first place.
Jessica wrote: "Just curious Daniel- how did you arrive at the conclusion that Coin sent her there to be killed? I don't recall anything in the text implying that- not that your assumption is a stretch; I do find ..."I know you directed this at Daniel, but I thought I'd give you my take on it. In the book after speaking to Snow Katniss started to think about the situation more clearly and she looked at things from all angles. There was a daunting reference made to the fact that Prim, not even in training to be a doctor yet, would certainly not be put to the Capitol, let alone the front lines. She would need someone's permission from high up in District 3 before she'd have a hope of getting near the front lines. Who would allow that, or who would seek to put her there? Nobody has motive apart from Coin. Hence why the conclusion that it was Coin who sent her there, because how else did she get there?
I don't feel that Gale has any blame for what happened to Prim. When he made the bomb he never intended it to be used against his own people, he never would have made it for such a purpose. It was a weapon to use against his enemies in war, and the way it was used ended up being something completely different. Gale bears no more fault than the maker of a knife does if someone else uses it to kill.
We need to blame President Coin's Greedy mind for what happened to Prim....
Daniel wrote: "Mia;emma wrote: "It wasnt his fault,just prim was in the wrong place&it ended with her being killed. it could of happened to anyone"She wasn't in the wrong place. Coin sent her there to be killed"
yes you're right, President Coin is moron
First, I knew that Gale had rage towards the Capitol but I did not understand the depth of that rage until this book. With that said, there was no conceivable way to repair the relationship between Katniss and Gale. They truly were hunting allies and nothing more. Yes, there was some attempt at a relationship but I don't think it would have worked because they are so similar. She needed someone a little different in order to open up and deal with her past. Getting back to the question of the forum, there is plenty of blame to go around.
i kinda blame him, because the trap itself was partially his idea, so even if prims not there, lot of children wouldve died...right?
Dorottya wrote: "i kinda blame him, because the trap itself was partially his idea, so even if prims not there, lot of children wouldve died...right?"Gale planned for it to be used on Capitol Peacekeepers, then Capitol medics when they went to help. He never wanted it to be used on children or the resistance.
Brittany wrote: "When you look at it from Katniss's perspective he kind of is. He designed the bomb, solely to cause pain and death. He was working on it in a government lab with a tribute bent on revenge. And he d..."He designed it because they were in a war and people were trying to kill them. It's not his fault just because it was used in a different way than he intended.
Sheechiibii wrote: "Gale planned for it to be used on Capitol Peacekeepers, then Capitol medics when they went to help. He never wanted it to be used on children or the resistance. "Of course not, but if you created something like that you should be open to the possibility that can be used with whoever they want. I don't think is his fault but like someone else already wrote if you look at it from Katniss's perspective you can understand why her relationship with him changes after this.
Monkique wrote: "Sheechiibii wrote: "Gale planned for it to be used on Capitol Peacekeepers, then Capitol medics when they went to help. He never wanted it to be used on children or the resistance. "Of course not..."
Yes, I can definitely understand why their relationshi is damaged. The question here though is whether or not he is to blame for Prim's death, and I don't think he is. Creating a weapon doesn't make someone responsible for others using it.
Anna-Cosette wrote: "Is Gale to blame for Prim's death?
Personally I think no, because it wasn't him who committed it, it was (maybe) his bomb. We don't blame the inventors of airplanes when they crash and people die...."
I don't think it was. It might have been his bomb, but you were spot on with the airplane example.
Personally I think no, because it wasn't him who committed it, it was (maybe) his bomb. We don't blame the inventors of airplanes when they crash and people die...."
I don't think it was. It might have been his bomb, but you were spot on with the airplane example.
Sheechiibii wrote: "I don't think he was at fault for Prim's death. He never meant for anything like what Coin planned. He had no idea it would be used against their own forces or against children. His idea was tactic..."Exactly
Princess wrote: "Of course NOTwe should blame someone else
suzanne collins for example :X"
Hahahahahhahah :P
No no how can you blame someone who's intentions were to save his friends and family and districts prim included rather than kill them? That was just a dramatic twist of events.
Not at all. It was all Coin. Gale would never hurt Katniss in any way.
no ofcourse he's not the one to blame, he promised to take care of her family , he wouldnt do anything to cause them harm in any way.
If a person creates a bomb that they know it's going to be used to kill people (I acknowledge that it may have not been Gale's bomb) and it accidentally blows up the person they're in love with younger sister, it's still their fault. Gale's hate for the Capitol blinded him and innocent people were hurt in the crossfire. In my opinion it doesn't really matter that he didn't order the bombs to be drop.
Asia wrote: "If a person creates a bomb that they know it's going to be used to kill people (I acknowledge that it may have not been Gale's bomb) and it accidentally blows up the person they're in love with you..."Really? I know this has been said in the discussion multiple times but i'll say it again. So whenever someone shoots someone with a gun, it's the gun makers fault? Is that what you're saying? So by that logic, we should start arresting the makers of the guns whenever someone is killed by one.
Daniel wrote: "Asia wrote: "If a person creates a bomb that they know it's going to be used to kill people (I acknowledge that it may have not been Gale's bomb) and it accidentally blows up the person they're in ..."Not to mention that logic would mean that it wasn't Snow who was responsile for Peeta's torture. You know, since he wasn't the one who invented Tracker Jacker venom.
I think it was President Coin's fault because she sent Prim out to help the other people who were injured from the first few bombs.
Gale would have never hurt Prim because he loves Katniss. I cant imagine how responisble me might have felt. But all in all he could not have killed her.
Gale's responsibility lies in the fact that he thought the authorities he was listening to would not sacrifice people on their side for the cause.Gale was so blinded by his anger to get back at the Capitol that he didn't recognize how similar District 13 was to the Capitol. Perhaps if he knew the deceitful intentions District 13 had, he may have paused in his pursuit to gain justice.
Then again, maybe not. Gale considered himself willing to sacrifice for the cause when it came time to trap District 2 citizens in the Nut. He also extended this belief to others. Yet, is it really his decision to make? Is it District 13's decision to make, who should live and die for the cause?
I think it becomes a rather sticky argument if you delve into the responsibility an inventor take for their product. Regardless, Gale will carry some blame just due to the fact that he created the bomb knowing it would be used for the war--- and ironically, being used in a way that he, himself, would have devised. He was the crafty hunter, after all.
I think that part of Prims death is Gales fault, because it was his bomb, and even if it wasn't Gales bomb... he still should've stayed with Katniss to console her about Prims death.
Jessica wrote: "Gale's responsibility lies in the fact that he thought the authorities he was listening to would not sacrifice people on their side for the cause.Gale was so blinded by his anger to get back at t..."
Everything you mention here Katniss was guilty of too. In fact, she knew that District 13 was corrupt like the capitol but she never paused in her pursuit of justice. Wouldn't that make her worse?
She was willing to sacrifice people in District 2 and did - she gave the go ahead for them to do that, it was her decision, not Gales - he only gave the idea. They were in a war, they were killing people every day, they chose to take others lives in order to gain advantage in the war. On a battlefield the goal is to kill enemies.
It doesn't become sticky at all I wouldn't say. If you invent something for a certain use and it's misused by someone else that's not the inventors fault.
I don't think Gale was to blame for Prim's death; however, the books are based on Katniss's POV so, in the end, it's how Katniss perceives it.Shame, because I thought Gale and Katniss were good for each other. In the end, everybody ended up being a victim of the very things they fought to end: the Capitol's rule and the Hunger Games.
YES!!!!! HE BASICALLY KILLED HER!! HE helped create the bomb that killed prim!!!!!! So ya he killed her in a way!!!!!!!!!!!
Gaby wrote: "YES!!!!! HE BASICALLY KILLED HER!! HE helped create the bomb that killed prim!!!!!! So ya he killed her in a way!!!!!!!!!!!"You know sometimes I'm not sure whether people actually believe this or if they're just being sarcastic...
NOOOOOOO!!!!! IT WAS A PLAN IT WAS A SET UP!!!!!!! PRIM WAS KILLED ON PURPOSE!!!!!!!
I feel like there's more than one type of blame.I would be mad at Gale because it was his bomb. It's sort of a "If you weren't so obsessed with building that bomb this never would have happened." type thing.
He can't be blamed for Prim dying though. He didn't drop the bomb, he just built it. He had no choice in how it was ultimately used.
In a nutshell: He can be blamed for the bomb existing at all, but not for Prim dying by it.
I guess when you look at it it's blaming him anyway. Alas. Oh, well.
ETA: Anyway, I think it was Coin's little "F*** you!" to Katniss. Why not kill her sister and make her hate her best friend in one shot? You know what I mean?
Gaby wrote: "BECAUSE OF GALE!!!"Okay now I'm sure you're not being serious.
I think that it was less that he physically dropped the bombs on her, and more that he was the one who developed the concept for it. The rebels wanted to be "better" than the capital, and they were in some ways, but not with that bomb. The concept of having one explosion to lead people to the wounded and then another bigger one. That's really unethical, even by bomb standards. I think that it was mostly Coin's fault, though.
Isabella wrote: "I think that it was less that he physically dropped the bombs on her, and more that he was the one who developed the concept for it. The rebels wanted to be "better" than the capital, and they were..."Unethical? Really?
The Hunger Games put innocent kids in a death match and the Capitol watched for entertainment.
How is making a double exploding bomb in a time of war unethical?
Isabella wrote: "I think that it was less that he physically dropped the bombs on her, and more that he was the one who developed the concept for it. The rebels wanted to be "better" than the capital, and they were..."It's not unethical at all, it's strategic. They are in a war, their aim is to kill their enemies. There's not much room for ethics when that's the goal is there?
Isabella wrote: "I think that it was less that he physically dropped the bombs on her, and more that he was the one who developed the concept for it. The rebels wanted to be "better" than the capital, and they were..."Hmmm i see. So a regular bomb is ethical but a double exploding one is not?
None of it is ethical. We all know that, so why are we getting snippy about it?
Kirby wrote: "I thought that it was commonly accepted that there are lines that aren't to be crossed, even in warfare. so, yes- bombing civilians (especially children) is more unethical than bombing soldiers. ..."What are you talking about? Gale didn't drop a bomb on any civilian or children. He only helped create the bomb. He had no say in what it was used for.
Kirby wrote: "Sheechiibii wrote: "It's not unethical at all, it's strategic. They are in a war, their aim is to kill their enemies. There's not much room for ethics when that's the goal is there? "yes, there i..."
Would you kindly copy and paste the part of the geneva convention that applies to making double exploding bombs during a time of war.
Kirby wrote: "I thought that it was commonly accepted that there are lines that aren't to be crossed, even in warfare. so, yes- bombing civilians (especially children) is more unethical than bombing soldiers. ..."What? Gale didn't design the bomb to kill civilians, he designed the bomb to kill Capitol soldiers. That's not unethical during warfare, it's just strategy.
it was all a matter of wrong place wrong time for Prim, it was tragic and i was crying because Prim was such a caring and compassionate person, and she loved to help people. she was a genuine person and she did not deserve to die. ANYWHO, even though Gale created the bomb, he didn't know what it would be used for, and he had no say in the matter.
For so long, I've wondered about this question. Before I even started reading The Hunger Games, everyone was running around yelling spoiler alerts like "Gale killed Prim! Gale killed Prim!" Of course, being Team Gale, I was kind of skeptical about the Team Peetas running around saying that. Then I read Mockingjay and solidified my case.No, Gale is not responsible for Prim's death.
One, you should have been expecting her to die. Almost EVERYONE dies in this series. Rue dies, people die, more people die, Finnick dies, Snow dies, Coin dies, everyone dies. I'm surprised Katniss didn't die in the end considering how messed up she finally came out to be. But she was living in a messed up world anyway.
Second, Gale made the bomb, but he never had any intention of using it against someone he loved. If he had wanted Prim dead in the first place, he wouldn't have saved her when the Capitol fired bombs at District 13 and she went back to retrieve Buttercup.
Third, who didn't know that Coin was evil? She was just as bad as President Snow himself and probably would have set the same destructive path as him, had she been allowed to live. Obviously, she was cruel and sick and really, it's all her fault.
Lastly, Gale did NOT abandon Katniss. You had have to known all along he would never be with her. Who even got their hopes up? I knew in Catching Fire when Katniss just said, "I know," when he told her he loved her that she didn't feel the same way. She only looked at him as a friend, and he knew it.
In the end, when Gale left her, it was not because he hated her or because he was cruel or anything like that. He was trying to protect her. He knew that if she saw him every day if her already shattered life, it would only add to the pain and take longer for her heart to heal. There was really no use in him sticking around. After all, when you love someone so deeply it hurts you, but you can't have them, you must find the strength deep inside to let them go. That proves the true depth of your love. You cannot cling onto something that will never exist. Gale let go, and he did the right thing.
Now we have nothing to blame him for.
Peeta and Katnss belonged together all along, anyway. It was the right thing to do to put them together at the end, after what they'd been through. After Peeta been hijacked. So while I have always liked Gale better, Peeta and Katniss belong together and Gale doesn't need to interfere with that by being anywhere near Katniss.
He's always known what he was doing.
For everyone who thinks Gale abandoned Katniss or wondered why Gale abandoned Katniss in the end, we shouldn't have to wonder about that because we got satisfaction from the source: Katniss. She doesn't think that he did. It's not said explicitly, but after she grows back together for keeps with Peeta, one of the last things she says is that she knew that would have happened anyway. It didn't matter if Gale came back to D12. I get the feeling her friendship with Gale would have eventually dissipated because she says she didn't need his fire, fueled with rage and hatred. She had been growing apart from him throughout "Mockingjay" because of it. Maybe they'd be friendly but nothing like before. She would have still ended up with Peeta. Her words. (Well, Suzanne Collins')Blaming Gale for Prim? Only Katniss would do that because she has great difficulty (throughout the series) sorting things out. No, it's not his fault, but the bomb that killed Prim was his concept, and only Katniss would build an unbreakable link between the two.
Gale did give the idea for the bomb... But I don't think he would ever do that if he knew what would happen. Even though I don't really like Gale, I think he cared about Katniss, and he couldn't do something like that to her. Coin is the one to blame.
DK wrote: "For everyone who thinks Gale abandoned Katniss or wondered why Gale abandoned Katniss in the end, we shouldn't have to wonder about that because we got satisfaction from the source: Katniss. She do..."WOW! Great response! You explained it so well!
No way it was his fault, Coin would find another way even without "his mechanism". We all know that Prim died so that her death breaks Katniss. So defenitely no :)
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