Peeta: Why I Love Him And Why I Worry About His Fate

[greeneyedlady]

It's another post about The Hunger Games, but this time I am going to do more than just squee over how awesome the series (well, the first two books, at least) are. My abundant affection for the character of Peeta Mellark comes bundled with worries over his fate in the final book of the series, Mockingjay, and I just felt like putting it into words

Comments

[greeneyedlady]

I certainly do not want him to die, especially in light of the heartbreaking line in Catching Fire where Katniss tries to imagine a world "where Peeta's child could be safe." So much of her motivation is to keep him alive, even if it costs her own life. If Peeta dies without being evil, Katniss will forever feel she has failed him.If he lives, I find it hard to imagine him having a child with any other woman besides Katniss unless Katniss is dead. It is a tough situation to work out

[greeneyedlady]

Man, I wish I'd had that reaction! Maybe my feelings are colored to much by cynicism. I was hooked by the Peeta/Katniss potential right away and am not used to the pairings I ship being triumphant (with the exception of Ron/Hermione). I think maybe I have experienced too many stories that go the Gale/Katniss route, with the heroine and her male best friend, though strangely I can't think of any right now off the top of my head.

I agree it would be ridiculous for Peeta to be evil, but it would be the ultimate twist. And I've heard murmuring (among Gale fans) that they don't trust Peeta because he seems too good and because he is a notably talented liar.

I will probably be churning inside until August 24th. I don't want to get my hopes up too high. If I expect the worst (evil Peeta and Gale/Katniss) I can only be surprised in a good way.

For the record, I do not hate Gale, I just think pairing him with Katniss would be boring and predictable.

[littledarkvoice]

Going to comment here now, even if you posted this ages ago, because hey! Now we've both read both books.

NGL, I am totally with you on your worries. I think what worries me most is that Collins is playing her cards so close to her chest. Some things I was able to pick up on ahead of time, like Cinna and Heavensbee being subversives. As for the boys, I think she's been pretty even-handed in how she's handled their chances of getting together with Katniss, and that really it could go either way at this point. Part of it is the way both boys subvert different romance cliches (which you and others have brought up in the entry and discussion.) I do wonder if she didn't have a boy picked out when she started writing, and figured she'd let the story do the picking.

I really, really don't want Peeta to die or be evil. Usually his kind of Christ figure goodness annoys me in a character, but Collins actually made me like it for once and I want that sort of goodness to exist in the universe for real. Also, he's ADORBS. He makes cakes

[littledarkvoice]

Oh, and one more comment: while there are many aspects of Katniss I adore and find appealing, GIRL YOU ARE SO OBLIVIOUS I WANT TO KICK YOU AT TIMES.