girl on fire

[hesychasm]

The Hunger Games film adaptations continue to be everything I want in terms of improving on the books for entertainment purposes.

But after seeing Catching Fire over the weekend, a friend and I realized we disagree about how to read the end of Mockingjay. I'm pretty sure the eventual film version will prove me right, but I'm curious how other

Comments

[timesink]

I agree with you. Katniss is damaged, for sure, but not in any way that changes her fundamental self.

[hesychasm]

Yeah, thinking about it, I find it odd that people are so willing to believe that Katniss goes through such a dramatic trauma, to the point of making a really reprehensible choice at all odds with her character -- rather than thinking, oh, maybe there's something more to it....

[voleuse]

I agree with you, too. I mean, when I first read the passage, I was super-surprised and confused, but in the following events, everything did click for me. After she fought so hard to save Prim, it just doesn't make sense otherwise.

[hesychasm]

*nod* I forgot to point out that Katniss saying explicitly that her vote is "for Prim" signals that her yes should be taken at more than face value. It's very jarring in terms of how it works/doesn't work with Katniss's characterization up to that point, so that's why it requires a closer read.

[hesychasm]

The Internet agrees with me! I should have just whipped out my smartphone during the argument and settled it right there. :-D

[barkley]

I totally agree with you and now I realize why other people do not like the end. (Other reading of said scene didn't even come to mind. )

[hesychasm]

Heh, well, I think the end felt a bit rushed -- I commented over on the Dreamwidth version of this post that I would have liked to see more of the aftermath of the assassination for instance. I don't love the books a whole lot, but I like Katniss a whole lot, and yeah, it does seem like there are a lot of people who don't understand that scene and therefore don't understand her.

[barkley]

My reading of the scene comes from two things 1) "For Prim" and 2) the sincere thought that she would be dead afterwards. To me it's clear that much like the first Hunger Games, she's volunteered to give her life to do the only thing she can do because she doesn't want to live in a world with the other options in which someone else's Prim will die.