The Hunger Games Trilogy

[Aurora B]

I agree that he most likely meant self-defense. But here's the grey area: if a tribute charges into the cornucopia at the beginning, is anyone he kills considered "in self defense" even though he chose to go into the fray? I think that the tributes in the games are so conditioned by the culture, that even if they are reluctant, they know they have to kill to survive.

I'm also up for a re-read. I've pretty much had the series on repeat in my Kindle for a month or so. I don't know about spoilers, can we get the title changed to "Spoilers inside" or something?

[kostgard]

I think the board policy is spoilers for movies only, so maybe we just go for it? The final book of the series has been out for a while, so like suggested above, maybe just a "spoilers inside" warning somewhere?

[Babycakes]

Jan 5, 2012 2:08:38 GMT -4 Aurora B said:

if a tribute charges into the cornucopia at the beginning, is anyone he kills considered "in self defense" even though he chose to go into the fray?

Yes and no. If you want/need something bad enough, fighting someone off for it would come under self-interest (not necessarily self-defense). Like when the horn sounded, Katniss took off toward some nearby supplies, and kinda tussled with a boy for a backpack. Clove decided to start throwing knives immediately. She went the murder route because she was a Career, and knew from the beginning that she'd do anything to win. Anyone that heads to the cornucopia and into the fray pretty much knows that they're going into a bloodbath and have choosen murder/wiping out as many tributes as soon as possible as a strategy. I've always assumed that Peeta was shaking his head to signal Katniss not to go into the fray, and that he was heading in to get the bow. What happened at the fray, (did he stab someone to get the bow and have to surrender it to the Careers/Glimmer?) will forever remain a mystery.

[bitca]

I would just say go for it with spoilers. Mockingjay's been out long enough.

OK. Just busted out the book pdf. (Why don't I have a Kindle? I have a long ass flight on Sat.) Eet's on.

[Deleted]

I agree. Mockingjay came out over a year ago. I think we can stop with the spoiler bars. Otherwise it is just going to be pages of hidden text.

I actually re-read all three books over Christmas because my Mom wanted to borrow my copies. I was surprised how well they held up in a second read. The first time I read them I was so caught up in the plot that I didn't pay attention to the details. I thought maybe that re-reading and knowing how they end would make them boring but I actually enjoyed them more. I'm looking forward to talking about them in more detail.

In regards to Peeta I think he was my least favorite character partly because he was so good and pure. Even when he did bad things it was because he was either trying to protect Katniss or because he had been hijacked. I didn't really care for Gale either and the romantic triangle was definitely my least favorite aspect of the series. But I think it would have been a little more intriguing if one of the guys wasn't pretty much perfect.

[kostgard]

I agree on Peeta. I mean, I like him. And I liked him for Katniss over Gale. I wish we'd had more information on why he was so devoted to Katniss. "I heard her sing that one time and she was really good" isn't enough for me to explain that level of devotion.

[badtzmaru]

I actually didn't see Gale as being all that perfect, especially by the end of Mockingjay. As soon as District 12 was evacuated and he'd thrown in with District 13 I think he pretty much tuned Kataniss out, except when he needed to try to get her to do what the military wanted.

I don't think he ever really tried to understand what happened to Kataniss and Peeta or why Kat did what she did to save them both. I mean, I get that Gale is supposed to be her first love and all that, but I think he's pretty a unsympathetic character.

[Deleted]

I meant that Peeta was perfect but Gale wasn't which is what made the triangle kind of pointless. I think it would have been more interesting if Peeta's instability had been the result of him just not being able to deal with all the trauma in his life as opposed to him being literally brainwashed.

I didn't hate Peeta. I just wish that they had made his character a little more nuanced or complex.

[kostgard]

Jan 6, 2012 18:45:51 GMT -4 @bronze said:

I meant that Peeta was perfect but Gale wasn't which is what made the triangle kind of pointless. I think it would have been more interesting if Peeta's instability had been the result of him just not being able to deal with all the trauma in his life as opposed to him being literally brainwashed.

I didn't hate Peeta. I just wish that they had made his character a little more nuanced or complex.

While I certainly wish that they had made Peeta a deeper character (while Katniss is obviously the most important character in the series, I'd say Peeta is one of the characters right behind her), I'm down with the brainwashing because it was just about the worst thing the Capitol could have done to him.

In the first book Peeta says that even if he dies in the arena, he wanted to do it on his own term and while always being himself. He wanted the Capitol to know that he will always be Peeta, and they could never change that or take it away from him...and then that is exactly what they did when they brainwashed him. It was horrible not just because of the way they poisoned him against Katniss, but because they took the one thing he said in the beginning was most precious to him.

[Babycakes]

I don't think that Gale nor Peeta are completely perfect, nor deeply flawed. We only get to see them through the Katniss prism. Both get their Knight in Shining Armor moments, but overall, I think more people think that Peeta is verging on a Marty Stu, due to his myopic devotion to Katniss.