Deeper Into Katniss' Feelings

     Katniss from "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins comes off very tough but is not really that way on the inside. I have been trying to detect parts of the book where the "real" Katniss is revealed as I am reading.

     I have found that Katniss tries to act like she cares about nothing and nobody. She does this very well by covering up any emotions she ever has and keeping a straight face. For example, during the reaping she is brought up onto the stage because she is a tribute to the Hunger Games. This means she must fight kids from other districts till death. She is as scared as anyone would be. However, she will not let anybody see how she feels and acts as though she is okay with risking her life. "I cannot afford to get upset, to leave this room with puffy eyes and a red nose. Crying is not an option."

     The only time when Katniss has shown any sign of sympathy or feelings with everyone was when her younger sister, Prim, was chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games. She felt she had no other choice but to volunteer and take her sisters place. She did this because she loved Prim and couldn't stand to watch her little sister be thrown into an arena to kill people and possibly be killed herself. "That's how I feel now, trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the name bounces around the inside of my skull." Katniss shows the love she has for Prim by saving her from the games. "'I volunteer!' I gasp. 'I volunteer as tribute!"

     This proves that Katniss really is an emotional person. She just has a rough time showing it. It makes me wonder why she is so private. Why she has to be that way. As I read on, more and more of Katniss' thoughts and internal feelings are being shown but not so many actions like the one in the beginning where she took Prim's place. I'd like to see what else she does so I can learn more about Katniss as a character.

Hunger Games

     I had never bothered to read "The Hunger Games" but many of my friends were reading the series and recommended it to me. I finally started reading it and cannot not seem to put it down. It is so interesting and I keep wanting to read more. The author, Suzanne Collins, has created a whole new world where she goes deep in depth with her unordinary characters.
     The story takes place in a country, Panem. There are 13 districts and the main character, Katniss, lives in the 12th known as the Seam. Katniss and her family(mother and sister Prim) are poor. It is hard for anyone in the Seam to just get by. Unless they are facilitated with the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are when a girl and boy tributes are chosen from a bowl of each district. Those "tributes" must kill each other in the Hunger Games arena until one is left.
     At some points this was confusing but I eventually caught on. It is all new to me and that is probably why I enjoy it so much. I like learning and going into the world of Panem. Although this book is mostly fantasy, Suzanne Collins is able to mix it with real world relationships and feelings. Katniss' younger sister Prim is chosen as tribute to compete in the Hunger Games. Although the winner is granted great amounts of food and wealthiness, Katniss knows that her Prim is only a child and will not be able to survive. Katniss volunteers to take her sisters place in the fight. She feels she has no other choice. This was my favorite part of the book so far.
     I think Suzanne Collins did a great job making her novel action packed and somewhat realistic. It has many good elements to it. I can't wait to continue the Hunger Games and possibly go onto the other books in the series when I finish.

Am I Blue?

        In the short story “Am I blue?” by Bruce Coville, the main character, Vince, is struggling with acceptance. Sometimes it is hard to accept something about yourself when it is not considered normal in our society. 

In the beginning, Vince is being bullied by Butch Carrigan about being gay. “You little fruit,’ he snarled.” Vince is having a hard time coping with this because he cannot understand how he could be gay. It doesn’t seem “right.” 

In the middle, Vince encounters his fairy godfather, Melvin. Melvin is gay and expresses that it is common to go through a state of bewilderment. Melvin helps Vince assimilate that he may be gay. Vince realizes that it is possible and recognizes that he was just confused. “Does that mean I’m gay?’ I didn’t mention that I had been trying to figure out the same thing myself for about a year now.”

In the end, Melvin gives Vince gaydar. With this, he is able to see all the gay people in the world whether they are hiding it or not. Every person with least bit of it became a different shade of blue depending on how gay they were. It showed Vince that he was not alone. “I opened my eyes and gasped. About a third of the people in the cafe-including the guy Melvin had winked at-were blue...” Even Butch Carrigan, Vince’s bully, was “blue as a summer sky.” 

Figuring out who you are is a challenge. Being able to accept who you are is even harder. In the beginning Vince is not only having trouble being accepted. He is also having trouble accepting himself. By the end, he has seen a whole new side to sexuality. Melvin opened his eyes to the truth and it turned out that he was not abnormal at all. Vince changed tremendously, “When I meet the girl of my dreams. Or prince charming. Whichever.”