Hunger Games response
This is a response to http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/04/whats_wrong_with_the_hunger_ga_1.html. I figured I might as well put it here.
Obvious SPOILERS because I figure anyone who's going to see it already has.
Dafuq? It mentions the book, so I'm guessing the author has read it, but that can't be true because they somehow missed the fact that what makes the book good is that it's all about the motivations of the character, and why she acts the way she does. The book is first person, so we know EXACTLY why she makes her decisions. We get an intimate view of her struggles on what action is best, and her feelings on whatever the outcome is.
As far as not killing anyone, setting the tracker jackers on the Careers very definitely counts. She knew what she was doing, and risked it backfiring on her (which it almost did). I know that in the book it definitely mentions how she feels she killed more people than Peeta (who only accidentally killed Foxface). It's not really too difficult to understand why she's not excitedly hunting the rest of the players down. I believe she also counts guard boy's death as her doing, because it is a result of her actions. She can kill if she has to, but if environmental factors lead to their death rather than her hand, so much the better. Even in a fight to the death, she (and the audience) are still bothered by the demise of some other players because it's a HORRIBLE THING. If there's any chance that both she and Peeta can make it out alive, she's going to take it because killing someone you only know a little is horrific, especially when there's any glimmer of hope.
About being saved by men, I just have to point out that she is not saved ONLY by men. Rue points out the tracker jackers, helps Katniss get rid of any remaining venom, and in the book knows more edible plants. Katniss and Rue come up with the idea to sabotage the Careers' supply pile. That is definitely not waiting around for some man to rescue them. It's a huge risk that she takes, knowing that it will increase her chances of survival overall if it works. All of the characters accept help in any form it comes in, making the book actually above gender. The only way that gender/sex actually matters in the book is that one male and one female are chosen from each district. Everything else really depends on individuals choices. In the Capitol, everyone is so flamboyant that typical gender roles mean nothing, and in the outer districts, life is so difficult that everyone is scraping to survive by any means. There isn't anything about what's appropriate actions for certain gender roles, and everything about each individual utilizing whatever skills they have in any way they can.
Other examples of choices made include covering Rue in flowers (if people are hunting you down, taking the time to gather all those blossoms and delicately place them around a body in a funeral ritual is definitely a choice) and all her efforts to save Peeta. She could have simpered and let the inevitable (his death from infection) happen, and cry about it later. She does everything she can think of, including putting herself in danger to make sure that they both survive. Calculated risks are better actions than blindly racing in to decimate anything in her path, which is the fault of the Careers.
It's almost not worth noting because it should be so obvious that the entire situation is a commentary on how little choice anyone has in what happens. Both the book and movie make a very heavy point about how the entire population is manipulated by the government. Cato's realization at the end that he was only a pawn in a game that was all about keeping people in line caused him to go mad, losing any advantage he might have had. He no longer cared whether he lived or died, which in that situation obviously means death.
The love triangle might bother some people, but I feel it's part of the story because it's something that everyone cares about. We all want to know who is romantically linked with who, and how, and when it all started. That's just how we all think. It really gives another example of choice in the end, because Katniss does her best to not choose either Peeta or Gale, because she just wants to live as long as she can. Romance complicates things, and the terrifying future of any children she might have is enough to put her off of forming any kind of family.
tl;dr AUTHOR, Y U NO READ THE BOOKS???
Obvious SPOILERS because I figure anyone who's going to see it already has.
Dafuq? It mentions the book, so I'm guessing the author has read it, but that can't be true because they somehow missed the fact that what makes the book good is that it's all about the motivations of the character, and why she acts the way she does. The book is first person, so we know EXACTLY why she makes her decisions. We get an intimate view of her struggles on what action is best, and her feelings on whatever the outcome is.
As far as not killing anyone, setting the tracker jackers on the Careers very definitely counts. She knew what she was doing, and risked it backfiring on her (which it almost did). I know that in the book it definitely mentions how she feels she killed more people than Peeta (who only accidentally killed Foxface). It's not really too difficult to understand why she's not excitedly hunting the rest of the players down. I believe she also counts guard boy's death as her doing, because it is a result of her actions. She can kill if she has to, but if environmental factors lead to their death rather than her hand, so much the better. Even in a fight to the death, she (and the audience) are still bothered by the demise of some other players because it's a HORRIBLE THING. If there's any chance that both she and Peeta can make it out alive, she's going to take it because killing someone you only know a little is horrific, especially when there's any glimmer of hope.
About being saved by men, I just have to point out that she is not saved ONLY by men. Rue points out the tracker jackers, helps Katniss get rid of any remaining venom, and in the book knows more edible plants. Katniss and Rue come up with the idea to sabotage the Careers' supply pile. That is definitely not waiting around for some man to rescue them. It's a huge risk that she takes, knowing that it will increase her chances of survival overall if it works. All of the characters accept help in any form it comes in, making the book actually above gender. The only way that gender/sex actually matters in the book is that one male and one female are chosen from each district. Everything else really depends on individuals choices. In the Capitol, everyone is so flamboyant that typical gender roles mean nothing, and in the outer districts, life is so difficult that everyone is scraping to survive by any means. There isn't anything about what's appropriate actions for certain gender roles, and everything about each individual utilizing whatever skills they have in any way they can.
Other examples of choices made include covering Rue in flowers (if people are hunting you down, taking the time to gather all those blossoms and delicately place them around a body in a funeral ritual is definitely a choice) and all her efforts to save Peeta. She could have simpered and let the inevitable (his death from infection) happen, and cry about it later. She does everything she can think of, including putting herself in danger to make sure that they both survive. Calculated risks are better actions than blindly racing in to decimate anything in her path, which is the fault of the Careers.
It's almost not worth noting because it should be so obvious that the entire situation is a commentary on how little choice anyone has in what happens. Both the book and movie make a very heavy point about how the entire population is manipulated by the government. Cato's realization at the end that he was only a pawn in a game that was all about keeping people in line caused him to go mad, losing any advantage he might have had. He no longer cared whether he lived or died, which in that situation obviously means death.
The love triangle might bother some people, but I feel it's part of the story because it's something that everyone cares about. We all want to know who is romantically linked with who, and how, and when it all started. That's just how we all think. It really gives another example of choice in the end, because Katniss does her best to not choose either Peeta or Gale, because she just wants to live as long as she can. Romance complicates things, and the terrifying future of any children she might have is enough to put her off of forming any kind of family.
tl;dr AUTHOR, Y U NO READ THE BOOKS???