Mockingjay: Please tell me this is going to get better.

[alexandral]

I am through about 40% of "Mockingjay", and dear friends list, I am getting seriously annoyed. Katniss is undergoing what is probably the worst ever character development in the history of fiction.

Where is Katniss that was a strong survivor? Where? When was she replaced by this whiny clueless mess:

- "No-one is telling me anything! My life is a woooooooooe!" Me: no-one is telling her anything because she is naïve beyond any belief (to the point where her naivety has become brain-deficiency) and throws tantrums all the time?

- "EVERYONE IS EVIL! Capitol is EVIL! Rebels ARE EVIL! Everyone is evil! Even Haymitch! How dares he to try to keep me alive! Even cats are evil!". Me: I am eye-rolling so hard my eyes are in danger.

- "Everyone died because of Meeeeeeeeee! I should have died! Died!" . Me: Katniss, get a grip on yourself. Please get a grip.

- "Oh no! Look at poor me suffering so much when watching Peeta tortured on TV! I passed out! And I raged! " Me: Peeta is tortured. PEETA. How come it is all about YOU?

Leaving my "I am so annoyed at this" feelings aside and trying to be rational: the character development of Katniss is that of Sansa Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire) in reverse. Sansa starts as young and terribly naïve and grows into a survivor. Katniss starts as a survivor and disintegrates into a puddle of jelly with no brains.

Please tell me this is going to get better. As it stands now, I think Katniss is as good a role model to young girls as Bella (Twilight), just in a different way (no brains, tantrums, "me me me" attitude)! I am so horrified that this is supposed to be "a feminist book for young adults".

PS: Shall I keep listening? There are 6.5 more hours of this! Or shall I give up, find the spoilers, and move on to some better books?

Comments

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

2) I have just read it and yes, Finick did suffer clinical death. So - his problems are of other kind (his brain is fried up?) .

3) Oh yes, I see what you mean. But in HG the annoying part is that everyone (Gale, Peeta) seem to be able to figure things out, but not Katniss (hence - gender stereotypes). To tell you the truth, I think one non-stereotyped female in the series is Katniss' sister. But I am sure Prim is going to die (to make Katniss suffer), and most likely Gale will be involved. This is just exactly the type of story Collins will go for, something so stereotypical.

4) Well, you see, when someone in the middle of someone else's torture thinks about herself and HER pain only - For me this is selfish! And all that "Blah blah blah, I am used by rebels" stuff is even more annoying because, of course, they are using her because she is so naive and will definitely throw a tantrum if she is told the truth!

No, you are reading it wrong. :D Clueless? For example, everyone in the rebel camp seem to know what is going on? Apart from Katniss? Or simple things like her favourite phrase "OH WHY HE IS DOING THIS?" about Peeta (Haymitch, Finick,Joanna, etc. etc.) ? Where it is pretty obvious to everyone else (Haymitch, Peeta, etc.) the person in question is doing this?