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She still made plenty of choices and she did choose to kill. Vivien Send a noteboard - 05/04/2012 07:13:47 PM
"She does use the tracker-jackers on the group below her tree, with full awareness of the possible lethality, so it isn't even like she was trying not to kill anyone, either."

Absolutely! She made the choice and the action to drop the nest of the wasps when she was in that tree. She knew what it would do and she did think about it and make that choice. It caused 2 deaths (in the book it was 2 though in the movie it was only 1) and it's not like she was shocked by that outcome. Dropping the nest of deadly wasps is not that different from throwing a bomb, I don't see how anyone could argue that Katniss did not make choices or that she chose not to kill.

Katniss could have just stayed up in that tree and who knows something else could have happened to remove the threat of the careers without making Katniss be responsible for the deaths.

The Rue thing... It kind of makes me wonder, let's say Rue is not killed and it's the end of the Hunger Games and the 3 people that are left are Rue, Katniss, and Peeta. What happens then? If Katniss values Rue's life over her own, does Peeta respect that choice or still seeks to keep Katniss alive at any cost? Does Katniss kill Peeta and then herself so that Rue can live?

Or does Rue somehow manage to kill them both to be the victor and her innocent angelic thing was all a clever ruse? Or it wasn't a ruse, she's still the same Rue but when it comes down to it she wants to live and values her life over the life of her friends.


Not actively pursuing and killing the other competitors in NOT the same as not making a choice. She was forced (with some slight volunteering) into a situation where she was presented with 2 options (Kill or be killed), and chose the third (survival). This choosing the third, non-presented, option is not unique to this story and is a common element in stories themed around maintaining morality in an "immoral" environment.
While she did try to avoid killing and preferred to get away and survive where she could, she never actually refused or refrained from killing, except with people for whom she cares (Peeta, Rue). I think the reviewer touched on that, that she was never in a position to refuse that option. For instance, the guy from Rue's district letting her go, or the Foxface girl, could both have been instances of morally conflicting choices. Neither was a "villain" per se, and were presented somewhat sympathetically, but they were also conveniently removed without Katniss having to make a choice about their lives or hers, as the Games bosses would almost certainly not have allowed the loophole they made for her and Peeta. She does use the tracker-jackers on the group below her tree, with full awareness of the possible lethality, so it isn't even like she was trying not to kill anyone, either.

Though the capitol has removed so many of the people's freedoms, Katniss is able to maintain her free will and choose to not descend into the violent murder role that the capitol has chosen for her.
She only refused to kill her friend. I think the reviewer was aware of this issue, but complained that she was spared the necessity of having to make this choice when it could result in her death.

In the end it could be debated that her choice to maintain her morality was more important to her than her own life when she chose double suicide when the gamemakers' reneged on their implied promise of a possible two survivors. I say debate because IIRC it is not 100% clear whether she would have gone though with it even if she felt the gamemakers were going to allow their deaths.
Agreed
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The Hunger Games gets a ... different kind of review. Artsapat - 03/04/2012 03:37:39 PM 2422 Views
"Written by a female with femalist themes" Vivien - 03/04/2012 04:38:54 PM 1179 Views
Ok, I did and basically it's garbage. *NM* Vivien - 03/04/2012 04:53:00 PM 1005 Views
I grant that I haven't read the Hunger Games yet LadyLorraine - 03/04/2012 05:10:38 PM 1132 Views
No, it's totally off. *NM* Aeryn - 03/04/2012 05:39:03 PM 984 Views
fair enough. like I said, I haven't read it yet. *NM* LadyLorraine - 03/04/2012 07:20:34 PM 924 Views
It's not. That's what shallow idiots say about things where women have power or physical skills *NM* Cannoli - 04/04/2012 03:45:22 PM 1005 Views
I can only speak for the film, which was not feminist. ironclad - 03/04/2012 06:01:18 PM 1091 Views
Where do I start? Vivien - 03/04/2012 07:43:18 PM 1096 Views
Hermoine was the most kick ass of the Potter kids. MightyYT - 04/04/2012 03:08:17 AM 951 Views
So? Hunger Games has lots of male characters. Vivien - 04/04/2012 05:30:21 AM 1004 Views
But that is exactly what feminist means "it could have been a boy just as well" Aeryn - 04/04/2012 01:42:43 PM 1085 Views
His racism point... Artsapat - 04/04/2012 02:32:43 PM 908 Views
Makes me almost wish I knew the source material so I could judge what he is saying A Deathwatch Guard - 03/04/2012 10:50:48 PM 987 Views
Why don't you think the Hunger Games are feminist? Vivien - 03/04/2012 11:17:53 PM 1098 Views
Why would I consider it to be femenist? A Deathwatch Guard - 04/04/2012 01:51:24 AM 991 Views
I just don't consider feminism as something that has to be radical. Vivien - 04/04/2012 05:42:59 AM 1060 Views
Completely agree with your first paragraph ironclad - 04/04/2012 08:22:35 AM 1047 Views
Re: Completely agree with your first paragraph DomA - 04/04/2012 01:43:55 PM 1015 Views
To you "feminist" is a dirty word? To me, it means acceptable. Differences in definitions I think Aeryn - 04/04/2012 01:50:32 PM 979 Views
Unfortunately truly ordinary female characters are so rare that the exceptions stand out Aeryn - 04/04/2012 01:49:16 PM 1048 Views
Fair enough ironclad - 04/04/2012 02:33:22 PM 1096 Views
Stop using female as a noun! Vivien - 04/04/2012 03:51:13 PM 985 Views
It's stuff like that that makes you lose cred ironclad - 04/04/2012 05:26:24 PM 1032 Views
It's fairly derogatory as a noun, though, have to agree with Vivien on that one. Legolas - 04/04/2012 07:30:18 PM 987 Views
I don't think Jens was really using it that way, though LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 07:34:28 PM 906 Views
Thank you! ironclad - 04/04/2012 08:03:38 PM 1022 Views
Of course he didn't intend it that way, but that's how it sounds. Legolas - 04/04/2012 08:06:03 PM 1007 Views
I understand that, but it's still such a ridiculous thing to get fussed over LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 09:20:01 PM 1046 Views
You are rather exaggerating just how "fussed" anyone did get, you do realize. Legolas - 04/04/2012 09:51:22 PM 960 Views
Her tone was not just "informative". It was accusatory LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 10:17:57 PM 931 Views
Female is perfectly acceptable to use in a medical/clinical setting. *NM* Vivien - 04/04/2012 10:36:57 PM 1161 Views
so if your problem is people using it disparagingly... LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 10:45:10 PM 905 Views
That's not what I said. Vivien - 04/04/2012 10:51:41 PM 1073 Views
I'm going to have to just outright disagree with you then. *NM* LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 10:54:25 PM 966 Views
Which flies in the face of it's ordinary usage, which smacks of needless revisionism. Dan - 06/04/2012 09:42:15 AM 972 Views
Oh please. Stop telling females to shut up. *NM* Aeryn - 09/04/2012 12:45:58 PM 1049 Views
If I wanted to be accusatory... Vivien - 04/04/2012 11:05:37 PM 972 Views
Accusatory of what.i think you meant annoyed. So youre annoyed she was annoyed? Let's out this to re *NM* Aeryn - 09/04/2012 12:44:17 PM 1030 Views
Are you a native English speaker, Legolas? (Clarified to preempt possible internet tears) Dan - 06/04/2012 09:29:28 AM 1001 Views
Nope. (edit) Legolas - 06/04/2012 07:23:54 PM 1004 Views
Re: Nope. (edit) Dan - 07/04/2012 04:51:30 AM 1058 Views
"Female that"? That's even worse. Legolas - 07/04/2012 11:42:00 AM 939 Views
Ok. Dan - 07/04/2012 03:27:16 PM 1247 Views
Let's try and whittle this down some so as to help you with the quotes. Legolas - 07/04/2012 05:42:32 PM 942 Views
However he meant it, it was unpleasant to read. Just use "woman" instead. *NM* Aeryn - 05/04/2012 08:13:13 PM 905 Views
Re: It's fairly derogatory as a noun, though, have to agree with Vivien on that one. DomA - 05/04/2012 02:21:21 AM 999 Views
I think the language difference is really interesting. nossy - 05/04/2012 03:13:03 PM 1004 Views
English is not French, and it's not German. Particularly the connotations of American English words Dan - 06/04/2012 09:39:00 AM 1089 Views
LOL! You don't say... DomA - 06/04/2012 05:06:20 PM 976 Views
LOL u so mad Dan - 06/04/2012 06:19:28 PM 961 Views
The prospect of "losing cred" is not going to stop me from speaking my mind. Vivien - 04/04/2012 10:30:03 PM 955 Views
My dear Aeryn - 09/04/2012 01:07:34 PM 1018 Views
LOL ironclad - 09/04/2012 01:57:53 PM 837 Views
guess what, it is a noun. *NM* LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 07:26:39 PM 836 Views
That's the first time I have ever heard/seen anyone say that. nossy - 04/04/2012 08:19:02 PM 981 Views
well it's important that you say "female human" LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 09:28:45 PM 945 Views
Re: That's the first time I have ever heard/seen anyone say that. Vivien - 04/04/2012 10:48:07 PM 933 Views
wait, so now you're claiming it's a grammatical thing? *NM* LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 10:58:31 PM 955 Views
No, I have issues with words that begin with the letter f. Vivien - 04/04/2012 11:09:45 PM 984 Views
ooookay then. LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 11:11:23 PM 1029 Views
Re: That's the first time I have ever heard/seen anyone say that. nossy - 05/04/2012 02:08:26 AM 1011 Views
Re: Stop using female as a noun! dacole - 05/04/2012 02:18:47 PM 886 Views
If dislike of the use of female as a noun makes me crazy town, I'm not the only crazy in here. Vivien - 05/04/2012 05:59:16 PM 932 Views
For the record, I certainly don't think you're crazy town. nossy - 05/04/2012 07:23:18 PM 958 Views
Oh, so now we're using 'dislike' instead of 'should'. It's funny how you fell back on that. Dan - 06/04/2012 10:01:59 AM 977 Views
Fascinating. Vivien - 06/04/2012 09:54:47 PM 981 Views
Re: Fascinating. Dan - 07/04/2012 03:54:26 AM 978 Views
Just in case (however slim that chance may be) you are genuinely interested in citations/references. Vivien - 07/04/2012 05:34:37 AM 971 Views
What a joke. Do you even know what grammar is? Dan - 07/04/2012 05:57:40 AM 1032 Views
Oh, come off it. This should be the point where you admit to being wrong. Legolas - 07/04/2012 12:11:07 PM 907 Views
Sorry, no. Read better. Dan - 07/04/2012 02:23:10 PM 936 Views
*deletes long reply* Let's focus on the essence here. Legolas - 07/04/2012 06:38:08 PM 934 Views
Re: *deletes long reply* Let's focus on the essence here. Dan - 07/04/2012 09:26:34 PM 1070 Views
Aha, we found the problem Aeryn - 09/04/2012 01:03:35 PM 1044 Views
You're being disingenuous. Aeryn - 09/04/2012 12:57:38 PM 952 Views
Re: If dislike of the use of female as a noun makes me crazy town, I'm not the only crazy in here. dacole - 09/04/2012 03:09:06 AM 958 Views
Nothing wrong with your use of female. You should ignore those crazy foreigners saying otherwise. *NM* snoopcester - 06/04/2012 02:49:41 PM 828 Views
I think I'll start saying males instead of men. If the males here don't mind? *NM* Aeryn - 09/04/2012 12:58:54 PM 952 Views
To be fair Artsapat - 04/04/2012 02:37:25 PM 987 Views
You didn't see thmovie? She is far from passive Aeryn - 04/04/2012 01:46:16 PM 1008 Views
Re: You didn't see thmovie? She is far from passive Artsapat - 04/04/2012 02:23:33 PM 950 Views
Re: You didn't see thmovie? She is far from passive Bored - 04/04/2012 07:51:46 PM 957 Views
This Cannoli - 05/04/2012 12:20:04 AM 952 Views
Interesting. I really need to read these books soon, evidently. *NM* Legolas - 03/04/2012 10:52:43 PM 927 Views
I got half way through the review and got bored. MightyYT - 04/04/2012 03:09:58 AM 945 Views
And it appears the writer of the article completely missed a central point of the story *spoilers* Mat Maniac - 04/04/2012 05:44:40 AM 996 Views
I think that might be debatable Cannoli - 05/04/2012 06:59:35 PM 975 Views
She still made plenty of choices and she did choose to kill. Vivien - 05/04/2012 07:13:47 PM 920 Views
The reviewer is kind of full of it, but makes a good point about the character Cannoli - 04/04/2012 04:22:30 PM 1034 Views
Out of curiosity (this off topic) LadyLorraine - 04/04/2012 07:32:25 PM 927 Views
Rachel, of course. Cannoli - 05/04/2012 12:17:41 AM 1024 Views
Well. Now I've actually seen it. (mild spoilers) Legolas - 09/04/2012 12:17:03 AM 1025 Views
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