The Hunger Games: Chapters 19-27

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

The remaining chapters (chapters 19-27) of The Hunger Games will be discussed in this thread, as well as the overall book itself.

Now that we're drawing to the end of the book, which struck you more, the characters or the plot itself? Was there anything that stood out for you? What did you think of the overall book?

Please remember to include spoiler tags where necessary.

[Arianna Stonewater]

Part of me is really glad Katniss and Peeta are reunited, and part of me still thinks this is a definitely a trap and they are silly for falling for it. I am glad they got the change to act up on the romance stuff Peeta had set into motion, but I also wondered what Gale was feeling back home. He and Katniss never formally had a romantic relationship, but surely he felt the same way she did, right?

I liked the story about the goat, and i thought it was a good representation of Katniss. This story was everything that makes her happy; hunting with Gale, bargaining, doing things for her sister....this was really a story to make Katniss feel better, not Peeta.

I wish we had more info from Thresh. I mean, i always thought I would have loved more about all of the tributes, but Rue didn't really talk about him and i like to think he could have been an ally to Katniss. On the other hand, he shouldn't have let Katniss live, as he was going to have to kill her eventually anyway.

I liked all the moments of honesty we got from chapters 22 and 23, and i really loved Katniss' realization that even the richest of the poor (the shopkeepers) are still very poor. If she/Peeta win, they will still be classes below the poorest of the Capitol.

The mutations are something i wish had actually been represented in the movies. They were supposed to be more like werewolves, but the movies made them more like dogs. I think of all the things the Capitol did though, this was the most cruel. I mean, the games itself are cruel, but taking the dead and mutating them to haunt those who are still living? Not only is that cruel to the living, but its extra cruel to their friends and families back home who have already lost someone.

I thought it was clever for Katniss and Peeta to trick the Gamemakers into letting them both win, but surely they knew there would be repercussions?

I thought it was interesting that the Capitol completely (physically) heals them (well almost completely) before sending them on to the post-game interview and back home. I thought the ending moments really pulled this story to a close, but left a lot open for a sequel, which is good. I would have liked more reunion with family type things though.

I did want to mention that I thought it was a weird thing for Katniss to think about with her relationships with Gale and Peeta about whether or not she would be able to love either enough to marry and start a family with as she was only 16 and living in a world I wouldn't want to bring a child into, but that might just be me.

Ultimately, I think the plot struck me more than the characters. We didn't get a lot of information about the characters (mostly i'm sure due to this being from Katniss' perspective) but pretty much everything was plot driven. There were times when i was a little annoyed with characters' decisions as they weren't in the best interest of winning the games, but I'm sure if we knew more about the character we would see that there was something in their past or their personality that made them do the things they did.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

By the time I got to these chapters of The Hunger Games, I was swept up in the story. Okay, this is a fully imagined world, and things are the way they are. Life sucks and then you die. Or ... maybe not.

The previous chapter ends with "Before I can stop myself, I call out Peeta's name." And Part III of the book, 'The Victor' starts up. (to Amy -- Good division of parts to read! While not an even number of pages division, for actual content of the story, it works very well.)

Somehow, in a strange way, it becomes a different story. The boy to whom Katniss has felt an obligation, had started to like -- in spite of herself it seems, and who is now a young man -- she won't have to kill him. The world as perceived by her shifts on its axis, and in a good way. Perhaps she can survive the games and with her integrity intact.

From then on, it becomes a thing of her against, not the other Tributes, but against the Games Makers, against the Capitol. In effect, it's a thing of her against President Snow (even if she doesn't realize this). This is a huge foreshadowing of the books to come, too.

I think she didn't realize the perfidy of the Game Makers, of President Snow. He has absolutely no intention of allowing two 'winners' of the Games but is just milking the show for all its worth.

The Mutts (mentioned by Arianna above) are abominations. I don't believe that the actual person is in those bodies but to use the eyes? To give verisimilitude to them that way? How horrifying for Katniss to think she sees Rue in one of those things.

They (Katniss and Peeta) survive - through a clever trick of Katniss's. Yay for her for earning the enmity of President Snow, giving the people oppressed by the Capitol some sort of hope and being a sign of rebellion, even if all she wants is to go home and be done with it all. Yay for her ... and life sucks and then you live.

Do I like this world, or would like to live in it? No. But it's a good book. I'm glad that the story continues on with two more installments.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

I love that summary, Tarma. Although as I used to roleplay THG, I suppose a small part of me wanted to live there, if only briefly.

I always find the end a little frustrating. Peeta is within his right to be angry with Katniss but not nearly to the extent he is. The girl had so much more on her plate than he did, wounds or no. Besides, there was no way for her to know for sure whether his feelings were genuine. Blah, I don't know, I guess no one could come out of a situation like that emotionally well.