#which Peeta also has towards Gale

[mollywog]

Gale knows his anger at Madge is misdirected. On other days, deep in the woods, I’ve listened to him rant about how the tesserae are just another tool to cause misery in our district. A way to plant hatred between the starving workers of the Seam and those who can generally count on supper and thereby ensure we will never trust one another. “It’s to the Capitol’s advantage to have us divided among ourselves,” he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine. If it wasn’t reaping day. If a girl with a gold pin and no tesserae had not made what I’m sure she thought was a harmless comment.

As we walk, I glance over at Gale’s face, still smoldering underneath his stony expression. His rages seem pointless to me, although I never say so. It’s not that I don’t agree with him. I do. But what good is yelling about the Capitol in the middle of the woods? It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make things fair. It doesn’t fill our stomachs. In fact, it scares off the nearby game. I let him yell though. Better he does it in the woods than in the district.

Gale isn’t blaming the Merchants for the division: he is correctly identifying that the Merchant/Seam divide is a Capitol created division to distract the district citizens from the real enemy.

[imaginaldisk2024]

also as i reread the books i really want to examine the idea of Peeta and Gale as representations of "peace and war" because I think that that is an extreme oversimplification for both of them. Peeta being "peace" is not right because he's not afraid to be disruptive and disobey when necessary. In his first real scene he literally throws Haymitch's glass away from him. Hell, "peace" in stories isn't presented as a good thing. There's the uneasy peace that is literally the purpose of the games to ensure. It's not a good thing. The only reason Katniss is able to settle down and live the life she wanted to is because of rebellion and war.

Peeta is not a metaphor for choosing peace. He is just radically kind and empathetic in a world where selfishness and apathy are the best way to ensure survival. And this is something Katniss cannot comprehend at the beginning. She is confused when Peeta cleans Haymitch up alone, instead of asking a Capitol aide to help him because that would be good revenge. She cannot understand that he is just a kind person.

Gale, on the other hand, is extremely vengeful. And as much as I dislike him for the way he behaved towards Katniss after her games, his anger is justified and sympathetic. But it leads no where. In the end, his line of thinking parallels that to the Capitol, who created the Games as revenge for their peace and comfort being destroyed by the rebels. Obviously, Gale has many more reasons to be angry than the Capitol ever would, but using his rage and anger to lead the rebellion instead of the empathetic and kind view of Peeta, which seeks to create a better world for the oppressed, is what ultimately will crush the rebellion and destroy its root cause.

and the story is about Katniss coming to accept Peeta's outlook on the world is better grounds for a rebellion than Gale's. In the beginning of book 1 she literally tries her best to distance herself from Peeta because she is quite literally afraid of kindness and sees it as a way that he is exposing her weakness. In the end she realizes that the only world safe enough to settle down in is one that prioritizes kindness and its citizens. It's not about "peace versus war" because by choosing "peace" the cause leads to nowhere. But by choosing to create a safer and better society, there is always a greater reason to fight.

[acekoomboom]

So.

Gale Killed Prim, and his relationship with Katniss ended because of it. Why is Peeta different?

"Why was she able to forgive Peeta but not him? She had dismissed Gale from her life with barely a blink. Snow had twisted Peeta’s gifts and turned him into a weapon against the people he loved. Hadn’t Coin done the same thing to Gale? He loved Prim like his own sister." A quote from oakfarmer on ao3 that I actually have SO many thoughts on, though I can't remember which of their fanfics this is from. Darn me for not labelling my notes well enough.

What it boils down to, for me I think, is that the capitol has to create things to manipulate Peeta but D13 used what was already there for Gale. Gale already had a mean arrogant streak and wasn't good at taking criticism or rejection. He already had a cold callousness about killing and death. He was already a bit radicalized, and Coin did twist that into something worse. No, Gale didn't kill Prim, Coin did. BUT Gale did invent the weapon + tactic used by his ally and superior to kill her. Katniss told him it was wrong, this trap he'd made, and he condescended to her about it, how this is just how war works. Acted like she was just naive about it. His own ignorance of the reality of life and death and his complete disregard for human life on the other side of the war is what got Prim killed.

Peeta, on the other hand, is nothing like his highjacked self. They didn't take pieces of his personality, personal flaws, etc. and twist them into their perfect soldier. The capitol had to use false memories, had to inflate his insecurities, had to use chemicals and torture and mutated venom. They didn't make Peeta aggressive through hatred or vengeance, they made him aggressive through bodily fear. The venom and his body's extreme adrenaline, fight or flight response to that. He didn't attack Katniss bc he thought he was better than her or bc she deserved it, he attacked her because the very sight of her caused his body to go into overdrive of adrenaline to protect himself from her. This is a Peeta that *hates* Katniss, and he wants to kill her, but her specifically. He only reacts negatively towards other people (other than normal trauma-induced stuff) when she is involved somehow, like him flipping out on Delly while Katniss watched behind the glass.

These characters are not equivalent. And from a meta perspective, they're not supposed to be. Katniss ends up picking Peeta. Yes, the character obviously would have picked him, but also Katniss as a narrative figure picks him. She picks what he represents. Integrity and war. That boy on the rooftop that said he was willing to kill himself defense and to do what he needed to do but wanted to stay himself. Wanted to stay a human being even in that violence. Wanted to come out the other side of it still intact. Wanted the flowers to grow again after the harsh winter; a dandelion in the spring. Not the cycle of destruction, of forever punishing those that have wronged you, that both Gale and a capitol-kids hunger game would represent.

Which brings my thoughts also to the male loneliness epidemic. (We won't even get started on the fact that when women have problems it's something they need to just get over and take a joke, but when men have problems it's an epidemic) That is Gale. Yes, he has absolutely valid reasons behind his emotions. But he then takes those emotions and becomes radicalized, become something lesser. And that is so indicative of our current political climate in a lot of ways. Men have been hurt by the patriarchy also, they have been raised and socialized and desensitized and to not forming genuine emotional connections with the men around them or the women there in a relationships with. And I do separate those specifically, because men are also taught to not see women as people, so to a lot of men you are either a. someone they are related to b. someone they are romantically interested in or c. someone they are sexually interested in. And that is all a woman can be to them, not a friend.

So every which way they turn men are not taught the skills it takes to not be lonely. Community and having a support system and a network of people doesn't just happen by accident. That is something that you build, and cultivate, and prune, and intentionally add to. Men are lonely because they want someone else to do the work for them. The onus is on them and the system that made them that way.

And that man is the same as Gale. Someone who is rightfully hurt and wounded by the society they live in but then takes those real feelings and experiences and lets it justify all of the awfulness that follows.

Gale and Peeta are not equivalent. In dumbed down terms, Gale became bad because of what was already in him and then was fine to stay that way. Peeta became bad because of something someone else put in him, and then he did the work to not stay that way.

Oakfarmer again, to bring my rambling back to its original point: "Snow turned Peeta into a weapon, Coin turned Gale into a weapon. Both had been unleashed to destroy Katniss. They were the same, but they weren’t the same at all. The Capitol pumped venom into Peeta to create a hateful mutt. Coin only needed to provide an outlet for the hateful venom already circulating Gale’s veins. Hate and rage, he had never tried to suppress. Hate and rage, Peeta painstakingly clawed his way out of to recover his identity."

[stay-with-me--always]

I need to take a moment and do a deep dive on the scene where Katniss sits with Gale after he's been whipped vs the scene where Katniss sits with Peeta as they work on the plant book.

Why these two scenes? These scenes in particular I feel like have a lot of similarities as far as Katniss' narration is concerned. They are both scenes where she is alone with either boy in an unrushed, natural environment where she is capable of really looking at them and noticing them both. and in both scenes she IS actively noticing them. it is important to note though, that the tone of these scenes are pretty different, since Gale's is right after he was whipped, and she's still reeling from her intense day. Even so, the plant book scene with Peeta takes place during a time where Katniss has more reason to be worried about her life/family than ever, so I feel like a direct comparison of these isn't too much of a stretch.

----

The Gale text in question:

"I touch parts of him I have never had cause to touch before. His heavy, dark eyebrows, the curve of his cheek, the line of his nose, the hollow at the base of his neck. I trace the outline of stubble on his jaw and finally work my way to his lips. Soft and full, slightly chapped. His breath warms my chilled skin." (CF, 116)

The biggest thing to note is the detail in which she describes him. Katniss takes her time and touches Gale's face with her hand, taking in his features. and yet, most of the descriptions are very generic and could adequately be attributed to most anyone's face, including Peeta's. Even the lines where she takes a bit more notice 'his heavy, dark eyebrows', 'the outline of the stubble on his jaw' are pretty vague and don't give much detail into her REALLY noticing him. the most detailed part we get is the last line about his lips.

Let's keep all of that in mind while we contrast that to the lines any Everlark fan probably knows by heart - the eyelash scene:

"I also become a little fixated on his eyelashes, which ordinarily you don't notice much because they're so blond. But up close, in the sunlight slanting in from the window, they're a light golden color and so long I don't see how they keep from getting all tangled up when he blinks." (CF, 161)

In the time it took for her to describe Gale's entire face, she only managed to describe Peeta's eyelashes. the level of detail that she notices about Peeta goes far beyond what she sees about Gale, even in a moment where she's really taking the time to look at him. The description she gives about Gale's face really accentuates her feelings towards their relationship - practical, obvious, concise. Whereas the description for Peeta just highlights what shes been thinking about him all along - interesting, perplexing, alluring. It's clear from those paragraphs that she just doesn't see Gale in the same way that she sees Peeta.

These scenes can be analyzed all day, and I've been busy making notes on the way she describes both boys, to be compiled and analyzed once I've gone through all 3 books, but I feel like these two scenes alone give a very good look into Katniss' mind and what she really sees in each of her boys.

[ceruleansx]

healed | peeta mellark

↳ warnings : mentions of blood, fluffff

↳ summary : after a fight with gale, you tried to find your house. after accidentally going to peeta's instead of yours, you still decided to stay with him.

↳ reader x soft!peeta x mean!gale

↳ a/n : yall r gonna like this one. also sorry for gale people

------------------------------------------------------------

your ears were ringing and you mind was dazing. did gale really hit you and throw you against the wall? you vision was in a blur as you stumbled up the wall.

"y/n i-" you heard gale say. it was probably in his normal voice, but after the impact with you and the wall, it seemed muffled.

you basically ignored his words and opened the door quickly. you didnt want to risk him getting mad again and hitting you once more.

"y/n!!" he yelled, this time a little more clear.

he was upset you went to the woods, knowing that it has become more dangerous.

you walked the streets, trying to recongnize your house. they were all the same looking, since you won the games.

one house looked like it could've been yours. you didn't even hesitate, so you knocked on the door, hoping your mom would answer and rescue you.

you waited for about 5 minutes, until you turned away. before you moved to the next house, you heard the door spring open.

you turned around desparetly, still hoping it was family.

it was peeta mellark.

he was panting fast, like he sprinted for his life down those staires.

"y/n...?" he says out of breath.

you walk up to his door. like usual, you wouldve rolled your eyes and left. but something about that night made you stay.

once you were closer, he finally got a good look at the big scrach and bruises on your face. his heavy breathing almost stopped, and his eyebrows turned into a concern.

"who did this to you?" he grazed his thumb across the wound on your cheek.

you winced at the contact. "gale."

he nods and takes you in. "i'll get you cleaned up okay. lord knows if you could get an infection." he chuckles softly.

you smile at his gesture. you look around his house, almost looking the same interior as yours. but the smell of bread got your attention.

"hmm.." you mumbled.

he smirked and looked towards the kitchen.

"ohh i see," you could hear his smirk forming, "you want bread, huh?"

you nodded, "please, your bread smells to good."

"lucky for you, its fresh." he chuckles.

he carried you two the kitchen and sits you down to the counter. he goes to the oven and tears out a piece of bread.

"here.." he says softly as he hands you an doughy piece.

you two eat the bread in silence, sitting in each other's comfortable silence.

------------------------------------------------------------

peeta places you at the edge of the bathtub. he reaches for a small cloth and waits for the hot water to turn up.

"you didnt have to do this ya know.." you said as you two waited.

he shrugs. "you chose the right house." he smirked.

you smiled and looked down at the face to hide your blush. it cant be. your so called enemy since elementary is being nice. and you like it?

the fact made you look back at him. you didn't realize that he cuter than you thought. his nose was the perfect shape, and god were his arms big.

his beautiful blonde hair fell down his forhead so effortlesly. the thoughts made you admire him.

"i would say staring is rude," he leans toward you with the cloth. "but i dont mind it cause it's you."

you open your mouth slightly, and there was no going back to the blush on your face.

he stroked your cheek lightly with the cloth as you two held eye contact. for a long time. the blood went away, but the stare between you and him didn't.

why was peeta mellark making you feel this way.

you wanted to do something that you didn't want to do, yet it felt so right.

you looked at his lips, his eyes, then his lips again. you grabbed his face and smashed your lips with his. his lips fitted with yours perfectly. his teeth softly bit your bottom lip, which made the butterflies in your stomach go even crazier.

you two eventually pulled away and leaned each others forheads together.

"can gale kiss and treat you like this?" peeta says whispered, almost like gale could hear.

"never in a million years peeta." you say before leaning into another sweet kiss.

[sasukekys]

the fundamental difference between katniss and gale.

katniss contrasts the people from the seam and the merchants, because she knows the former have it rougher, but she not only knows the anger towards the merchants would be misdirected, but she also learns that peeta, who had it easier than her, isn’t as wealthy as she imagined, that his family, despite not battling starvation, only eats the leftovers because they can’t afford fresh food. her only friend at school is the mayor’s daughter, someone gale resents.

so the problem must be with the other people in the districts. but it’s not, and katniss knows the capitol tries to keep the districts alienated from each other to fuel the feeling of distrust and discourage their union. she learns from rue that people in district 11, for example, also struggle to put food on the table, despite its economy being agriculture, workers there can’t eat what they harvest.

would the problem be the careers, who eat better and train their whole lives to win the games and get the glory? but they are children as much as any other tribute. she can’t bring herself to hate marvel. despite him killing rue, he also appeared vulnerable in his death. cato’s death is much crueler, and after katniss’ act of mercy, both her and peeta feel hollow at his death. the problem isn’t with the other tributes too. meanwhile gale compares killing other tributes to killing animals.

so it has to be the capitol citizens… but she still can’t bring herself to hate them, because not only katniss understands they have different upbringings, and she herself wonders how different she would be if she was raised in their environment, but she learns that, despite being sometimes alienated to the point of acting insensitive, most of them are willing to help, they cry for her for having to return to the games and they respect and are nice to her mother. katniss doesn’t want her team to be tortured at district 13, because she knows it’s wrong, something gale can’t bring himself to comprehend, simply because they are from the capitol.

katniss’ anger isn’t misdirected, she remembers who the real enemy is, which would be snow, but also coin, the political leaders that put the people in those positions for their own interest and safety. i don’t believe gale would kill children wholeheartedly, but he does believe in “necessary evils”, like taking the easier solution with the nut, the one that would have more casualties, and he designed the bombs that killed children and healers and sisters. so where do you exactly draw the line when it’s all extremism?

gale and katniss have the same upbringing, have gone through similar experiences, losing their fathers on the same accident, signing up for the tesserae, battling against starvation, getting their district bombed, but they go on opposite directions. gale falls into extremism because he sees human life as expendable. katniss extends her compassion, because rebellion comes from loving humanity and believing a better life is possible. fire can’t burn enough to turn everything into ashes. the last chapter or the epilogue isn’t a surprise, it’s just a synthesis of what has been going for three books.

[wistfulweaverwoman]

Could you share your thoughts on Madge?

The screenwriters/director apparently felt she was irrelevant, but she must have a deeper meaning to the series, right?

Oh wow, thank you for the question!!!

So yes, Madge's character sure does have a deeper meaning!

On the most surface level of the story Madge acts, in part, as a characterization for Katniss. As we all know, Katniss is a pretty unreliable narrator. She seems to be under the impression that she's just like Gale but here's a prime example of why she's not. Madge is Katniss's only friend, other than Gale. And she's not just a merchant kid, she's the daughter of the mayor. While Gale has a narrow viewpoint and see things much more in black and white(she claims he understands the socioeconomic differences are just the Capitols way to divide 12, but he has a really tough time extending empathy to people he doesn’t relate to, unlike Katniss who is incredibly empathetic when she takes time to put herself in the shoes of others), Katniss actually has a more nuanced understanding about the Seam/Merchant dynamic which later extends to deeper understanding to the other tributes and even Capitol citizens all really just being victims to their circumstances. With the director ditching (mostly, Gale still has a few choice words about merchants) the whole Seam/Merchant narrative her role is vastly diminished.

The pin that Madge gives to Katniss as a district token (and later the symbol of rebellion) is so much more important in the books because of who it used to belong to, Maysilee Donner, who was Madge's aunt (her mom's twin), Katniss's mothers best friend, and partnered with Haymitch in his games. It's most likely Haymitch's own experience in surviving the arena with Maysilee as a team that gives him the idea to partner Peeta and Katniss. Without Madge most of these connections are lost.

In the metanarrative Madge represents a lot more. She, through the symbolism of her name, offers salvation through sacrifice. She gives Katniss the pin:

"His eyes land on a small, circular pin that adorns her dress. Real gold. Beautifully crafted. It could keep a family in bread for months."

And then she basically risks her life to bring pain medicine for Gale, who hasn't been particularly nice to her:

When she opens it, there’s not a squad of Peacekeepers but a single, snow-caked figure. Madge. She holds out a small, damp cardboard box to me. “Use these for your friend,” she says. I take off the lid of the box, revealing half a dozen vials of clear liquid. “They’re my mother’s. She said I could take them. Use them, please.” She runs back into the storm before we can stop her.

Madge (and Mags) is short for Margaret, which is derived from the Greek word for Pearl (pearl is derived from the Sanskrit word for Pure). Peeta and Katniss are Pearls as well, so I'll expand on the pearl theme beyond just Madge.

Pearls themselves are created through sacrifice, traditionally the life of the oyster is forfeit for the gem. In some asian cultures the pearl represented the journey of the soul or spirit along the path to perfection (The Hunger Games trilogy is a retelling of Dante's Comedies- which represents the souls journey towards Paradise- the pearl symbolically represents Katniss’s inner arc). In ancient burials, mourners placed pearls in the mouths of the deceased. Since pearls apparently contained the principles of life, they hoped they could assist the dead on their journeys beyond. Mourners also decorated burial gifts and clothes with pearls.

Pearls are mentioned a LOT in the books. Here's a few quotes:

‘Well, if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!’” Effie beams at us so brilliantly that we have no choice but to respond enthusiastically to her cleverness even though it’s wrong.

He unzips the bag, revealing one of the wedding dresses I wore for the photo shoot. Heavy white silk with a low neckline and tight waist and sleeves that fall from my wrists to the floor. And pearls. Everywhere pearls. Stitched into the dress and in ropes at my throat and forming the crown for the veil.

As coal pressured into pearls by our weighty existence. Beauty that arose out of pain. Peeta rinses the pearl off in the water and hands it to me. “For you.” I hold it out on my palm and examine its iridescent surface in the sunlight.

I sit back on my bed cross-legged and find myself rubbing the smooth iridescent surface of the pearl back and forth against my lips. For some reason, it’s soothing. A cool kiss from the giver himself.

Katniss putting the pearl to her lips as both the mourner and the dead. We can actually infer that the pearl is a placeholder for Peeta.

But what exactly does the pearl represent beyond the obvious? There's the biblical symbolism and then there's literary symbolism.

There's a ton of Christian symbolism in these books, probably the most obvious being the Christ-like sacrifices that Peeta makes, he sacrifices his body to provide the life saving bread, and again in the arena which after spends three days in a cave, followed by his resurrection. The trilogy follows the Divine Comedies, Katniss as the heart and caught between Gale (the body) and Peeta (the spirit).

You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.

Above from the Bible, below from The Hunger Games

It was the boy. In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black.

Below is a quote from the Bible (Revelations) describing the 12 gates of Jerusalem. It could be written off as a coincidence, 12 gates, 12 districts, except that the 8th gate is the Cotton Merchants' Gate, which correlates to District 8, which is the district that manufactures textiles and uniforms.

And the twelve gates of the city were twelve pearls; each single gate was made from one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 

In literary symbolism Pearl, (the daughter of Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter), represents several things. Pearl was the physical manifestation of Hester's sin (adultery), the pregnancy therefore making it apparent she had sinned. At the same time Pearl was a blessing, as without her she would have most likely committed suicide.

 “… Had they taken her away from me (Pearl), I would have willingly gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!”

This is similar to Katniss's thinking at the beginning of Mockingjay

Peeta. If I knew for sure that he was dead, I could just disappear into the woods and never look back.

Below is a quote from the end of The Scarlet Letter:

"Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl’s errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled."

And another quote from the near end of Mockingjay:

I lean in and kiss Peeta full on the mouth. His whole body starts shuddering, but I keep my lips pressed to his until I have to come up for air. My hands slide up his wrists to clasp his. “Don’t let him take you from me.” Peeta’s panting hard as he fights the nightmares raging in his head. “No. I don’t want to . . .” I clench his hands to the point of pain. “Stay with me.” His pupils contract to pinpoints, dilate again rapidly, and then return to something resembling normalcy. “Always,” he murmurs.

I delve a bit into the Divine Comedies in this post.

[lemonhemlock]

it’s beginning to boil my blood how the narrative only half way acknowledges things to the detriment of team green but goes back to being blind as soon as it’s team black.

we’re supposed to forget about jaeherys being beheaded and b&c cuz oh war is so pointless they don’t even remember why they’re fighting but would you look at that in the same scene rhaenyra is allowed to remember Luke and demand ‘a son for a son’ with literally no pushback from Alicent and please can people stop overly intellectualising a sigh from Alicent like at this point we need to dialogue okay especially when rhaenyra is so willing to skip past b&c

now it would’ve been interesting how rhaenyra doesn’t acknowledge b&c but the narrative also wants us to forget as well so it’s like she gets to have the best of both worlds. She gets to be appalled initially and say ‘I would never do that to helaena’ so the audience knows that rhaenyra would never commit something so heinous but then she also gets to brush past that easily and forget about it and invite the man responsible for this back into her team and we’re again not supposed to acknowledge the implications of that for her character cuz she needs the stronger team and she gets to be righteous af the same time. Like please let her do these things but you have to acknowledge that it very well appears that that ‘outrage’ for helaena wasn’t entirely real and she truly only cares about her throne.

we need team green crippled so let’s let team black go through with the blockade but no wait we don’t actually want the audience to reconcile this with how much of an indication it is of how truly little team black also cares about the small folk but no actually rhaenyra gets to go through with the blockade but narrative also praises her for having such a big heart to send in food and she’s so politically savvy.

a member of team black burns hundreds of people on the coronation of the king of one side but the narrative never acknowledges that but we give wait to scenes acknowledging how killing the rat catchers is to the detriment of team green.

Alicent gets to allow the resentment to fester and think the only solution is getting her children beheaded but she’s not allowed to direct even the slightest of resentment towards viserys cuz oh no that might suggest interesting things about the characters of rhaenyra and daemon cuz how are they still able to put that man on a pedestal after what he has done the selfishness it takes to be able to do that.

Alicent is given lectures of how she toils in the service of men but oh let’s ignore the fact that one of those men was viserys cuz we’re supposed to think he’s cool.

I had initially thought this teams angle was marketing cuz the same thing happens all the time eg hunger games peeta and gale teams but that the narrative won’t fully buy into that but no they want for us to watch this as if it’s a football match and we’re supposed to be fully be on one team cuz look the teams actually aren’t team black and green, they’re actually team good and bad.

^^^^ this so much and especially this:

you can't write an entire season skipping important characterisation work and expecting people to "fill in the gaps" SO OFTEN and for SO MANY important characters

i'm sorry but at which point do you draw a line and say enough? question for the defenders of this season: can you indicate the ballpark in which a piece of media that does this ceases to be conducive to <contemplation> and ~discussion~ and "invite multiple interpretations" and becomes just plain incompetent storytelling?

after how many "fill in the gaps" sequences in the space of 8 episodes? 5? 6? after how many characters repeatedly being subjected to this process? give me a number. really, i'm asking.

[thesweetnessofspring]

One thing I think the fandom doesn’t do enough is give Peeta a little more credit with with being cognizant of Katniss’s feelings for him pre hijacking. Now do I believe he did think Katniss preferred Gale after the whipping and think he was very selfless about that that night. But I do also think he noticed her avoiding Gale about it and them not acting like a couple at all afterwards. And from the point of her broken ankle to the QQ announcement I always thought that he was noticing the signs of her behavior changing, he just refused to admit it because he was wrong before and doesn’t think highly of himself. And then from the QQ announcement he refused to think about it because he’s accepted dying for her and Gale is an easier solution for him too. I think the hug on the train was a relief for both of them to act a little selfishly and just give in to what they wanted (each other) before dying for the other and to not overthink everything to death like they always do for the sake of others

Ooooh Non coming in with the hot takes! lol

We know that Peeta--or at least hijacked!Peeta who has slowly been getting his real memories back--believes that Katniss is in love with Gale and will choose him after the whipping. We also know that Peeta questioned Katniss whether or not she loved him, whether or not she liked kissing him or kissing Gale.

And I think that this probably tracks for how Peeta was figuring it out in real time. That he knew not all of the Games was an act, that Katniss sought physical affection from him, that she was willing to die for him. But at the same time, all he knows about the kiss between her and Gale (the first one) was that it happened. As far as Peeta knows, Katniss has never kissed Peeta of her own free will but she did with Gale. And she lost it when Gale was whipped, responded to Haymitch's jab about Madge with jealousy, and stayed up with Gale all night, and that Gale had to spend at least days (maybe even two weeks?) at the Everdeens' while his back healed. After, the lack of Gale coming over he can no doubt put the blame on Gale's work schedule. And we don't know that Gale never came over, but it would be odd if he never checked in on Katniss for weeks when not only she's been hurt, but also because he's trying to win her over so he's going to come over whenever he can. And as for their lack of couple-like behavior from Katniss and Gale could also be explained by the increase of Thread's presence and Snow's threat, so that any couple activities they did would have to be hush-hush from anyone else seeing or picking up on.

But the Quell, THAT had to change things. The distance he put between them during training seemed to signal his own preparation to ensure Katniss wanted and chose Gale, so that she'd let him die for her. But once Gale is gone and will only see them as an "act" and Katniss lets her vulnerability show to Peeta...like you said, it was a relief to both of them. Neither broke the hug, it was the attendant coming in. Yet I also think it's important to remember how Katniss also got upset at Peeta for calling her pure and shut him out when she saw what happened to Darius and kept her distance at training (and resenting Johanna showing off her breasts, which she associated with Peeta and the elevator). Then she's back to being loving, and then the cameras were on. All of that to say, even when they're at their strongest (Quell-reaping onward) there's still bumps and difficulties as well as like you mentioned, Peeta pushing Gale forward toward Katniss so that she would live. As for the undeniable married-vibes they give off, as you said, Peeta could also explain those away. That she needs comfort, too, in these last days. That she's such a heroic, self-sacrificing person she would die for any number of people and he's no different. And again that wound he has of not seeing his worth and feeling unloved.

Thanks for sending your thoughts Non!

[kataraslove]

hello! I have already seen the opinion several times that everlark and zutara are very similar ships. as a big everlark shipper, I feel that there is something wrong with such an opinion. what can you say about it?

everlark and zutara are similar ships??? how???

zutara has always been given grace from the fandom for as long as i can remember, has always been the fandom preference, while back in the 2010s people despised everlark and wanted katniss to get with gale simply because they found liam hemsworth so much hotter. i directly recall all of my friends being team gale and making fun of me for being team peeta while the movies were coming out. i’m glad that the fandom seems to have done a 180 since the ending of the books and movies; but i also see people taking part in revisionist history by saying that everlark was always the fandom’s preferred choice & i just want to remind y’all that no!!! early everlark stans were in the trenches!

not to mention the criticisms towards everlark and kataang are very similar? i.e., it was forced, katara/katniss didn’t actually love them, aang/peeta coerced their partners into a relationship, aang/peeta isn’t masculine enough for katara/katniss, it was trauma bonding, etc etc. sometimes when i read anti everlark opinions, i get a serious case of deja vu because i’ve heard those exact arguments being used for kataang.

i’ll have to reread the hunger games trilogy for an accurate comparison on the similarities and differences between everlark and the two atla ships. i can, however, offer my two cents based on the following quote:

“That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.”

and based on what iroh has said about zuko and katara’s dynamic in the legacy of the fire nation, which i think summarizes it perfectly:

“she was certainly the whetstone against which you honed and sharpened your fury, at least for some time.”

“you both shared tremendous passion, but also emotional pains that fueled the fire in your bellies.”

“but her instincts and aang’s advice served her well, as she discovered that vengeance was not the answer.”

this post also provides a great visual summary into how katniss’ monologue applies to katara and aang (rather than katara and zuko):

[levitatingbiscuits]

I just think all the rabid Gale hate is kind of icky. He's a young man of color who is justifiably angry at the system that encourages extreme resource disparity, exploits his physical labor, killed his father, starves his family, and ties him to a pole and whips him. He can't afford to be kind and soft like Peeta because they grew up in extremely unequal circumstances, which are at least partially demarcated by race. He is also the main breadwinner for his entire large family, and has been since he was a kid.

Sure, he's jealous and petty and wants Katniss to like him back, but those are pretty normal teenage emotions. He doesn't handle his feelings all that well, but then again, neither does Katniss. He doesn't take advantage of her emotional confusion and mixed signals; at one point, he tells her he can't kiss her because it's like kissing someone who's drunk.

And yes, he designed the bomb that killed Prim, but he wasn't the one who made the choice to manufacture it or to use it. He definitely didn't kill Prim himself, despite what the fandom says. He was a minor cog in the war machine, but he still accepts responsibility for his role in Prim's death and removes himself from Katniss's life so as to spare her further pain.

People are allowed to dislike him, of course, but I can't help but wonder if some of the rabid hate he gets is because he's a non-white revolutionary who shows anger, fights back against the oppressive system by using its own tactics against it, and is prickly toward more privileged white characters like Madge.

[mollywog]

Characters and Berries in The Hunger Games

Gale -> Blackberries

He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. “And may the odds —” He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me.

In folklore blackberries are associated with bad omens. They can also symbolize haste and remorse. There’s a 1966 poem Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney about growing up and loss of innocence.

Madge -> Strawberries

When we finish our business at the market, we go to the back door of the mayor’s house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can afford our price. The mayor’s daughter, Madge, opens the door.

Strawberries often symbolize purity, passion (fuel for Gadge and Kadge shippers), and healing (Madge delivers the Morphling after Gale’s whipping).

Rue -> Unfamiliar Berries

I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers. “You sure this is safe?”

“Oh, yes, we have them back home. I’ve been eating them for days,” she says, popping a handful in her mouth. I tentatively bite into one, and it’s as good as our blackberries. Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.

These berries are never identified, so bear with me here…

We know Peeta mistakes nightlock (also not identified) for Rue’s berries, but that nightlock is toxic and Rue’s are edible. We also know Nightlock berries are dark (the dark berries glisten in the sun) and Rue’s berries are round (I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers), so two potential options are Elderberry or Blackcurrant.

In pagan traditions Elderberries are associated with Faerie realms - (fitting for the magical wisp of a girl who wore wings to her interview.) They heal; and are associated with breaking curses (Rue’s death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us.)

Despite health benefits, in the middle ages Elderberries began to be associated with grief and sorrow.

Blackcurrants are often associated with protection (Here it’s safe, here it’s warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm)

They are also associated with gathering courage, specifically before going on a solitary journey.

Blackberries (bad omens) are referenced in the description of the taste of Rue’s berries.

Regardless of the berry, they also reinforce Katniss’s decision to take Rue on as an ally (Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.)

Peeta - Nightlock

My father’s voice comes back to me. “Not these, Katniss. Never these. They’re nightlock. You’ll be dead before they reach your stomach.”

Nightlock is likely based on two real ones: Nightshade and Hemlock.

Unsurprisingly, toxic Hemlock often has negative associations, however it is also associated with Socrates. Socrates was convicted of impiety, but refused to renounce his beliefs; Hemlock was his chosen method of death which could be viewed as either rebellious and/or a noble sacrifice. “Scholars surmise that Socrates conceived of his death as a freedom of his soul from the unreasonableness of humanity and the confines of his body.”

Nightshade has been suggested as the poison used in Romeo and Juliet (fitting for the star-crossed-lovers) and Macbeth (poisoning that lead to a civil war)

Thank you to @wistfulweaverwoman for assistance researching! Other interesting [x][x][x]

[thegreatmelodrama]

I had a great chat with some online mutuals/friends about the Hunger Games and we were talking about the comparisons some people were making between Snow and other characters of the trilogy and more specifically Peeta, Katniss, and Gale. Apparently some people are saying that Peeta is very similar to Snow or probably would have had a POV similar to Snow’s if the events of the trilogy were told from his perspective (which is just objectively false). While others say that Gale is just like Snow, which again isn’t exactly true either. However, there is some truth in these statements and this is what I want to focus on in particular.

Peeta, much like a young and even older Coriolanus Snow, possesses a quick wit and the ability to turn his charm on and off. We see this especially in his interviews with Caesar. And the same goes for Snow, and we see this particularly in TBOSAS, especially within the first two chapters as he turns on this charm when interacting with the students and faculty at the Academy. It’s very much a performance of sorts. And yes, there is the whole “in love” (though not really live for Coriolanus) with a girl who also has a past with another guy type of thing. However, the difference is that Peeta’s love isn’t obsession/possessiveness/a need for control disguised as love. His is a true genuine love, the kind where he just wants Katniss to be happy and in his life regardless of whether they end up together romantically. However, it’s also important to note that Coriolanus Snow was given the chance to actually learn what love was and was given every opportunity to correct his way of thinking, and yet always went straight back to power and control.

Then we have Gale. Gale has probably the most in common with Snow of the main three, and yet still differs. People are very quick to hate on Gale, and while I dislike him, his character should be approached with nuance. And it’s important to note that Gale did not start off as a “bad” person or someone who was willing to kill Prim because Katniss didn’t love him back. With that being said, he also demonstrates behaviors and actions that are bad and wrong. Gale is someone who has been deeply affected by the actions of the Capitol and his feelings towards the Capitol are completely understandable and in many ways justifiable, at least initially. The difference comes in his inability to listen to other perspectives and adapt his views, much like Coriolanus. And his inability to do so stems from both his lack of experience of having to kill someone up close while looking into their eyes, and from his latching onto his feelings of anger and resentment in which he blurs and crosses the line between that which is necessary and that which is unnecessary. And while these things certainly allow for an understanding of where he is coming from, they don’t justify his desires for the people in the nut, his views towards Katniss’s prep team, or his overall decision to use the same rule-book as Snow and stoop to his level. His initial feelings may be justified, but that in no way justified some of his later behavior. The second he said that he was using Snow’s rule-book and the instant that Katniss made a comparison between Snow and Gale in her internal dialogue is the point in which alarm bells should have been going off in our minds as well. It shows us that in those moments where Gale made bad decisions, his line of thinking in many ways mirrored that of Snow.

However in many ways he is very similar to Casca Highbottom, someone who put words to a piece of paper which led to so much more: a mere hypothetical that had catastrophic results. And this is what we see with Gale and the bombs. It was something that Gale and Beetee created together to use for the Capitol, however I don’t think Gale or Beetee really considered just how far Coin would go to win the war. Just like Crassus Snow and Gaul took advantage of this hypothetical and employed it into action, Coin does the same and uses Gale’s and Beetee’s bomb designs to kill countless Capitol children and medics, Prim included. The whole point is that Prim’s death shows the unintended and catastrophic effects of war, but also of human actions and agency. Whether or not Gale took anything away from Prim’s death is unknown and is left largely to the interpretations of the readers. However, Casca Highbottom’s lingering guilt over The Hunger Games May serve as an indication that this is something that will most likely haunt Gale forever. With that being said, we see that Gale, much like Snow is taken down a certain path where he is steered and encouraged partially by an older figure (Coin in this case) but even more so steered by his inability to part with certain emotions and convictions in which he refuses to listen to the words of others trying to broaden his perspective and make him think about his actions. He blurs the line between necessary and unnecessary force and violence. However, this doesn’t mean Gale purely is evil or a villain or even close to being like the Snow we see in the trilogy. He differs from Snow in a lot of ways and we see this in all of the good decisions he makes. However, whether or not Gale regrets ever helping create the ideas of the bombs and whether or not he learns anything from some of his bad decisions is something that is up for interpretation.

Lastly there are even similarities between Snow and Katniss. They both share this fixation with not owing anyone a debt. And while Snow is much better with people than Katniss is, both are still untrusting of the people they encounter initially, always keeping a part of themselves guarded from the outside world. And while these are probably the most basic, rudimentary similarities, I mention them for an important reason. Namely, to show that each of these characters and perhaps even more have all shared certain traits with Snow.

The point is that villains are made, not born. Snow was not born a villain or born destined to be a villain. If you remember the conversation between Sejanus and Snow in the arena, one can even see that even though Snow was saying anything to get Sejanus out of there, he did still have rebellious thoughts about the Capitol and the games. The fact that characters have certain traits that Snow has possessed further shows that he, like every single one of those characters, was at one point a kid and a teenager learning more about the world and his place within it. Snow became a villain because of the choices he made and what makes that so impactful is that it is inevitably a story about human agency and the choices we make and whether we learn from them or repeat the cycle. My point is that people have a tendency to view Snow in a manner very similar to the way Snow views humanity: as lacking any inherent goodness and thus having an inherent darkness. However, we are meant to view Snow (and I mean a young Snow) and the rest of the characters—and in fact human beings in general—the way that Lucy Gray views humanity: as having an inherent goodness or propensity to do good. The whole point is that Snow could have ended up differently, his story “might have been otherwise.” And that is so important because it makes his story and the results that came from his path that much more tragic and anger-inducing.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (58)

Part 1- Part 48 / Part 49 / Part 50 / Part 51 / Part 52 / Part 53 / Part 54 / Part 55 / Part 56 / Part 57 /

Created: May 13th, 2024

Last Checked:—-

One Victor-JavisTG (ao3) Summary: The hot summer sun kissed Katniss' cheeks, and she felt its warmth spreading throughout her body. The tiniest of smiles danced on her lips. But this wasn't the right time for public displays of euphoria. Not when Tessa Monroe, the 15-year old girl old whose name had been called, was making her way towards the stage in front of them; walking in a straight line towards imminent death. Canon-divergent "what-if". Prim isn't reaped. On the Edge of Beyond-alwaysandshewrites, JHsgf82 (ao3) Summary: (Dystopian AU). After years of suffering through war, famine, and poverty, District 12 found a way to institute peace and equality by the practice of Sameness. Through eradication of the knowledge of the painful aspects of history’s past and strict regulation of the district by a panel of Elders, D12 has created a seemingly utopian society. At the Reaping (Ceremony of 16), a special ceremony in which young boys and girls are assigned their life’s work, childhood friends Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen are tasked with becoming the new Receivers of Memory. On the Other Side of the Fence-JHsgf82 (ao3) Summary: Peeta has always loved Katniss, even though he feels she's way out of his league. Katniss has always loved Peeta, even though she thinks she's not good enough for him, and that he only sees her as a friend. When Katniss is discovered by a modeling agency and whisked away to the Capitol, Peeta feels his whole world crashing down, especially considering he's just worked up the courage to tell her how he's felt all these years, his mother's opinion be damned. What will happen when she comes back as the 'Darling of the Capitol?' Did she mean what she said in her interview? She had to be talking about him, right? Prim's Wish-JavisTG (ao3) Summary: A short Christmas drabble in two parts. All Prim wants is for her sister to be happy. Runaway Katniss-JavisTG (ao3) Summary: Written on Tumblr for Hookmatchmaker who sent the following prompt: Katniss/Runaway Bride. Simple Things-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: A day in the life of Mellark family. Post- Mockingjay. 5th place submission for the THG Writing Challenge. "Never had she pictured a life like this for herself, or that such joys could come from the most simple of things." The Grass is Always Greener-icbiwf (ao3) Summary: No matter what happens, people always want what they don't have. AU - Prim and Peeta aren't reaped, but that doesn't necessarily mean things are any better. The Last Sunday-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: Canon fic A scene/scenes from the training Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch undergo (with Gale's help) in District 12 to prepare for the Quarter Quell. The Manager-JennaGill (ao3) Summary: A one shot from Katniss' perspective. Prompts In Panem Challenge, Day Three-The Wrestling Championship. I also have grand plans to expand this. The Registry-Joshs_left_earlobe (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen accidentally receives an unexpected letter addressed to both her and her handsome neighbor, who she has yet to actually meet.

[heavensbeehall]

"Mockingjay", Chapter 6

Part 1: The Ashes

Chapter 6: The chapter opens by telling us the previous chapter was yesterday, which is a bit of an odd way to continue things. Katniss left the studio once she heard Haymitch. Now we gather around in Command and discuss Katniss's performance. Haymitch argues she can't be coached so it's decided she will go to District 8 later. Haymitch and Katniss clear the air. Katniss gets remade up and Beetee explains her arrows. But then Finnick arrives in a hopsital gown. Everyone's favorite scene!!! Boggs takes her to meet her team. District 13 is bigger than she knew. Fulvia wants to talk about how handsome Gale is, but Boggs is not impressed. Plutarch explains that all the Districts, except District 2, are in revolt. He gives Katniss poison that he calls "nightlock" after the berries in the arena.

-- The gang is all here. Haymitch, The Preps, Gale, Greasy Sae, Beetee, Finnick, Boggs and Dalton? What a group. All stars (except for Coin who can suck it. If we got her out of here were could solve some real world problems).

-- Why is Gale so wary of Haymitch all the time?

-- Why do we need to know Boggs has "incredible posture"? It's such a random detail.

Alone, I can't be the Mockingjay.

This line gets me. Katniss is quite down on herself here. And luckily Haymitch knows how to get what they need out of her or else Plutarch's whole "mockingjay" concept would--because she is the one Snow is obsessed with. (So in that way she is the Mockingjay because the villain chose her, kind of like Harry Potter?) But I also appreciate this journey she has taken with Peeta's media savvy. She nearly strangled him in the first book. She gushed over how smart he was in the second. And here I just get the sense that she misses him and doesn't like to do it alone.

He looks slightly yellow and has lost a lot of weight, giving him a shrunken appearance. For a second, I'm afraid he's dying. I have to remind myself that I don't care.

That's not how caring works, babe.

I'm surprised that the next speaker is Boggs, who I think of as a muscular robot that does Coin's bidding. "When she sang the song. While the little girl died." Somewhere in my head an image surfaces of Boggs with a young boy perched up on his hip. In the dining hall, I think. Maybe he's not a robot after all.

Katniss has a way of noticing but not knowing she is noticing people. Like she knew a lot about Peeta's wrestling and such in the first book. She just didn't admit to herself she was noticing him. Her interactions with Boggs are similar but different. She noticed him because he was a Dad doing Dad things but she can't really process that because she's got so much other emotional trauma to deal with now besides her dad being dead.

Tried to carry Mags.

If this was Finnick's suggestion of when she moved him, just kill me now.

"Wash her face," says Dalton. Everyone turns to him. "She's still a girl and you made her look thirty-five. Feels wrong. Like something the Capitol would do."

I appreciate you, bro.

At the word trident, it's as if the old Finnick surfaces. "Really? What's it do?"

They should've given the mental health patient the dangerous weapon sooner.

She snags Gale, who's in a conversation with Plutarch, and spins him toward us. "Isn't he handsome?" Gale does look striking in the uniform, I guess. But the question just embarrasses us both, given our history. I'm trying to think of a witty comeback, when Boggs says brusquely, "Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear." I decide to go ahead and like Boggs.

Katniss will go on for paragraphs about Peeta's eyelashes but if someone says something about Gale's appearance she is like "idk." Meanwhile Boggs is like, "This kid needs a Dad joke."

[garak]

bruh can katniss just give up the act and be like okay maybe if im considering running away into the woods with peeta which is literally the thing gale told me to say he liked me then i feel more than platonic feelings towards him… also fuck gale btw i know the age gap isn’t that big but him meeting her when she was 12 and her saying at that point he already looked like an adult man is weird. and also how are you as a grown man working in the coal mines going to be mad at this 16 year old girl for trying to save her own life in the fucking wilderness when she’s getting HUNTED DOWN and when she comes back insanely traumatized be like “girl fuck you and your money” as if he wouldn’t be doing the same damn thing if he won those games… i hate him he’s talking all that about “oh i just need to know what it’s like once” before kissing her which like number one fuck you for not communicating what your problem is and number two fuck you for taking the opportunity to go ahead and stomp all over this girls already fragile emotional state after she’s been waiting HOURS for you to show up because you’re her only friend. i’m team peeta like he has been nothing but kind and has responded to every situation in the most gracious way he could and yes that includes getting mad and throwing things sometimes because even katniss is like okay i would be doing the same thing in his position. he’s trying to build a relationship with her even if it’s only as friends like he really values her in his life meanwhile gale is mad at her for PROVIDING FOR HIS FAMILY. get out of here