Blooming Katniss

Author's Note:  This is a text analysis piece on how Katniss Everdeen was a dynamic character in the book The Hunger Games.

               What would it be like to live in a post-apocalyptic world where two children, a boy and a girl, between the ages of 12-18 from each of the twelve districts could be chosen as tributes to fight to the death against each other, just to make sure that the districts' citizens understood that the Capital was in control and not to rebel?  When Katniss Everdeen's  younger sister, Prim, is chosen for the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place.  Would you risk your life to save the life of someone you love?

               In the beginning of the book, Katniss is a hard-nosed, unapproachable person who has the responsibility of providing for her family and acting as a parent figure to her sister.  That all has to change when she volunteers to take her sister's place in the games.  She has to appear likeable to the Capital so she can earn sponsors to have a chance to survive. 

               The first change that Katniss made was actually set-up by someone else -- Peeta, the other tribute from District 12.  Peeta told the nation that he was in love with Katniss.  She was furious when she first heard it, but after Peeta explained, she changed her mind and decided it was a good strategy to use to get support from the nation. 

               When the games first begin, she is alone and has no allies while the other tributes have multiple allies.  She figures out that being likeable could be an advantage, so she forms an ally with another tribute who reminds her of her sister.  That ally motivates her even more to try to win the games so she can return home to her sister.  But then, something terrible happens to her younger ally and she is forced to team up with Peeta and be the couple that she never wanted to be. 

               As the games go on and she spends more time with Peeta, she sees that she connects with him.  She sees the good attributes in him and takes care of him.

               In conclusion, Katniss was able to change and become likeable and befriend other tributes to become her allies in the games.  By doing so, she was able to keep herself and the other tribute from her district alive, and now everybody in the nation loves them.  However,  the president thinks that they were rebels for challenging the rules of the Capital by having two victors of the games instead of one.  Katniss's love for her sister compelled her to be a dynamic character in the book in order to survive the games and return home to Prim.