The first chapter of Mockingjay is up on Youtube, being read by the author Suzanne Collins.
Have you watched it yet? Good.
Now to make some adjustments from what I said here. It sounds as if I am right; Katniss does not want much to do with the rebellion, or is not working with them willingly. She is not sure of her loyalties.
Peeta. "He is thought to be dead. Most likely he is dead..." I don't think Peeta is dead though. I think it is a perfect opportunity to deal with the theme of the book; the capitol and mockingjays.
For example, The Hunger Games were all about the Hunger Games, obviously. But it was more than just the games. It was the why of the games. It was the loyal districts against the rebellious districts. It was of the manipulation of the Capitol and everything it had done for 74 years since the rebellion had been put down.
Catching Fire; the catching fire of the rebellion. The catching fire of discontent, of literally the plans of the capitol going up in smoke, like Katniss's dress and when the force field of the arena went down.
So what do we know of Mockingjays? That they are the unintended consequence of a capitol project; the jabberjays. The Jabberjays were not intended to have mated. They did. They represent frustration in the capitol's plans. So, what would the perfect Mockingjay be? Peeta. My bet is that the capitol will transform Peeta into a Mutt-like creature. Not a total mutt like what we read about in the Hunger Games, but at least an altered Peeta, stronger, faster, ruthless. But with his own intelligence to try and get Katniss vulnerable so the government can get her, humiliate her, and kill her.
Because it is not enough for the Capitol to kill Katniss, she'd simply be a martyr then. They need her alive, alive and responding to pressure to repudiate the rebellion and cause it to shatter.
So who will Katniss end up with? Before I said Katniss would most likely die. Now, with knowledge of the first chapter; it makes Gale more of a possibility. Because Gale is going to know how hurt Katniss will be and will try and make end roads to court Katniss.
As for the possibility of Peeta, it depends on how much humanity is left in him. I personally find him breaking of the shackles the Capitol places on him, causing them to collapse, and finding Katniss. She will be touched by his sacrificed and may decide to be with him.
But there are several factors that go into that, so we will have to see how things turn out.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
What Is Marriage?
With proposition 8 and other events swirling about, I have been thinking what marriage and why utlization of the word and being married is so important. Today, I think I came to an answer;
Marriage is special, it is something you share with someone you love. Something that lives, maybe not in the way you or I live, but it lives within you and the person you share it with. Marriage is unconditional love; the desire and willpower to stand at your lovers side throughout all arguments, all troubles, all calamities. Harsh words can kill it, maim it, but loving words and daily attentions can make it thrive. It is that special look you see in the eyes of your special someone, like sharing a secret that no one else knows. It is happiness, it is patience, it is kindness, forgiveness. It is love, but much more. A bond that binds your love, and symbolizes the commitment that each partner has made so long as each is faithful. To me, the commitment should be stronger, so that it is harder to get a divorce and harder to go to Vegas and be married in 15 minutes. It should be planning, it should be consideration, it should be sharing time with your best friend.
But it is more than that as well, because marriage also embraces the sexual, it entombs the closeness one can get as they share in a lover's embrace, and are at the utmost levels of intimacy; something not to be shared, or should not be shared, with anyone but that special someone.
And for some religions, marriage gets you closer to God. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, marriage is all of the above, but ideally marriage is also a mutual relationship with God. Being spiritual together, sharing thoughts, praying together, learning together as you plan to be together through time and all eternity; sharing all that is important with the one you love.
Hopefully more most, marriage implies all that. (Including the spiritual, however it can be defined for any individual) Marriage between the individuals should mean all that. Society may not see it that way, government just tags marriage with a bunch of tax benefits, protections, and other associated rights, but for the most part, those are extra.
So what makes the difference between a civil unions and marriage then? If all the same benefits and rights that the government tags to marriage are tagged to civil unions, then legally nothing is different. But what does civil union imply? Because all of what I said that marriage is, is what I view marriage as, how I view it's composition. Is the same imagery that I view marriage as also apply to civil unions? For me... not really.
While civil unions should embrace all that marriage is, all the love and care and attentions that are implied and should be present in both marriage and a civil union; the imagery inspired by a civil union is signing a contract with a government. That is what first comes to mind, because that is what civil unions are. They are not a concept that marriage is, but rather a legal device.
And so for the first time in contemplating this, I see why same gendered couples are not satisfied with being constrained to civil unions; because conceptually and idealistically a civil union and a marriage, while they can legally be equal under law, are not equal in the slightest. Does love exist in both? Yes. Does Happiness exist in both? Yes. But why settle for one concept when the other fully defines and/or epitomizes your love for the other.
Just something to think about.
Marriage is special, it is something you share with someone you love. Something that lives, maybe not in the way you or I live, but it lives within you and the person you share it with. Marriage is unconditional love; the desire and willpower to stand at your lovers side throughout all arguments, all troubles, all calamities. Harsh words can kill it, maim it, but loving words and daily attentions can make it thrive. It is that special look you see in the eyes of your special someone, like sharing a secret that no one else knows. It is happiness, it is patience, it is kindness, forgiveness. It is love, but much more. A bond that binds your love, and symbolizes the commitment that each partner has made so long as each is faithful. To me, the commitment should be stronger, so that it is harder to get a divorce and harder to go to Vegas and be married in 15 minutes. It should be planning, it should be consideration, it should be sharing time with your best friend.
But it is more than that as well, because marriage also embraces the sexual, it entombs the closeness one can get as they share in a lover's embrace, and are at the utmost levels of intimacy; something not to be shared, or should not be shared, with anyone but that special someone.
And for some religions, marriage gets you closer to God. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, marriage is all of the above, but ideally marriage is also a mutual relationship with God. Being spiritual together, sharing thoughts, praying together, learning together as you plan to be together through time and all eternity; sharing all that is important with the one you love.
Hopefully more most, marriage implies all that. (Including the spiritual, however it can be defined for any individual) Marriage between the individuals should mean all that. Society may not see it that way, government just tags marriage with a bunch of tax benefits, protections, and other associated rights, but for the most part, those are extra.
So what makes the difference between a civil unions and marriage then? If all the same benefits and rights that the government tags to marriage are tagged to civil unions, then legally nothing is different. But what does civil union imply? Because all of what I said that marriage is, is what I view marriage as, how I view it's composition. Is the same imagery that I view marriage as also apply to civil unions? For me... not really.
While civil unions should embrace all that marriage is, all the love and care and attentions that are implied and should be present in both marriage and a civil union; the imagery inspired by a civil union is signing a contract with a government. That is what first comes to mind, because that is what civil unions are. They are not a concept that marriage is, but rather a legal device.
And so for the first time in contemplating this, I see why same gendered couples are not satisfied with being constrained to civil unions; because conceptually and idealistically a civil union and a marriage, while they can legally be equal under law, are not equal in the slightest. Does love exist in both? Yes. Does Happiness exist in both? Yes. But why settle for one concept when the other fully defines and/or epitomizes your love for the other.
Just something to think about.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mockingjay Hopes
First off, I would like to say that I will be blogging more regularly again. The summer break was nice, not writing or the like, but I am now getting back to the groove of things, and will be blogging more frequently now.
Anywho, in April I blogged about The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and my analysis thereof.
And so with Mockingjay coming out I am slightly excited. Well more than slightly, cause it is a great book series. And with that, this is what I expect to deal with;
First off, Katniss. As the books have focused on Katniss, and as she is not the leader of the rebellion, the book will not focus much on the actual rebellion. Yes, being the figure head, being the symbol of hope she will be there. But she will most likely be wall paper. Giving inspiring speeches. Fluff. She will be morale support. Of course, that may be after Haymitch and Gale give her a strong talking to, since at the end of Catching Fire, Katniss had just been fighting everyone and being by herself because of the news that the Government had Peeta. And learning that her home is no more. She will have to cope.
Haymitch will most likely have to use Peeta, rescuing him, as a means to manipulate Katniss to help the rebellion along. I don't see Katniss as just working for the good of the rebellion just cause it is a good idea. She's not a freedom fighter. Yes, she fights for her life, and she fought for Peeta's life in Catching Fire, but she also went along with President Snow in trying to be a good girl, in going along with his plan. She is too naive, too self centered to just help out. She told Haymitch she wanted to spread rebellion and at the first sign of machine guns, her idea fell through. She will have to be manipulated.
Gale won't like it either, but when he learned of the rebellions going on, he refused to leave District 12 and decided to stay and fight. He will use the manipulation too. Which means he won't force Katniss to choose at the beginning of the book, cause he knows how important she is for the rebellion. He will want to fight, and he will want the rebellion to succeed. Thus he will have to put his emotions on hold until Peeta is rescued because of the injustices that the district and others have suffered.
As for the President Snow and the government, they will use Peeta too. Promising to release him or something similar if Katniss will give herself up. They will play that hard. Or they may not, since President Snow knows that she doesn't love him. But that is a slim chance. My bets are they using him as well to manipulate Katniss. They know how important she is too. They may also do horrific experiments on him as well.
Also, I want to hear of the capitol. In Catching Fire, we learn that the people are distraught about losing friends that they have made over the years. They love Katniss, and how much she appears to love Peeta. During the interviews before the games ideas were thrown in doubt about President Smith and the government. Whether this extended beyond the live audience or not is another matter, but for the first time in 75 years there is discontent in the Capitol. Not to mention lack of supplies from rebelling districts.
Basically I want to see President Snow and his side go down. Yes, they may be more powerful, depending on what is at District 13, but the rebellion includes Game Master Plutarch. There may be spies in the other districts, spreading gossip, discontentment. Getting the Capitol to revolt. But as said in the beginning, the main focus will be Katniss. She may decide she loves Peeta. Or Gale may think she loves Peeta more than him as she will be focused on rescuing him. I can see him sacrificing himself to save either Katniss or Peeta. I want Peeta resuced. However, this is where I am sure to get yelled at, but I want Katniss to die in the rescue. Or a mortal wound so she can say some last things to Peeta. Cause honestly, she hasn't had a coming to moment yet. In the Hunger Games she fought to keep herself and Peeta alive, knowing she could not do it alone. In Catching Fire, she wanted to keep Peeta alive because she owed him. But Peeta has been unconditional in his love, which is something Katniss doesn't deserve. Which has been repeated a few times in both books.
Yes, while it would be great for Katniss to fall deeply in love with Peeta, being married days after the downfall of the government, from a literary perspective I would rather see Katniss have a 'coming to' moment, a moment of growth. Where she does all she can to save Peeta and to die in his arms telling him she loves him. That is what I want to see, and more of what I expect of the end result. The government will fall, maybe not at the end of the book, but it will be on its last legs. Perhaps making it a public death to inspire the rebels, to dishearten the government, to get the rebellion support. Something tragic, and sad. That is honestly what I expect to happen at the end of Mockingjay.
That or I expect the Government to do something so horrible to Peeta that it makes Katniss go commando and ends up spearheading some attacks at their base of operations.
Not to mention, something to do with a Mockingjay theme. Whether it is mockinjays themselves or the establishment that the government has created to keep themselves in power failing... somehow I expect the government to win.
Anywho, in April I blogged about The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and my analysis thereof.
And so with Mockingjay coming out I am slightly excited. Well more than slightly, cause it is a great book series. And with that, this is what I expect to deal with;
First off, Katniss. As the books have focused on Katniss, and as she is not the leader of the rebellion, the book will not focus much on the actual rebellion. Yes, being the figure head, being the symbol of hope she will be there. But she will most likely be wall paper. Giving inspiring speeches. Fluff. She will be morale support. Of course, that may be after Haymitch and Gale give her a strong talking to, since at the end of Catching Fire, Katniss had just been fighting everyone and being by herself because of the news that the Government had Peeta. And learning that her home is no more. She will have to cope.
Haymitch will most likely have to use Peeta, rescuing him, as a means to manipulate Katniss to help the rebellion along. I don't see Katniss as just working for the good of the rebellion just cause it is a good idea. She's not a freedom fighter. Yes, she fights for her life, and she fought for Peeta's life in Catching Fire, but she also went along with President Snow in trying to be a good girl, in going along with his plan. She is too naive, too self centered to just help out. She told Haymitch she wanted to spread rebellion and at the first sign of machine guns, her idea fell through. She will have to be manipulated.
Gale won't like it either, but when he learned of the rebellions going on, he refused to leave District 12 and decided to stay and fight. He will use the manipulation too. Which means he won't force Katniss to choose at the beginning of the book, cause he knows how important she is for the rebellion. He will want to fight, and he will want the rebellion to succeed. Thus he will have to put his emotions on hold until Peeta is rescued because of the injustices that the district and others have suffered.
As for the President Snow and the government, they will use Peeta too. Promising to release him or something similar if Katniss will give herself up. They will play that hard. Or they may not, since President Snow knows that she doesn't love him. But that is a slim chance. My bets are they using him as well to manipulate Katniss. They know how important she is too. They may also do horrific experiments on him as well.
Also, I want to hear of the capitol. In Catching Fire, we learn that the people are distraught about losing friends that they have made over the years. They love Katniss, and how much she appears to love Peeta. During the interviews before the games ideas were thrown in doubt about President Smith and the government. Whether this extended beyond the live audience or not is another matter, but for the first time in 75 years there is discontent in the Capitol. Not to mention lack of supplies from rebelling districts.
Basically I want to see President Snow and his side go down. Yes, they may be more powerful, depending on what is at District 13, but the rebellion includes Game Master Plutarch. There may be spies in the other districts, spreading gossip, discontentment. Getting the Capitol to revolt. But as said in the beginning, the main focus will be Katniss. She may decide she loves Peeta. Or Gale may think she loves Peeta more than him as she will be focused on rescuing him. I can see him sacrificing himself to save either Katniss or Peeta. I want Peeta resuced. However, this is where I am sure to get yelled at, but I want Katniss to die in the rescue. Or a mortal wound so she can say some last things to Peeta. Cause honestly, she hasn't had a coming to moment yet. In the Hunger Games she fought to keep herself and Peeta alive, knowing she could not do it alone. In Catching Fire, she wanted to keep Peeta alive because she owed him. But Peeta has been unconditional in his love, which is something Katniss doesn't deserve. Which has been repeated a few times in both books.
Yes, while it would be great for Katniss to fall deeply in love with Peeta, being married days after the downfall of the government, from a literary perspective I would rather see Katniss have a 'coming to' moment, a moment of growth. Where she does all she can to save Peeta and to die in his arms telling him she loves him. That is what I want to see, and more of what I expect of the end result. The government will fall, maybe not at the end of the book, but it will be on its last legs. Perhaps making it a public death to inspire the rebels, to dishearten the government, to get the rebellion support. Something tragic, and sad. That is honestly what I expect to happen at the end of Mockingjay.
That or I expect the Government to do something so horrible to Peeta that it makes Katniss go commando and ends up spearheading some attacks at their base of operations.
Not to mention, something to do with a Mockingjay theme. Whether it is mockinjays themselves or the establishment that the government has created to keep themselves in power failing... somehow I expect the government to win.
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