The theme in both The Hunger Games and in Ender’s Game is empathy, the ability to be able to understand and connect with others. Katniss has to learn that in order to be the leader she is destined to be, she must be capable of having intimate relationships and gain the ability to trust others. Ender uses empathy to understand his enemy, and uses it to become the commander he is meant to be. However, in his journey to becoming that commander, he has to learn that he is more than just a smarter Peter, that his Valentine side is stronger. Both Katniss and Ender are natural born killers. We see this in Katniss as she is growing up and trying to provide for her family. Her ability to hunt and kill for her family’s food is impeccable. Ender grows …show more content…
Since her father’s death, Katniss has been providing for her family. Her hunting skills are so impressive that even Peeta points out her precision: “She hits every squirrel right in the eye” (89). As such an experienced hunter, Katniss is skilled with a bow and arrow, as well as a knife. We see this violence continue when she is on the train headed to the Capital. After Haymitch punches Peeta in the face, Katniss throws her knife at Haymitch’s hand: “I drive my knife into the table between his hand and the bottle, barely missing his fingers” (57). However, that act still was not enough for her; she then takes the knife and throws it across the room landing it in the wall. She knew that in order to get his attention she would have to make an impression. Katniss acts out in violence again when she is in the training room at the Capitol. During her private session after missing a couple shots with her bow and arrow, she takes a few difficult shots to try and impress the Gamemakers. However, she notices that most of them are more focused on a roasted pig than her. She becomes furious, knowing her life is at stake, and out of rage, she fires an arrow straight toward the Gamemakers that spears the apple in the pig’s mouth. The violent part of Katniss hates and does not comprehend the idea of owing people. After Katniss’s father had died, her family was starving and it seemed she had no other options. While sitting outside the bakery in the pouring rain, the young boy Peeta it seemed had purposely burnt the bread so that he could give it to Katniss. Even though in doing that it meant getting punished by his mother. Peeta had saved her life and she always feels like she owes him for this. Peeta is never able to understand this because he himself is not a killer. In Ender’s Game, Ender, even from a young age, has the innate killer instincts. In each of
Many authors express themselves through their writing using their life experiences as inspiration. Richard Wagamese is no exception; he was born in Minaki, Ontario and comes from Ojibway decent. As a child, he was taken away from his biological family and put into several foster homes, where he faced neglect and abuse. Later on in his life, he began to write books and poetry to cope. He wrote the novel, Medicine Walk, the story of a boy and his displaced father who bond before the father dies of a fatal disease. Empathy is a common reoccurrence throughout the story, as the protagonist, Frank Starlight, and Richard Wagamese have both learned many lessons from childhood stories. Family is another influence in the lives of Frank and Wagamese,
When her and her ally and love interest Peeta reach the center of the Arena in which they are fighting for their lives, they not only run into their biggest rival – another boy named Cato who had been set up throughout as a villain – but also the murderous creations of the those who put them there. It is a gruesome fight that results in Cato’s horrifying death, and the survival of Peeta and Katniss, but only one of them can live. This ultimatum drives Katniss to take a calculated risk: if both of them die, the Capitol has no winner, and the games must always provide a glimmer of hope for effective control, thus if they threaten suicide, they can both get out alive. It works, and they are delivered from the belly of the
She often puts others happiness above that of her own, especially when it comes to those who are close to her. For instance, as her sister’s name is announced as tribute Katniss panics and gasps, “I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!”(Collins, 2008) offering to take her sister’s place. Katniss would rather risk her own life in a situation where she is sure to fail, than have her sister Prim be endangered, displaying that she values her life more than her own. Later, as she visits with her family for the last time Prim suggests, “maybe you can win” but Katniss doubts herself, “I can’t win… The competition will be far beyond my abilities” (Collins, 2008). She truly believes that there is no chance of her surviving which shows how poorly she thinks of herself. Though she thinks little of herself, she thinks even less of her mentor Haymitch, even going as far as to call him “disgusting”. After having to endure him and his drunken antics on the train ride to the Capital, Katniss declares to herself, “I realize I detest Haymitch” (Collins, 2008). He is a drunk, who no one is overly thrilled to be around and unfortunately or maybe even fortunately, he is all she has to help her with the
Afghanistan was a war country where people got attacked by the talibans. In the kite runner a novel by Khaled Hosseini Afghanistan, was a dangerous country. It's the story about a relationship About 2 boys called Hassan and Amir that at this time in the book they were victims and innocents and don't deserve a punishment on the story. People gain empathy when others need the help, when they lose someone, when there's a bond between people and are demonstrating when others have help us we want to help them.
Empathy is a complicated - but significant - trait in society. This characteristic binds people together, resonates within souls, and strengthens bonds. The ability to personally identify with and share others’ emotions, it can make the world a better place in various ways. Shown in the 1960s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, this is an important topic and theme that continues throughout its entirety. It is in her hometown of Maycomb that Scout, the protagonist, faces many biases, slightly atypical neighbors, and unexpected events, and her personality changes preferably. One important character is Boo Radley, believed to be violent and psychopathic, and rumored that he murders, has stabbed his parents, and conducts similar malicious crimes. Scout’s gradual expansion of empathy through her experiences and interactions within Maycomb reveals its importance in understanding people, ultimately suggesting that this
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” –Meryl Streep Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This particular skill requires one to walk around in someone else’s shoes. It is a very valuable emotional skill that develops in many characters during the course of the novel. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, empathy is consistently present whether it’s Atticus being empathetic, Atticus teaching the kids to empathize or them empathizing themselves in certain situations.
Katniss is a fascinating character because of the gender stereotypes she (and others) both destroy and defend. In the first of what would later become four movie adaptations, we meet Katniss, a sixteen year old fatherless hunter who singlehandedly provides for her family through times of extreme poverty. Routinely breaking the rules and boundaries of her district, she hunts in expansive woods, hiding from the authorities. Though she is as independent a warrior as can be, Katniss also plays a strong domestic role. Katniss is quickly understood to be the polar opposite of her mother, a meek and docile woman who keeps her head down and does as she’s told. With a shellshocked and, at times, useless mother, she assumes both a fatherly and motherly role to her younger sister. A key component of Katniss’ character is her calculating nature. She is not typically one to show her true emotions. Yet, when it comes to Prim, Katniss is an extremely loving and compassionate person, calling her sister pet names like “Little Duck.” One example of this is found the moment the audience meets Katniss,
Empathy is imperative to teach kids from a young age in order to help them recognize mental states, such as thoughts and emotions, in themselves and others. Vital lessons, such as walking in another’s shoes or looking at a situation in their perspective, apprehends the significance of the feelings of another. Our point of view must continuously be altered, recognizing the emotions and background of the individual. We must not focus all of our attention on our self-interest. In the excerpt, Empathy, written by Stephen Dunn, we analyze the process of determining the sentiment of someone.
It was essential to make Katniss a likable character as if she was not; the movie runs the risk of the audience finding “The Hunger Games” only as a grotesque culture that kills children. The framework needs to be set that Katniss is a character that a viewer wants to invest in and further watch her collide with the corrupt system throughout four films. While Katniss’ character flaw may be that she is hard to relate to, the choices in the film throughout the story allow an audience to find Katniss favorable and relatable. Through visuals and audio techniques, one can better experience the world as she does. Through Primrose, Rue, and Peeta, one is able to identify better with who Katniss is and see her growth throughout the movie. The plot allowed for Katniss’ morals to be tested and rise above being both a physical and a moral victim of the Hunger games. All these details allowed for Katniss to be a likable character where one hoped the odds were in her
Since she is the female victor from district 12, she is in the 74th Hunger Games. She sees how painful and scary it is and so she tries to stop the capital which is who is controlling everything. She doesn’t want that to happen to anyone else. She rebels against President Snow in plan of eventually killing him to take over the capital and change the world. Teens can relate to this because a lot of the time we feel controlled. It might be by a parent, teacher, grandparent or someone else but all of us are controlled by someone. A lot of teenagers end up rebelling because they feel as if they have no choices. They go against the rules of who they are rebelling against. That persons rules and values are not necessarily right. Who decides what is right? It seems as if we have entered into a state time where there is no right and wrong. Katniss breaks free of that control and does her own thing. Another way teens can relate to the hunger games is through the love triangle. Some of us might have a similar situation of where we might like two people. In the movie it says, “What I need is not Gales 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
Knowing how tough it would be for herself to lose her sister and how low her survival chances were coming out of a poor district such as her own District 12, she volunteered to participate. In other words, she went against the system to protect her loved one, in exchange she risked her’s. As the reader reads further in the book, he will realize how much Katniss will become more mature and will take more decision with her head. Due to her young rebellious teen mind when the reader discovers her, she takes more decisions with her heart rather than her head such as volunteering for the Hunger Games as a tribute. During the preparations to the Games, she encounters Haymitch
Katniss and her fellow member of District 12, Peeta, make it to the final two tributes remaining. They are encouraged to kill each other, but refuse to do so out of love. Katniss and Peeta agreed to commit suicide together to disobey the rules of the Capitol. This is the nadir, or low point, of Katniss Everdeen. She has been left no option but to kill herself along with her partner. This is where her powerful resurrection takes place. Just before ending their lives, they are stopped by one of the creators of the Hunger Games arena. It is then announced that under the circumstances, they would allow both Peeta and Katniss to be victors of the Hunger Games. This gives a very large sense of relief, and both Peeta and Katniss emerge
In The Hunger Games, the main character named Katniss finds her own way around the games. Katniss is not the person who likes to kill, she tried her best to kill as few people as possible, yet not get herself killed. Katniss hated the idea of the hunger games, so she wanted to try to find a way to stop it. Over the course of many books/movies, Katniss was able to go her own way and rebel against the rich people. She was unique, Katniss was able to get many people to respect her and help her fight against the rich. Like any other person, Katniss could have just followed the instructions given to her to be safe. However, this is not who she is, Katniss stuck up for what she believed in. She had a decision to defeat the rich and try to end the games, and she stuck to it. There are many movies and books in the arts that show people not following the crowd. So many show how people can be unique and be there own person. Any body can take there own road, just like
Empathy is the ‘capacity’ to share and understand another person’s ‘state of mind’ or their emotion. It is an experience of the outlook on emotions of another person being within themselves (Ioannides & Konstantikaki, 2008). There are two different types of empathy: affective empathy and cognitive empathy. Affective empathy is the capacity in which a person can respond to another person’s emotional state using the right type of emotion. On the other hand, cognitive empathy is a person’s capacity to understand what someone else is feeling. (Rogers, Dziobek, Hassenstab, Wolf & Convit, 2006). This essay will look at explaining how biology and individual differences help us to understand empathy as a complex, multi-dimensional trait.
The main character, Katniss, volunteers as tribute for her district to save her sister from having to be tribute. Upon arriving in the Capitol for the games, she sees just how vast the gap between the Capitol and districts are. To fight against this class struggle, she begins to revolt. At first this comes in the form of small things, like shooting an arrow at a pig feast of Capitol higher-ups and refusing to kill her friend in the games, resulting in the first ever co-victors of the Hunger Games. Katniss’ actions soon lead to full blown rebellion in the districts, starting a revolutionary war between them and the Capitol. At one point Katniss remarks: “My ongoing struggle against the Capitol, which has so often felt like a solitary journey, has not been undertaken alone. I have had thousands upon thousands of people from the districts at my side.” (Catching Fire 90). In true Marxist fashion the working class needed to use a violent revolution to confront the class struggle against the ruling