Collins portrays the adults as very flawed
Question 3
I think that Collins portrays the adults as very flawed because of the relationship Katniss has with the adults in the tale. Children’s literature books portray adults as the perfect beings who never make the wrong decision, but Collins wants the readers to know that everyone is flawed. Children view the world differently compared to adults, but as they grow up, they come to realize that human beings also have bad traits, and they also make bad decisions. Katniss’s mother is one of the most important people in her life because she lost her father. Katniss states, “I had not only lost a father but a mother as well. I took over as head of the family” (Collins 27). When Katniss’s mother lost her husband, she was deeply affected to the extent of her shutting down. Katniss was forced to grow up and take the family’s responsibilities. She had to learn how to cope with the people around her since she had to make a living out of trades. I think that Katniss is too hard on her mother because she is depressed after losing a husband. It is not easy for Katniss as well, because she has to take care of her sibling and mother. I think that the responsibility burden of the family is what makes her seem too hard on her mother. Katniss does not have a perfect relationship with other adult characters in the tale. She believes that everyone from the outside intents to hurt her. She behaves as if every adult is a joke and that they are not worth her time. She mocks the adults and only treats them better when she needs something from them. In the novel, Collins states that Katniss respected her father and looked up to him when he was alive (Collins 5). I think that life changes Katniss encounters contribute to how she relates to the people around her.
Works Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2009.