Hunger Games Narrative

In this blog post, I will be writing about my ideas for my next paper assigned in my English 102 class. For this paper, students are required to select any character from the novel, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, then choose scenes from the novel to create a narrative based on the perspective of the chosen character. It is also required that students create their own additional scene. The narrative should reflect the personality and voice of the character and must also be written in the "Hunger Games style".

The character I have chosen for this assignment is Cato, the tribute from District Two. I have chosen Cato because I feel that he is presented as a main villain in the arena. As I read the novel, I found myself waiting for the moment that someone would eliminate him. When he dies at the end of the novel, I found myself feeling sorry for him. Following this train of thought, I wondered why I hadn't empathized with him before. All of the tributes are victims in the hands of the Capitol and the Gamemakers yet there is very little sympathy felt for those who are portrayed as "monsters" or those who seem unimportant. It is my goal to formulate a narrative in which the reader can empathize with the "bad guy". I want to remind the reader that all of the tributes, even the "monstrous" ones, are children who are forced together in a blood bath. By neglecting to introduce a back story for Cato and having Katniss constantly refer to him as the "monstrous boy", Suzanne Collins effectively dehumanizes him, making the reader feel very little sympathy toward him. With the help of the specific scenes I have chosen and the power of perspective, I hope to accomplish a sense of humanity in Cato.

I have chosen four scenes to accomplish this goal. One is the scene where Clove is killed by Thresh and Cato comes to her aid. This scene shows that he is not a complete monster and is capable of feeling. The second is the scene where Cato has Peeta in a headlock while they are standing on the Cornucopia. In this scene, I can dictate his thoughts as he faces a death threat at the hands of Katniss but also has an opportunity to kill Peeta. I also plan to use his final scene in the novel where Katniss mercifully ends his suffering with an arrow. The scene I plan to create is one where he has time alone while in the arena to contemplate on his life in District Two. I feel that this could be an effective technique in humanizing him. In fact, the biggest challenge I think I might face is finding the right words and images to gain the desired effect.

Through the use of writing techniques and scenes from the novel that support my ideas, I am hoping to recreate and redefine a character who is not very personable. I feel that this goal can be accomplished with the proper language and imagery.

The Decisive Moment

A poem inspired by the writing style of Frank O'Hara

I walk onto the uptown local 6 at 59th
and it hits me
the smell of bacteria or fungus
but more like
the smell of my elementary school cafeteria
after the lunch ladies ran their smelly rags over crumb filled tables
What's this? A worn, little brown dog falls before me
a hairy, gray arm reaches out, picks it up, and attempts to hand it back to its rightful owner
a small, dark haired girl
sitting upon a comfortable throne as she stares
an empty stare
Why didn't I extend my hand to save the sacred toy from the grime-filled floor?
Maybe it was my unnatural hatred
of strollers in train cars
I was unaware
But perhaps my face twisted
and my eyebrows
came together as my mouth turned down
What a picture that would have made!
Yes, I could see Henri Cartier-Bresson now
poised tactfully somewhere in that train car
with his 35mm Leica
The right place, the right time
Sweet girl, sweet doggy, sweet stranger,
and my scowl contradicting it all
Click!
There it is
The Decisive Moment

Satire and Marriage

In this article I will discuss “Notes on Love and Marriage: Perspectives from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest”, an analysis by Michael Vance on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. The analysis includes several different perspectives on the play’s satirical criticism of 19^th century society and its views on marriage.

One point of interest in Vance’s analysis on The Importance of Being Earnest is the manner in which the characters of the play choose their marriage partners. Their decisions reflect the ideology of the 19^th century upper class which Oscar Wilde stated was “. . . that we should treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality" (qtd. in Vance). Gwendolyn and Cecily make a serious decision to accept the proposals of Jack and Algernon, respectively, based solely on the fact that both men had falsely claimed their names were Ernest. Both women could not imagine being married to one who is not named Ernest and feel pity for any woman who is not married to an Ernest. One would think that there are more important details required in order to make such a life changing decision but for these 19^th century women, an honest name that “produces vibrations” is satisfactory. The seriousness of marriage is further diminished as the Chausible, a celebate man of religion, proposes to Miss Prism toward the end of the play. They had known each other for several years therefore he had countless opportunities to propose to her yet only chooses to do so when two other marriages have been declared. It seemed to be less an action of love and more an action of “monkey see, monkey do”. What is even more disappointing is the fact the among the three couples, the relationship between the Chausible and Miss Prism appears to be the most substantial and honest but due to poor timing, it seems as though the Chausible is merely “following the crowd”.

Vance’s analysis is effective in pointing out the societal flaws Oscar Wilde presents in his play and the effect satire has in making these flaws apparent to the reader. The comical manner in which 19^th century marriage ideals are presented in the play serves to exaggerate the major points and succeeds in showing the reader just how absurd those ideals are.

Vance, Michael. “Notes on Love and Marriage: Perspectives from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest”. May 2000. Web. 4 July 2012. <http://kamus3.homestead.com/wilde.html>