As we talked about in class, we all read for something different and get something different out of every book we read. Even rereading a book we get something different than we did the first time. Movies made from books encompass only one person's vision and therefore can hurt our reading experience.Before I read Hilary's post, I was reading through some conversations about Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games trilogy, that occurred in September on YALSA-BK, a young adult literature discussion listserv hosted by the American Library Association. Someone posted a link to a Salon.com essay comparing Bella, the heroine of the Twilight books, with Katniss from The Hunger Games. I opened the link and began reading, only to realize that the author is the same Laura Miller whose essay on YA dystopian fiction we read in class last week.
I feel like there are some things that Miller gets fundamentally wrong as she interprets Collins' books and the character of Katniss. As she did in the New Yorker article, Miller criticizes Collins' use of costuming as a central element of Katniss's experience in both the games and the ensuing revolution, suggesting that Katniss secretly loves being "made over," as if Katniss's compliance with this use of costumes somehow undermines her integrity as a revolutionary hero. I believe the costuming scenes appear in the book in order to show Cinna's masterful ability to manipulate the public and use symbolic images to spark, galvanize, and shape the rebellion. Miller also critcizes Katniss (and the series itself) for being ambivalent about desire and power. "For all her irritating flaws," Miller writes, "Bella, at least, has the courage of her desire. For what, besides a well-earned vengeance, does Katniss Everdeen truly hunger?"
There are too many Mockingjay spoilers involved for me to say more about the substance of Miller's critique. Reading her interpretations, though, gives me a feeling of frustration that seems similar to what Hilary feels when she sees a movie that radically departs from her reading of a novel. When it comes to The Hunger Games, Miller and I read different books. I guess rather than get mad at Miller's essays, I should work on writing up my own interpretations.
Jennifer Buehler
I agree with your frustration! I think Katniss is a beautifully developed character, whereas Bella seems to fit into a wide frame so as to make girls feel as if they can relate to her. I have to wonder if she would feel the same way about Katniss were she a male character...
ReplyDeleteDr. Buehler, I agree with your reading of the "makeover" scenes. I don't think it actually has anything to do with Katniss at all when we look at the overall picture of the public's continual manipulation at the hands of the Capitol.
ReplyDeleteI have only read this first book in The Hunger Games triology, and I have only read about 200 pages of the first Twilight book, but I still feel that Miller's comparison of Bella and Katniss on the issue of desire and power is misguided. To say that Katniss only desires "vengeance" is not true to my reading of her character. Also, I disagree that Bella possesses some "courage of her desire" that Katniss lacks. Again, I have only read a fraction of the first book in the Twlight series, but I stopped reading mainly because I found that I did not like Bella. I felt that the romance element was at the center of her desires, and that doesn't seem more "courageous" to me than Katniss's desires, even if vengeance was her only desire.
I'm sure I need to read the remaining books in each series to really form a complete opinion of either of these characters, but these are my thoughts on them thus far.