Robin Sue

You remember that Peeta’s father wanted to marry Katniss’s mother. I wonder if Collins is setting up another situation where the woman will have to choose between two men who represent so much more than their emotions.

I anticipate Gale will get more coverage in the next book.

Team Gale for two reasons.

First, we know that Peeta is an amazing guy. He is sweet and generous and puts Katness’ life and well being before himself. However, this has been a longstanding crush from afar and he never had the guts to act on it. Katness wouldn’t ever stand for anyone who wouldn’t act on something so important to them. If they got together he would drive her nuts because he would be a yes man and give her anything she ever wanted. Katness needs someone who is strong and will stand their ground against her. Look at her relationship with her mother. Once her mother lost her will to live, Katness lost all respect for her and even though she knows it was a medical condition and her mother is better now, she can’t forgive her and their relationship is distant.
When Peeta and Katness are forced into the arena together they have many opportunities to learn from each other and grow together, but while Peeta still holds onto his lifelong crush, Katness (as hard as she tries) doesn’t develop any romantic feelings towards him. When 2 people are forced to share such intimate things such as sickness and close quarters, they are bound to develop a relationship, but hers doesn’t extend beyond friendship. She becomes his friend, she likes him and appreciates who he is and risks her own life to protect his, but she also uses him to gain advantage in the game. Peeta believes he loves Katness, but what is that love founded on? Watching her from afar? Katness only pretends to be romantically interested. She does like him, but it doesn’t extend beyond that even though they have shared so many intimate experiences.
Katness and Peeta only have 2 shared experiences: when she was starving and he threw her the bread and when they were in the arena. Katness was never able to express her gratitude to Peeta when he saved her with the bread. She wanted to, but she found it impossible to approach him about it. When Katness and Peeta arrive back to Disctict 12 they are going to be reminders of what happened in the arena and those who died. They haven’t shared any normal life experiences and it would be impossible for them to forget about the arena when their relationship began there. Katness never was able to trust Peeta. At the end of the games when Peeta throws his knife into the Lake, she jumps up to defend herself with her bow and arrow.
Gale on the other hand has been with Katness for 5 years. They both have struggled through the loss of a parent and are supporting their families. They are both strong willed, but complimentary to each other. They trust and rely on each other. They have a life together. When they are together, they have good times to look back on and smile, and bad times to think about and remember that they got through that too. The book doesn’t spend as much time with Gale as it does with Peeta, but Gale is a good guy too, and a fighter. He loves Katness. He has mentioned running off with her. Also, Gale knows what is important to her. When Katness volunteers to take the place of her sister, Gale doesn’t argue with her, he doesn’t cry and say he will miss her, he says he will watch out for her sister. That is the biggest comfort to Katness and the best thing he could have said to her. What Gale has going for him that Peeta doesn’t is that Katness has thought about and considered running away with him too if circumstances were different. She has approached the idea of them being a couple. Everything Katness did with Peeta was for show. She doesn’t know herself what was real feelings and what was just part of her own act. And, the situation she and Peeta were in was so intense, of course emotions are going to be spiraling out of control.

Team Gale wins.

Now go out and read Graceling and Fire by Kristen Cashore.

By the way…love love love your peach cobler bars. My hubby and I made them out of the peaches we picked this summer.