Although you wouldn’t exactly consider them twins when in
comes to literature, the Wizard of Oz and the Hunger Games actually have
similarities when we look at their written and movie forms. Both Katniss Everdeen
and Dorothy Gale call home to some of the most dismal and unappealing places
that could be described. When the movies start off in these homelands, the
color palate is significantly greyed out and not pleasant to look at at all,
but when their journeys take them to places more colorful and tasteful, there
truly is no place like home for them. For
example, when Dorothy arrives in Oz there is instantly color overflowing from
the screen, and you’re overwhelmed by how beautiful Oz is supposed to look, and
when Katniss arrives in the Captiol, the buildings are shown much taller and brighter. However no matter how much better these foreign
places look, we are constantly reminded of the homes they left behind, and how
badly these characters wish to return home to them.
Their ties to these depressing places lie in their families, for Katniss, it’s her sister, Prim, and for Dorothy it’s her Aunt Em. Because they were forced into places much different then their homes, they were instantly alienated in these huge, strange cities. Because they are not used to the lifestyles of the people of Oz and the Captiol, they must adapt, in order to avoid alienation. They are both able to adapt and unwillingly have people from these cities dress them up to fit in. The main characters of these stories are so unwilling to change their appearances because they aren’t ashamed of where they come from, and even though they don’t wear fancy costumes, they’re both proud to call District 12 and Kansas, home. For example, Katniss is constantly braiding her hair similar to how her mother would for her back in her District, and wearing the Mockingjay pin that was given to her by her sister Prim, as constant reminders and symbols of them. As for Dorothy, she always has ToTo with her, and proves in the book and movie that she’ll do anything to protect him by her side.
ASSUMPTIONS:
A major assumption that I had prior to reading both of these books was that, of course Katniss would be victorious in the Hunger Games somehow, and that Dorothy would eventually find her way back to her home of Kansas. It was unclear to me yet how they'd manage these unlikely tasks, but in my mind, it was bound to happen. These assumptions are most likely based on being raised by Disney movies, where in the end, good always wins over evil. Also, while reading, Katniss had been so against the Capitol from the very beginning, I had the assumption that she would remain true to her morals, however in order to win the games and return to her home, she would have to play to the Capitol and win their sympathy. It was interesting to see how Katniss manipulated the people of the Capitol's emotions for her own benefit, and how she would win the games by doing so.
AS A READER:
As a reader, I am constantly pulling for the protagonist to succeed, especially when the characters, like in Oz and Hunger Games, are fighting for their way back home to their families. Unfortunately, what makes for a good story is if the antagonist starts to win, even if for a short period in the story. Also, as a reader, if I hear bad things about a book before I start reading, I go into with a closed mind usually. When this happens, I don't focus on getting to know the main characters more, or fight for them as much as I would if I were going into it blindly or with a positive opinion. However, in some cases, the characters will pull through and make me invest in them.
Their ties to these depressing places lie in their families, for Katniss, it’s her sister, Prim, and for Dorothy it’s her Aunt Em. Because they were forced into places much different then their homes, they were instantly alienated in these huge, strange cities. Because they are not used to the lifestyles of the people of Oz and the Captiol, they must adapt, in order to avoid alienation. They are both able to adapt and unwillingly have people from these cities dress them up to fit in. The main characters of these stories are so unwilling to change their appearances because they aren’t ashamed of where they come from, and even though they don’t wear fancy costumes, they’re both proud to call District 12 and Kansas, home. For example, Katniss is constantly braiding her hair similar to how her mother would for her back in her District, and wearing the Mockingjay pin that was given to her by her sister Prim, as constant reminders and symbols of them. As for Dorothy, she always has ToTo with her, and proves in the book and movie that she’ll do anything to protect him by her side.
ASSUMPTIONS:
A major assumption that I had prior to reading both of these books was that, of course Katniss would be victorious in the Hunger Games somehow, and that Dorothy would eventually find her way back to her home of Kansas. It was unclear to me yet how they'd manage these unlikely tasks, but in my mind, it was bound to happen. These assumptions are most likely based on being raised by Disney movies, where in the end, good always wins over evil. Also, while reading, Katniss had been so against the Capitol from the very beginning, I had the assumption that she would remain true to her morals, however in order to win the games and return to her home, she would have to play to the Capitol and win their sympathy. It was interesting to see how Katniss manipulated the people of the Capitol's emotions for her own benefit, and how she would win the games by doing so.
AS A READER:
As a reader, I am constantly pulling for the protagonist to succeed, especially when the characters, like in Oz and Hunger Games, are fighting for their way back home to their families. Unfortunately, what makes for a good story is if the antagonist starts to win, even if for a short period in the story. Also, as a reader, if I hear bad things about a book before I start reading, I go into with a closed mind usually. When this happens, I don't focus on getting to know the main characters more, or fight for them as much as I would if I were going into it blindly or with a positive opinion. However, in some cases, the characters will pull through and make me invest in them.
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