Now it is The Hunger Games.
Sheesh.
I haven't finished Mockingjay yet, but the way Suzanne Collins designed the character of Peeta was obviously genius. The reader can't help but have a death grip on Peeta. We are immediately drawn to him. We love him. Why would a female writer design a character like Peeta?
We love Peeta because he loves without being loved in return.
The entire series is him sacrificing himself for a girl who still can't decide if she loves him. Yes, she needs him, but still can't allow herself to see Peeta like the rest of us do. He has weaknesses, but I think that's what makes him more realistic to us. He isn't the steroid stuffed, buff bodybuilder our culture promotes quite often. He is sensitive. He's not stone cold like Katniss is. His words are full of emotion and sincerity. He acts out of love for Katniss, even though in the beginning, he knows she believes him to be a traitor.
Suzanne Collins knows what we want as humans when it comes to love. We want to be loved amidst our weaknesses and faults. We want to be loved by someone we don't deserve. Our ultimate desire is to find someone who sees us as we are, and somehow embraces us, even while we hurt them.
This innate desire was formed in us before creation. We desire this as people, because our Maker loved us in that way first. God loved us before we knew who He was. He loved us even though we did nothing to deserve it. We want that kind of love. We crave it. That is why accepting and rejoicing in the love of God has no comparison. Nothing feels better than being loved when you realize it's not from anything you did.
Peeta's love for Katniss did not start when she saved his life. Peeta loved Katniss before she was aware he knew her name. He kept loving her even while she planned to kill him. Peeta doesn't allow his hurt and pain to stop him from loving Katniss. He never withdraws or accepts defeat until Katniss finally frees herself to love him back. (Except for that whole "The capitol made me crazy so now I wanna kill Katniss" Peeta which I don't like to think about.)
This is how we should love others.
I apologize for being mushy (I guess I'm apologizing to myself since no one reads this haha.) I just know every girl that reads these books is immediately in love with Peeta, and I wanted to know why. At least in other popular romances like the Twilight books- Bella loves Edward the entire time he's loving her. The same can't be said for Peeta and Katniss.
Speaking of Twilight, it is a blessing that I have grown up a lot since reading those books. I feel like I can read The Hunger Games with a totally different perspective than I read Twilight. I loved Edward Cullen as a freshman in college, because he was perfect. Without flaw. Strong. Unselfish. He had no weaknesses. I read those books and was surprised enough to realize no guy is like that. (I can't believe I just admitted I liked Edward Cullen at one point.) A guy like Edward Cullen would be annoying as all get out. Like seriously.....stop watching me sleep. Gross. Glad I'm out of that stage.
I'm glad Peeta is at least a little more realistic. While I love Peeta's character, I can easily remove myself enough to know he is still fiction. I am content in my view of how men are that I can read books about romance and love and still know most guys are jerks, they hate talking about feelings, their frontal lobes don't develop until it's too late, and most of them don't bake.
