Katniss Everdeen: A True Hero

Everyone has heard of the “Girl on Fire,” or better known as, Katniss Everdeen. Some may describe her as a hero, and some may describe her as just a victorious tribute. Being an average-aged girl, and under the Capitol’s rule, Katniss did not have an easy life. She lived with very little, and had struggles throughout her childhood. Sadly, her father passed away when she was eleven, but his teaching of hunting was enough to keep her family surviving. Katniss was able to enhance these skills as she grew older. Eventually these skills were put to the test in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a place filled with death and violence. There can only be one winner, and to be victorious, all other tributes must be eliminated, through death. Katniss

It was not an easy life; she lived with her mother and sister, and they had to survive on their own. Katniss developed her own skills, hunting animals and training herself with a bow and arrow, but this all changed once the day of the reaping came. Here, two tributes, a male and female, were chosen for the Hunger Games. Unfortunately, Primrose Everdeen, Katniss’s younger sister, was chosen for the games. “With one sweep of my arm, I push her behind me. “I volunteer!” I gasp. “I volunteer as tribute!” (Excerpt From: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Pages 17 – 23) Being protective over her beloved sister, Katniss volunteered as tribute to protect Prim, and this was her call to adventure. After the day of the reaping, Katniss was paired with a boy named Peeta Mellark, who would become her partner, but also competition in the games. Of course, this being their first Hunger Games, they would need some assistance from someone experienced. Luckily, for them, Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket was there to help. At first, Haymitch did not seem reliable, but as time passed, his connection with Katniss got stronger. This revealed to Katniss, the wisdom she needed for the Hunger Games. Katniss’s departure to the Capitol was just the beginning of her journey as a

As she enters the training room, Katniss notices the Gamemakers. Some of them were paying attention, and some were just in for the food. At first Katniss misses her shot, but after adjusting to the new bow, she was able to land excellent shots. Impressing only some of the Gamermakers, Katniss shoots an arrow through an apple placed in the mouth of a roasted pig. This catches their attention and she walks out without their dismissal. As Katniss’s adrenaline builds up, she is placed in the arena, and the Hunger Games begins. With another trial at hand, Katniss’s approach is passive. She only takes a pack from the center and runs away as another player tries to kill her. The first day in the arena was not filled with many challenges, but as the next day approaches, Katniss can already feel the pain. “Morning brings distress. My heads throbs with every beat of my heart. Simple movements send stabs of pain through my joints. I fall, rather than jump from the tree.” (In the Arena – Pages 147 – 166) As the days pass by, and more tributes fall, Katniss reaches her crisis. Rue, a girl she met, is heard screaming for help. Recognizing her voice, Katniss yells back and rushes to search for her. Finally, she spots Rue trapped in a net, but before she could save her, a boy from District 1 impales her with a spear. Without thinking, Katniss shoots an arrow straight through his neck, and the boy drowns in