The Pied Piper

I have to begin by letting you know that I'm not at all as educated in all things Political as ought to be. That is something I'm hoping to remedy in the future, but as it stands, I'm not well versed in the subject other than a simple beginners knowledge. 

That being said, I voted in the last election, I was proud to do it. It is a freedom that was hard come by, as a nation, and also as women. It's something I've heard people complain about, and I haven't always done my fair share, but I want to. I don't know what the next four years will bring, I don't pretend to know or make predictions, but I have to admit that it makes me sad to hear states are petitioning for succession from the Union. I stand by a statement I heard long ago in a Elementary school children's program, "United we stand, divided we fall."

I saw the movie 'Lincoln' tonight, and it was a clear reminder that there is so much I do not know about our country's history and the people who played a part in it. But the Civil War was awful and horrible, and there were a lot of states at that time who thought leaving the Union was the answer. It wasn't then, I don't think it is now. 

Tonight's title is in reference to the book 'Rilla of Ingleside' that I just finished listening to today. It was a favorite book when I was younger, the last one of the Anne of Green Gables series that literally wished wouldn't ever end. 

Anne's son and Rilla's brother, Walter, was one of my favorite characters in the book, and as the book is written about the time of the Great War (WWI) all of Anne's boy's enlist to help England and the Allies fight against Germany. 

*Spoiler*

In it, Walter is killed, fulfilling his once childhood vision of the Pied Piper, coming to call the Valley's children to follow him. He some time after his death, Rilla receives a letter from him with the following words: 

"I saw the Piper coming down the Valley with a shadowy host behind him. ...last night I saw him again. I was doing sentry-go and I saw him marching across No-man's land from our trenches to the German trenches-the same tall shadowy form, piping wierdly-and behind him followed boys in khaki. ...Rilla, the Piper will pipe me 'west' tomorrow. I feel sure of this. And Rilla, I'm not afraid. When you hear the news, remember that. I've won my own freedom here-freedom from all fear. ...Yes, I'm glad I came, Rilla. It isn't only the fate of the little sea-born island I love that is in the balance--nor of Canada, nor of England. It is the fate of mankind. That is what we're fighting for. And we shall win--never for a moment doubt that, Rilla. For it isn't only the living who are fighting--the dead are fighting too. Such and army cannot be defeated. ...And you will tell your children of the Idea we fought and died for--teach them it must be lived for as well as died for, else the price paid for it will have been given for naught." 

I am sorry for the long quote, but it felt important. In the past few years, I've heard people talk of War as a thing of the past, they-and I-forget we are still at war. I think there is more war in the world that I would ever like to believe. 

But I do know in the words of Walter, that we will win. There are many fighting for us that we don't know about. 

In so many things I've been reading and watching war seems to be a common thing and it makes me dread it all the more. But I then remind myself to look forward to the winning. 

The Hunger Games

So the book I’m going to write about today is one you may have heard of. It was big a couple years back. And actually, I’m going to talk about all three books, so if you don’t want SPOILERS you should stop reading now.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay

SPOILER ALERT

Okay, if you like them, fine. If you don’t like them, fine. If you haven’t read them, fine. If you haven’t read them but just seen the movie, you have no room to comment on this…But this is just my feelings and opinions so don’t get angry.

For Halloween this year, I dressed up as Katniss, my handy sister-in-law braided my hair for every Halloween party I went to and my bow and quiver of arrows were pretty much a must everywhere I went. (Although, I couldn’t believe how many people asked me where I’d got my Mockingjay pin. Has no one ever heard of Amazon. They have everything.)

But my costume sparked some conversations with people, as I’m sure any costume is apt to do. People asked what I thought. People asked how many times I’ve seen the movie (three, I believe). And people asked how many times I’d read the books (actually just once until the last couple weeks).

My sister, who’s three kids (of various ages) loved the books and movie, was horrified when she found out what they were all about after she’d dropped her youngest off to see the movie with a friend. This weekend though, she watched the movie, and were talking about it on Halloween. She said, “It’s horrible!”

I didn’t disagree with her, because it is horrible. But I did tell her, as I tell most people who only see the movie, “Obviously the book is about the same thing, but there is a lot more inner turmoil and frustration, guilt, love, and hope wrapped up in the books.” (At least in my opinion) My sister surprised me though, when she confessed to crying when Katniss volunteers to save Prim, and when Rue dies, and I think my sister actually admired Katniss for a bit.

And then she asked, “Why do kids like it so much? Is it because they don’t have kids? They can’t imagine how horrible it would be?”

And because I don’t have kids, I can’t answer the question. I’m a psychology major, and I was completely engulfed in the psychology of the series of books. Sure, I love a good story and I think the writing in these books is spectacular, but it’s what’s behind it that always catches me and makes me think. That is why I liked the books so much.

Since I was going to be Katniss for Halloween, I decided I had better refresh myself on the books so I listened to them on my iPod. I couldn’t believe I had only read them once though, but once I got into listening to them again, I realized why. The books are good, the take hold of you and drag you into the Hunger Games with Katniss. I wanted to protect the people she loves as much as she did, I wanted  to find a way to stop the games as much as she did. I wanted to see her succeed. I wanted to know what I would do if I were in the same situation. And honestly, the experience left me drained. Perhaps this is only my experience and you are all thinking I’m crazy right now, but isn’t that what makes you love the books you love?

A quote in the second book, Catching Fire, caught my attention: “The berries. I realize the answer to who I am lies in that handful of poisonous fruit. If I held them out to save Peeta because I knew I would be shunned if I came back without him, then I am despicable. If I held them out because I loved him, I am still self-centered, although forgivable. But if I held them out to defy the Capitol, I am someone of worth.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I see a lot of myself in that statement. I see doubt and reluctance, I see the desire to know what motivates me in the things I do. I see a hope that I am a better person that I often think I am.

Katniss didn’t volunteer for the Hunger Games to bring glory on herself. She volunteered to save her sisters life. She didn’t volunteer to be the Mockingjay, the face of the rebellion that kills thousands in Panam. She is a reluctant hero who is trying to figure out how to do the very best thing she can for the people she loves.

In the third book, which it seems like to me was much less accepted than the first two, Suzanne Collins does not create the hero we expect, much less the happy ending we expect. Instead, I thought she created a crushingly realistic ending for Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Both Katniss and Peeta a broken by their experiences in the arena, the mind games played on them by the people in power, and a war raging across their country.

As much as the ending was not what I would hope for after years of fairy tale endings, I realized that it is a more realistic one. It is an ending that is also true to form for Katniss. It is very even, and very controlled....In my opinion anyway.