Loving Perseverence

Loving Perseverance
Daniel Song

Loving Perseverance
Daniel Song

One book I have read that truly piqued my interest was The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This is a dystopian novel in the point of view of Katniss Everdeen, a girl living in the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve districts The Capitol is harsh and cruel, and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games, some regard it as a death sentence. But through loving perseverance, she is able to push through the opposition, and this theme of love is conveyed all throughout the book.

The idea of perseverance because of love is shown all throughout the book. In the beginning, as names are being called up to participate in the Hunger Games, her sister’s name is called. Katniss, being the loving older sister she is, decides to take her place in the games. The following quote explains the thought process of her decision: “I don’t need to shove through the crowd. The other kids make way immediately allowing me a straight to the stage. I reach her just as she is about to mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her behind me. ‘I volunteer!’ I gasp. ‘I volunteer as tribute’ …  But in district 12, where the word tribute is pretty much synonymous with the word corpse, volunteers are all but extinct.” People usually don’t volunteer for this, but she decides to. Although she did this out of love, she also realizes that she can win, as she has some experience hunting. It is here when she decides she will try to win the games, though it may seem impossible. She decides to persevere, and the book is an example of how if you try your best, you can succeed, even if that something feels out of your reach.
As the book progresses, this idea of loving perseverance is portrayed all throughout the book. As she fights for her life in the arena, and as she manages to narrowly escape death time and time again, she thinks of her family and friends as her motivation to try her hardest to win. The games are finished when there is one person standing, and she pushes through till the end (Spoiler Alert: The main character doesn’t die!!). This is a testament of her perseverance, is she had not persevered, she probably would have died. This peserverence was because of her love of others, which moved me.
Overall, this book is extremely interesting, and conveys a powerful message. Loving perseverance is something we should all have, we should all push through and be the best that we can be. It is not too long to read, but it is also not too short. I quite enjoyed reading this book, and I hope you will too!