A little over a month ago, I set up a short poll exploring individual reader preferences to the two male protagonists in Suzanne Collins' (fabulous) dystopian series, The Hunger Games. I am fascinated by the way people react to what they read--ie., what they bring to books, what they take away, what they like and what they don't--and the Gale/Peeta dilemma has intrigued me from the start. Even more intriguing was the discovery that there is no clear favorite between these two characters among readers. So, in an effort to discover what kinds of people prefer which hero, I created this poll.Unfortunately, on the first attempt, I did not get a wide enough range of responses to formulate any kind of theory.
But... I'm still curious.
So, I am going to attempt to revive the poll. I still have room for 98 responses, so if you've read the books and have an opinion, I'd love you to go to the link and offer it up to the poll. Ultimately, my goal is to show some statistics--and hopefully some conclusions--on this blog and on Examiner.com. Because Collins' books are really catching fire (pun shamelessly intended), and the subject gets more interesting every day.
Any thoughts on the exploding phenomenon? I know I've seen a lot of non-readers become fanatical over the Games. And it's beautiful to see. Do you have any stories to share?
Cool, I just did your poll. short and sweet! I just picked up the book after hearing the buzz and wasn't disappointed!
ReplyDeleteI do not want to start a riot here... but I do not understand people who think Gale is a viable boyfriend for Katniss!!! He has no "screen time". She has no visceral reaction when she is with him. We all (as readers) get to know Peeta and see his utter goodness and the way she reacts when he kisses her. OK, sorry. I hope I don't anger all the Gale-ites! (peace offering... it's all about the Hunger Games, and I'm sure we can get together on that one.) : )
ReplyDeleteI did your poll. :) It's a fun idea! Obviously, it's a cultural phenomenon. People have strong feelings about it!
Hahaha! Molly, that's awesome. You're right about it being a cultural phenomenon; isn't it amazing that there are people with very strong feelings on both sides of the board? I'll confess to being a passionate Gale-ite, myself. (And don't worry: no offense taken...) :) I can't see how she could abandon Gale after they have shared so much grief and life together. (They're best friends! He's her rock!) Despite his lack of 'screen-time,' I've loved him since the beginning. But Peeta's a dear, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lydia and Molly (and any silent poll-takers, as well) for contributing. It's just so cool to look at this stuff.
Hrm, I think I'll finally read this just to participate.
ReplyDeleteOK, it's good to hear how the Gale-ites think. : ) Thanks for sharing! All I know is... I am salivating until August when Mockingjay comes out. Then we'll ALL know her destiny. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteSkizo: Thanks; it's lovely!
ReplyDeleteNicole: YES. You must.
Molly: Haste the day! I can't wait.
I think there needs to be another option. I think that Gale isn't in it enough to really have an opinion about. And Peeta doesn't really hold my affection either, so I think that neither should be an option. This would kind of go against the idea of the poll though. So as a solution, have the voters list a reason why they choose who the choose, through either a comment box or a multiple choice with many options.
ReplyDeleteThanks for making the poll though, irregardless, I would like to know the results as well.
I took your quiz, but I too prefer Gale.
ReplyDeleteFletcher: Ah, so you're in-between? Or rather, unhappy with both options. That's quite respectable. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I look forward to comparing all the results in the end... I'll definitely post on it soon.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I'm glad to hear it. He's delectable.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally on Peeta's team. Gale is not the main character and has not done as much for Katniss as Peeta. He has loved her for years! and it is obvious she has loved him back .
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Mel. Isn't it funny how most people feel so strongly for his/her hero of choice? Interesting, too, that the divide is so clear. I hope you took the survey! Thanks for stopping in.
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