Katniss Everdeen Is a Girl with Many Talents

Although Katniss Everdeen was considered an underdog in the games, she possesses many qualities and made very smart choices that helped her become a victor of the Hunger Games. The novel, The Hunger Games was written by Suzanne Collins who created the character of Katniss Everdeen, she wrote Katniss as a very talented girl whose skills were very unique and useful. Some of the skills Katniss used to help her get out of the arena alive were archery, survival, and role-play.

Katniss Everdeen has excellent accuracy with a bow and arrow, her best skill is archery. She has had lots of time in District 12 to practice her archery skills because she uses her bow and arrow to hunt. In the novel The Hunger Games, Peeta tells his mentor Haymitch that, “She’s excellent, my father buys her squirrels. He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the body. She hits everyone in the eye” (Collins 89). This skill helped Katniss in the arena because, when she got a bow and arrows, it was easier for her to hunt for food.

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Also her skill in archery came in most handy when Cato grabbed hold of Peeta and threatening to kill him. Katniss was able to hit Cato with her bow, directly in his hand. So she could kill Cato but keep Peeta alive. Katniss has exceptional accuracy all of the time, “I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it strait at the Game makers’ table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back.

The arrow skewers the apple in the pig’s mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief” (Collins 102). Katniss’ skill in archery genuinely helped her win the Hunger Games.

Katniss has profoundly good survival skills and has had lots of practice using them as she suffers from hunger poverty in District 12. Ever since Katniss’ dad died she has been taking care of and providing for her family. Her father did teach her a little before he died though. Like how to hunt, “Inside the woods there is food if you know how to find it”(Collins 5). Katniss’ father knew and he taught her. He also taught her all about which berries and plants were safe to eat and how to find pools of water. He also taught her to watch out for venomous snakes and rabid animals that roam freely in the woods.

The survival skills she learned were very useful to her during the games in that she never died of starvation or dehydration. Also she knew which plants and berries were good to eat, “Not these, Katniss. Never these. They are nightlock. You’ll be dead before they reach your stomach” (Collins 318). At this time in the games Katniss remembers that the berries Peeta picked for them were poisonous, because of her knowledge of berries she they never ate them nor did they die. This proves that Katniss’ survival skills really came in handy in the arena of The Hunger Games.

Katniss’ unknown skill of role play helps her when she agrees to act as if she is in love with Peeta. By pretending to love Peeta Katniss is able to fool the audience into thinking they are in love and get them to send her sponsor gifts. “Impulsively I lean forward and kiss him, stopping his words. This is probably overdue anyway since he is right, we are supposed to be madly in love. I break away and pull the edge of the sleeping bag around him. I step out in the cool evening air just as a parachute floats down from the sky” (Collins 260-261). Katniss made the audience believe that she truly loves Peeta by kissing him. Katniss and Peeta even needed to pretend to be in love after the games to protect them from the capitol, “listen up. You’re in trouble. Word is the Capitol’s furious about you showing them up in the arena.

The one thing they can’t stand is being laughed at and they’re the joke of Panem. Your only defence can be you were so madly in love you weren’t responsible for you actions”(Collins 357). Katniss even played this role to perfection. Some readers of the novel The Hunger Games even started to believe Katniss’ love was true. “But his smile is the same whether in mud or in the Capitol and when I see it, I take about three steps and fling myself into his arms. He rights himself almost losing his balance. He rights himself and we just cling to each other while the audience goes insane. He’s kissing me an all the time I’m thinking.

Do you know how much danger we’re in?”(Collins 361). Katniss was so good at pretending to be in love with Peeta I think she even starts to believe it. This just made the audience believe them more. During the games their act helped them get sponsors and after the games it helped them stay out of trouble with the Capitol. Throughout Katniss’ and Peeta’s whole experience, the citizens of Panem really believe that Katniss and Peeta are star-crossed lovers because of their amazing role play skills.

In conclusion Katniss uses lots of excellent skills to help her win the Hunger Games, such as archery, survival and role-play. Suzanne Collins who wrote The Hunger Games made Katniss a very intelligent girl who has very unique and useful skills. Although Katniss was considered an underdog in the games, she possesses many qualities and made very smart choices that helped her become a victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games.