A recent Blogpost entitled Miss Universe Pageant or Hunger Games Costumes? was sent to me by the ever watchful James and I confess to being impressed by two things: the outrageous tackiness, even self-mocking quality of the Miss Universe costumes, which is to say, how demeaning they were to both the women and the countries involved, and, correspondingly, how appropriate this was to the link this Blogger makes between the costumes, the Capitol audience, and the Hunger Games children dressed for that audience to mock.

I think I was most impressed that Ms. Collins’ attack on this sort of thing has penetrated popular thinking sufficiently that we find this connection between book theme and visible reality being made, dot to dot, online and in magna voce.

Today’s guest post is a special look at Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay in light of the Aristotle’s ideas of friendship that are found in his Nichomachean Ethics. The writing and subject matter are challenging, edifying, and simultaneously raise our understanding of the text(s) in play while stretching our way of thinking about life as we live it. I look forward to reading Hog Pro All-Pro’s response to this guest effort almost as much as I do to the hoped-for next dispatch from our newest contributors (short bios at end).

Katniss Everdeen is a one of the more fascinating characters of contemporary young adult literature. More fascinating still is Katniss’ relationship with Peeta Mellark.  It is hardly an exaggeration to say that their relationship drives the trilogy.  We would go so far as to say that the trilogy is a essentially a love story between these two characters. Although the Hunger Games–brutal and hellish–are meant to keep the tributes disunited, we see a uniting of hearts between the tributes of District Twelve.

What makes their relationship so intriguing is its ever-changing dynamic.  Peeta repeatedly sacrifices himself and declares his love for Katniss, both on camera and off.  Katniss responds in a variety of ways, ranging from shoving him into vases to spoon feeding him broth.

However, just because something is dynamic does not mean it is unpredictable.  We propose that Katniss’ feelings for Peeta evolve over time through Aristotle’s levels of friendship, as outlined in his Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII.

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