In ‘The Hunger Games’ fandom, Gale Hawthorne has been dubbed the “Prim Reaper,” with some accusing him of being an immoral, child-killing war criminal. Not that I disagree, but it is crucial to contextualize his actions and opinions.
Examining the relationship between Katniss and Gale reveals them as two sides of the same coin. Both had the same upbringing, with both of their fathers killed in the same mining accident; driving them into the role of sole family providers. To stave off starvation, Katniss and Gale began hunting—a subtle act of rebellion against the Capitol. Their paths diverged when Katniss volunteered for the Hunger Games, leaving Gale responsible for both families. Before Katniss is delivered to the Capitol, Gale comments that killing animals is not very different from killing humans; setting the stage for his perspective: personal survival trumps morality.
Katniss’s arena experience forced her to grapple with her own concept of morality, requiring her to set aside her values for survival. This firsthand exposure only exacerbated her empathy and reshaped her perspective on the war. She identified President Snow as the true enemy, recognizing that people in the districts and the Capitol were mere collateral damage to both District 13 and the Capitol. Katniss, uniquely, viewed them as individuals rather than faceless numbers.
In contrast, Gale, lacking Katniss’s arena experience, was blindsided by his singular view of the destruction and killings solely within the districts. Fueled by anger and a desire for retaliation, he perpetuated a cycle of violence without acknowledging the humanity of those involved. Gale justified actions against Capitol supporters, mirroring the oppression inflicted upon them, failing to acknowledge the innocent among them.
Ultimately, Gale’s perspective was limited. His focus on vengeance and wrath perpetuated a cycle of anger, overshadowing Katniss’s insight: people are not just numbers, but individuals with real lives. In the penultimate scene that dubbed Gale the “Prim Reaper,” his own bomb creation was set upon Prim, thus ending her life. Gale’s inability to find humanity in war resulted in the death of someone he was designated to protect. They had won the war,but at what cost? He had lost his entire family: Prim, and finally Katniss. He loved Katniss so deeply, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when she couldn’t even bear to look at him after what he had done.
With the common saying,“all’s fair in love and war,” Gale demonstrates war in its purest form: an erasure of love, empathy, and morality. Gale’s justifications for actions against Capitol supporters highlight the complexity of morality in the face of oppression, showcasing the nuanced character dynamics within ‘The Hunger Games.’