one of the most distinct attributes of everlark's relationship throughout the three books is the uncertainty of their feelings. and a difficulty admitting that katniss loves peeta.
but it is so funny because obviously, katniss loves peeta. she risks her life for him (thg, 286). she dreams about him being happy and safe with his child (cf, 101). she becomes debilitated when he is being tortured (mj, 141). and when she thinks that he has stopped loving her, she is so heartbroken that she has a death wish (mj, 171).
but throughout all of these occurrences, katniss can not physically put into words that she loves peeta (mj, 198). she will imply it in her subconscious (mj, 38; mj, 131; mj, 141). but she will never say it aloud. it is almost like katniss is trying to keep it safe in her heart.
like if she never vocalizes how much she is in love with peeta, it will not fully be true. right?
and it will not be recognized by others as a weakness that could be used to exploit her. because that is all love could ever be in a world like panem. a weakness for people in power to exploit.
but it doesn't matter in the end. all of these efforts to not acknowledge that she loves peeta.
because snow recognizes it (mj, 135). and by knowing that katniss is in love with peeta, he truly does have the one weapon that will break her beyond repair.
and i guess it is so interesting. that katniss never actively conceptualizes her love for peeta until the final chapter of mockingjay. because there is one character that is very good at admitting their love for their so-called lover.
yep, you guessed it. coriolanus snow.
because when snow becomes enchanted by lucy gray, he is the first person to recognize that he might be in love with her (tbosas, 324). and that she might be in love with him (tbosas, 196) and, when people recognize that snow fell in love with lucy gray, he is quick to agree with them (tbosas, 344). and he is sure of her love for him (tbosas, 483). i mean, she said it in a song directed toward him. it must be true, right?
even when he is moments from turning on her, he still is very vocal and confident in their mutual love for each other (tbosas, 501). and even after snow possibly killed lucy gray to save his own skin, he still looks back on their relationship and is sure that he loved her (tbosas, 518). because the love he felt for lucy gray made him weak, and he must never be vulnerable like that again.
so, through it all, snow was very sure of his love for lucy gray. but it is so interesting because his love was so shallow. shallow enough that he was ready to turn on her the second that his prospects for social mobility and power became feasible. the moment that she was considered a threat to his political and social survival. his love, the one that he was so sure of, was not enough to keep him from killing her.
but compare that to our favorite star-crossed lovers. to the ones who can't even verbally admit they love each other because of the cruel world that they live in. the ones who, despite perceiving the other person as a threat to their survival, refuse to allow the other person to die. the ones who returned to their desecrated home, hand-in-hand as they take on their world as they always have. together.
because, in the end, katniss and peeta did not need to verbalize their love. it was well-documented in every sacrifice made to ensure the other's protection. it was written between every line as katniss let it slip through her narrative. the ones that clearly point out that, yes, she really did love him. and it was embedded into every selfless act that seemed to flow from the hearts of both of our precious lovers.
