#like he’s a poor traumatized (brown coded) boy whose very valid anger was used to groom him into a perfect soldier.

[rowan-guerrins]

people on tiktok well on all social media sites actually will loudly critique the fact some people (especially those who only watched the movies) “didn’t get the point of the hunger games” and then turn around and say gale is the worst person in the universe and treat him like he’s a monster, and that all these traits are innate characteristics completely isolated from the circumstances in which he lived and the people around him. like girlie i think maybe YOU didn’t get the point here either.

#obviously this isn’t to say you need to or were “supposed to” like gale #there are a lot of good reasons to criticize him. esp wrt his sense of entitlement to katniss. #but he’s not supposed to be a Villain™️ #like he’s a poor traumatized (brown coded) boy whose very valid anger was used to groom him into a perfect soldier. #kind of almost like it’s a critique on the militarization of young boys. esp those who are underprivileged. #which doesn’t excuse his actions & it doesn’t mean you have to like him #but it’s enraging when people act like he is a heartless monster who is unredeemable or whatever. like. oh that’s not…. #bonus points if they babygirlify cato and clove (and marvel and glimmer) and cry about how they’re just kids #+ “they were only the way they are bc of the capitol 🥺”. #like yes it’s a big point that they were kids groomed to be child soldiers because the capitol pressured and “rewarded” career districts #to churn out child soldiers and whatnot. but that. ok. #truly just how do you hold the belief that to an extent excuses them or at least makes them sympathetic— #—but then not extend that empathy to gale. side eye. #esp bc a lot of the stuff is taking potshots at gale to uplift peeta/everlark. #like. uh! okay! #obligatory disclaimer i don’t actually like gale. however i am at my limit on weird and bad and inconsistent takes on him. #yeah he sucks. almost like that’s because he was horrifically oppressed by the captiol + then was groomed to be the ideal soldier by coin. #crazy how that’s the point. #and AGAIN. doesn’t EXCUSE what he does. but it’s important to acknowledge bc it v much contextualizes who and what he is and does. #the hunger games #gale hawthorne #i don’t think i need to tag this in the anti tag but lmk