Chapter 13 - Katniss absorbs the fact that she is going back; Katniss asks Haymitch to help her save Peeta; the scene in her bedroom where she is overcome by what she's got to do again; Peeta steps up and takes charge; the reaping
Chapter 14 - Watching the reaping recap on the train ride; watching Haymitch's tape; Madge's aunt is called (This is what Kat's mom mentioned before!)... I need to re-read that section.
Chapter 15 - The next prep from Kat's team; the next chariot entrance "We are unforgiving"; meeting some of the other Victor-Tributes; Kat's new Avox
Just some quotes...
"They, or I should say we, are the very embodiment of hope where there is no hope. And now twenty-three of us will be killed to show how even that hope was an illusion." p 175
"While I was wallowing around on the floor of that cellar, thinking only of myself, he was here, thinking only of my. Shame isn't a strong enough word for what I feel." p 177
"We're going to wtach their Games and learn everything we can about how they fight. We're going to put on weight and get strong. We're going to start acting like Caerres. And one of us is going to be victor again whether you two like it or not!" p 183
The reaping was so much different than the first time around. Both times there was dread, but this was different. The only word I can think that fits is oppressive. It really fits the whole mood best. The weather, the guards, etc. I even felt badly for Effie, annoying as she is. "And I'm left staring out the window, watching District 12 disappear, with all my good-byes stil' hanging on my lips." p 187 I was so pissed that they took Peeta and Katniss away without their goodbyes, but it makes so much sense when we are talking about the plot. If the Capitol is cracking down, why would they let the Tributes have mushy good-byes?
One sentence that caught my attention on the train ride was the one about 75 victors. I had to stop for a moment and go "Wait a second, they're on the 75th Games!...oh, oh wait. That's right... two winners in the 74th Games." And thinking about it now, the 59 living victors spread over 12 districts...that isn't many at all. Given just 60 divided by 12 and you get 5; 5 total average per District. Thinking about it that way... it really hits you. For some reason, I was imagining that District 12 was the only one with such a small pool. Even where Katniss says "every district has managed to scrape up at least 1 female and 1 male victor" I kind of skimmed over that.
Having been so caught up in Katniss, I didn't even think about the other Victor's possible reactions. We feel the betrayal for Katniss....but I think it is even worse for the other Victors. They were already pulled into the area one time as a punishment for something they didn't do...but now, assuming this is in part revenge against Katniss and part trying to exert control over the Districts, it's even worse. They've already won once, they are the heroes/ hope of their Districts. They expected to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. And now they are tossed back in. How shitty (excuse my french!) Another thought just dawned on me... what if this isn't just about punishing Katniss. That is kind of how I've been viewing this situation. Just another way President Snow could punish her rebellion. But just like the Games were set up originally to punish the Districts... what if it really is just that? (Am I talking in circles now?)
I also wanted to quick mention the woman who was called and had kids (what a terrible and different experience) and watching Haymitch's tape. And how a lot of the other years of the Hunger Games seemed way worse than what Peeta and Katniss faced in the 74th. Ugh- and Madge's Aunt too. There is too much to talk about. ;)
Oh, my gosh, going back to the Games. Unbelieveable. Poor everyone!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she's decided to try to save Peeta, and glad Haymitch is working with her on it. I just wanted to cry ever since they announced the rules of the Quell. Bastards. (sorry)
And "we are unforgiving"!! Perfect. I'd be mesmerized if i was a Capitol person. Cheering and rooting for them to be together and then sending them back in again.. Awful.
But I agreed, thinking about the other poor Victors. People who whought they were safe, had paid their dues, to send them back, some of them inform, just shook me so bad! I feel really really deeply for the people in these books. everyone in the Districts. I love them.
And watching Haymitch's Games tape. He's so smart!!
But my stomach just dropped at the new Avox. I was stunned and cold. The Capitol gets crueler and nastier with each chapter we read. I hate that President Snow with his roses and blood breath. Hate him!
And Peeta training everyone! I love it! I just have got such a big crush on him. He's so determined, so together. So strong.
ReplyDeleteJesus, Nat. Get your thoughts together!! Haha
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that it looked like a lot of the past Games seemed rougher, weirder. I wonder how much the Capitol has looked at them and decided what to include and what not to allow. Like remember in the first book, how they suspected an avalanche had been used to purposely kill a cannibal Tribute? Because that was more frightening than entertaining. I wonder to what extent they're doing that, keeping even Tributes with allegedly no rules in line in the arena?
I don't think I'm explaining myself well. You know how back in the 30s or whenever, Frankenstein was a terrifying movie, and folks were fainting dead away when the monster throws a little girl into a pond? And now movies chop people up and show their guts for everyone to see and no one thinks twice? Wouldn't you think Panem would be the same? The Games getting scarier and the people getting more and more desensitized to the violence as time goes on until no amount of killing would satisfy them? I wonder why it sounded a bit the opposite? They were more interested this year in a love story between two Tributes than a bloodbath.
I think that's interesting.
Brad was teasing me yesterday that he knows why President Snow's breath smells like blood. Jerk.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the excitement of the Games isn't necesarially about the gore. I think that perhaps it is more about the excitement behind the strategy; how people will kill or be killed, who is going to outlast everyone else. The interest in seeing alliances develop and fade away. The fact that you never know if people are being 100% truthful with each other. The two things that people love most are violence and love stories, isn't that true?
Maybe Peeta and Katniss's love story was just the break that the viewers needed. OF course, it isn't what the Capitol needed...to have two people stand up for each other and stick together all the way to the end. I have a feeling the Gamemakers assumed Katniss would just off Peeta.
I wanted to know your opinions on the woman who had to leave her children. I mean.. It's more than just leaving them. If she dies (and I am assuming she does), doesn't her family lose all their privileges? Katniss had mentioned that at one point.
Holy cow, you're right! If she's killed, where will her family go? And being older, she had to at least _suspect_ that she'd not ever get to see them again. Absolutely tragic :(
ReplyDeleteBeing on both sides of that (both a daughter AND a mother), everyone involved is so much braver than I'd be. I'd be bawling on the street, unable to move either way.
If Katniss wasn't already stirring rebellion (whether she intended to or not), I wouldn't be surprised if those kids had done it for her...
I think I would have an even worse reaction than Katniss did when she found out she was going back. Peeta was strong and brave and ready to start working right away (from what we see).
ReplyDeleteI would have been an absolute wreck. I would have had an even better emotional pity party than Katniss did. Someone would have had to mop me up from the floor.
Yep, as soon as they said we were going back in, I'd have taken off into the woods, with no thought to the electrified fence, or the Capitol, or the Peacekeepers watching me. I'd have been an uncontrollable nutbag.
ReplyDeleteNew Year's Resolution: Be more like Peeta.. Haha!
Unfortunately (or not?) I'm recklessly rebellious like Katniss. In fact, I think she outweighs consequences even more than I ever would. Yet, she has such an innocence about her still. She was rebelling without necessarily realizing and to me, that was the beauty in all this. I have to admit, I wouldn't have been as concerned in killing the tributes as I would have in just killing random Capitol people... thus, I wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as she! I've got some sort of "anger/I don't want people telling me what to do" issues, I believe ;)
ReplyDeleteI was happy to finally learn the purpose of the pin and the connection of Madge's role. I hadn't seen that coming.
Confession: If I'd just fought for my life, been promised safety and wealth and then learned I was doing it alllll over again, I would have murdered President Snow IN MY HOUSE! What an ass! Ughhhh.
and I can't believe Brad knows everything now!!! haha.
The Madge connection really hit me. First when Katniss's mother said her friend died in the 2nd Quarter Quell. That was the first time I realized that not just adults were devestated. Her mom is so fragile.
ReplyDeleteThen when Katniss saw Maysilee (?) being called, being an exact look-alike to Madge. And the fact that she was Madge's Mother's twin. Heartbreaking. No wonder her mother has headaches everyday.
It also made me think back to the first book when Gale and Katniss were kind of bitter towards her before the reaping. It's true: even the merchants weren't safe. It made me a little sad that they both misjudged Madge.
Now that the Mockingjay is the symbol of the rebellion, it is almost like Mayislee is especially being avenged.