#Catching Fire is just chock-full with interesting/important moments... my book is more post-it notes than pages at this point
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Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch are slowly becoming a proper team! No more secrets! (for the most part)
As usual, my thoughts regarding this weekâs prompts and (many) random thoughts on chapters 4-6 are below the cut.
heart
Losing that comfort of sleeping in each otherâs arms after the Victory Tour must have been hard for Katniss and Peeta! Up until Katniss hurts her ankle, they probably didnât really do much about it, just trying to make it through on their own... After she hurt her ankle and Peetaâs spending more time over at her place, I can easily imagine him staying over, at least until sheâs fallen asleep, which might help a little... Since they are living only three houses apart from each other, I like to imagine that they can see each otherâs bedroom windows from their bedroom (how else would Katniss know that Peeta sleeps with the windows open? I canât really imagine that they would be able to open the windows of the train they were on - yâknow, for âsafety reasonsâ (i.e. making sure nobody can escape)); maybe theyâd both light a candle and put it by their window, as a signal they are going to sleep... Itâs not the same, but it helps a littleÂ
mind
I mean, aside from the systemic rigging of the reaping system (i.e. poorer people generally having more entries, so they can have some food), I can easily imagine there being a manipulation of the âoddsâ when someone becomes too vocal or troublesome for the local authorities, such as someone trying to unionize a districtâs workforce, for example
soul
In the districts, their impact has to be big - their win alone was a huge defiance of the Games as they used to be... sticking together and sticking up for each other ultimately led to them defeating the Capitolâs rules! In-between the Games and the Victory Tour I donât think there was much noteworthy going on (although maybe the fact that, so far, none of the new victorsâ loved ones had been hurt - Prim, Mrs. E., but also Gale and his family would be visible during the celebrations, Iâm sure, same probably goes for the Mellarkâs - might tell the people in the district that Snow and his cronies were aware of the attention any assassination attempt would gather and that this, in turn, might actually could become the last straw that would spark a revolution. In a way, that was proof that the people on top were at least a little afraid of what the people in the districts would do...) And then, especially during the visit of D11, with Katniss expressing her thanks and Peeta reaching out to share their winnings with the people from D11, another district than their own - it must have provided a lot of inspiration, Iâm sure.Â
As for the Capitolites, maybe some of them would notice for once how unhappy/riled up the people in some of the districts were... or at least stop to think about how this time, a show of love and companionship actually provided more âentertainmentâ and intrigue than the brutal gore and bloodshed from previous Games (also, longer lasting - there is actually much more âstoryâ to be had from the star-crossed lovers from D12 than from any individual winner of previous Games, if you think about it... Their âlove storyâ is still on-going, with an upcoming wedding and the promise of a family... itâs still creepy and voyeuristic as hell, though)
Chapter 4
Everything he [Haymitch] said was true about the Capitolâs expectations, my future with Peeta, even his last comment. Of course, I could do a lot worse than Peeta. That isnât really the point, though, is it? One of the few freedoms we have in District 12 is the right to marry who we want or not marry at all. And now even that has been taken away from me. - God, this sucks so much! As Katniss rightly points out, her misery isnât about Peeta at all - itâs about her (and also his, just pointing that out) agency being taken away! Sheâs being stripped even of that little sliver of agency that inhabitants of D12 usually have (choice of whom to marry, or whether to marry at all)
I wonder if President Snow will insist we have children. - Eugh, just the idea of Snow being the one to have the last word on that subject... 𤢠The invasion of privacy here... - The only person who should get to decide whether Katniss should have children or not is Katniss herself! Period!
My mind searches frantically for a way out. I canât let President Snow condemn me to this. Even if it means taking my own life. Before that, though, Iâd try to run away. - Boy, Katniss is even contemplating taking her own life, rather than to submit to the life the Capitol wants to force on her; itâs not her first choice (sheâd rather run away), but it shows the desperation sheâs feeling
Could I even manage to take everyone I love with me, start a new life deep in the wild? Highly unlikely but not impossible. - Later we will see that Peeta and Haymitch also belong into the category of âpeople Katniss lovesâ đ(as well as her family, Gale, and his fam, of course)
âAnd Peetaâs team is probably still asleep.â âDoesnât he need prepping?â I ask. âNot the way you do,â Effie replies. What does this mean? It means I get to spend the morning having the hair ripped off my body while Peeta sleeps in. I hadnât thought about it much, but in the arena at least some of the boys got to keep their body hair whereas none of the girls did. - Gotta love that everlasting sexism that, even far into the future, still wonât allow women to have frickinâ body hair (yâknow, like most humans do đ)
I can remember Peetaâs now, as I bathed him by the stream. Very blond in the sunlight, once the mud and blood had been washed away. Only his face remained completely smooth. Not one of the boys grew a beard, and many were old enough to. I wonder what they did to them. - Katniss seems to have committed every single detail about Peeta to her memory, including how his body hair looked when she cleaned him in the last Games... okay đđ On a more somber note, what is it that the Capitol is doing to these poor kids?! The boys couldnât grow beards and - Iâm assuming - the girls wouldnât get their periods while in the arena (since the Games can last for weeks, it would be a huge disadvantage if any of the girls also had to content with cramps + periods - aside from worrying about getting murdered, I mean); itâs such a violation of oneâs autonomy over oneâs own body, yikes
Flavius tilts up my chin and sighs. âItâs a shame Cinna said no alterations on you.â âYes, we could really make you something special,â says Octavia. âWhen sheâs older,â says Venia almost grimly. âThen heâll have to let us.â - Eeek, no thanks!đŚ And frankly, it really shouldnât be Cinnaâs call to make but, yâknow, Katnissâs!!! I donât know, I get real panick-y just reading this exchange (I have never even gotten my ears pierced - my mom wouldnât let them be pierced until I could make my own decision on that subject matter and as someone with skin issues and bad experiences with needles, I really donât feel the need to have any unnecessary metal inserted into my body, so... Iâm good)
His [Peetaâs] apology takes me by surprise. Itâs true that Peeta froze me out after I confessed that my love for him during the Game was something of an act. But I donât hold it against him. [...]Â âIâm sorry, too,â I say. [...]Â âThereâs nothing for you to be sorry about. You were keeping us alive.â - That apology of Peetaâs... *chefâs kiss*; it was totally understandable that Peeta was upset and needed some time apart from Katniss after her confession, which had caught him completely by surprise, not even Katniss blames him for that... But his apology shows that he really made use of their time apart to work out his emotions and to reflect on both their situations - thatâs some emotional maturity to be envious of! Plus, his apology is a good move to get their communication channel opened up again
It would be nice if heâd come to me with this earlier, before I knew that President Snow had other plans and just being friends was not an option for us anymore. But either way, Iâm glad weâre speaking again. - Come on, Katniss, cut this boy some slack! He canât read minds - how is he supposed to know about these things if you donât tell him anything? Itâs nice that youâre glad that you guys are on speaking terms again, but communication isnât a one-way street, yâknow?
I remember the tiger lily cookie and, now that Peeta is talking to me again, itâs all I can do not to recount the whole story about President Snow. But I know Haymitch wouldnât want me to. Iâd better stick to small talk. - Katniss really should have listened to her instincts here - Haymitch might have a better idea of how the Games/Capitol works, but he knows little about teamwork, which is an important factor in their specific (and unprecedented!) situation; Iâm not blaming Katniss for relying on her mentor here, but this entire approach is going to crash and burn in the next chapter
Itâs good to feel his fingers entwined with mine again, not for show but in actual friendship. We walk back to the train hand in hand. - Not to say that you canât have friendships where you frequently hold hands - you totally can - but it is noteworthy that I donât think I can recall Katniss holding hands with any of her other friends... (somehow, I canât really picture Katniss holding hands with Gale casually like that... nor with Madge or Finnick later on)Â
At the door, I remember, âIâve got to apologize to Effie first.â âDonât be afraid to lay it on thick,â Peeta tells me.- There is something about this exchange that speaks to me... maybe because it reads like some sort of an inside joke between them? Or because it shows that, despite being on good terms with Effie, Peetaâs totally aware of how high-maintenance/over the top Effie is... I dunno ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ
Peeta has painted the Games. Some you wouldnât get right away, if you hadnât been with him in the arena yourself. Water dripping through the cracks in our cave. The dry pond bed. [...] Others any viewer would recognize. The golden horn called the Cornucopia. [...] And me. I am everywhere. [...] âWhat do you think?â he asks. âI hate them,â I say. I can almost smell the blood, the dirt, the unnatural breath of the mutt. - These are the pieces Peeta meant to exhibit in the Capitol, right? I wonder if he hoped that these paintings of his impressions/memories of the Games might actually connect with some Capitolites and might even move them to feel some empathy for the Tributes? Maybe he hoped that they would be more receptive for that kind of thing if he packaged it in art?
âAll I do is go around trying to forget the arena and youâve brought it back to life. How do you remember these things so exactly?â âI see them every night,â he says. [...] âMe too. Does it help? To paint them out?â âI donât know. I think Iâm a little less afraid of going to sleep at night, or I tell myself I am,â he says. âBut they havenât gone anywhere.â - I do wonder, whether and how painting out these moments could have therapeutic value for Peeta - on the one hand, the act of painting out specific intrusions/flashbacks might be helpful because heâd end up focusing on the more technical side of painting, yâknow? Focussing on mixing the right shade of a certain color might help create some emotional distance from the moment itself... also, since painting usually takes some time, Peeta would actually spend a considerable amount of time facing these moments head on, rather than trying to avoid them (avoidance tends to increase the frequency of flashback/intrusions) and maybe spending so much time on them could also help him contextualize them within the broader narrative of his life, which is the basic principle behind Narrative Exposure Therapy, which is said to be pretty effective at treating PTSD... just my two cents
I canât believe the size of District 11. âHow many people do you think live here?â Peeta asks. I shake my head. In school they refer to it as a large district, thatâs all. No actual figures on the population. - Perfect example of how tightly the Capitol controls the information the people in the districts have about the other districts... which is basically nothing. Letâs keep them in the dark so they are less likely to connect with each other and band together...
Cinna comes in with a pretty orange frock patterned with autumn leaves. I think how much Peeta will like the color. - Lol, Katniss bringing everything back to Peeta because she definitely hasnât a crush on the guy, I see đ
And then he [Peeta] hesitates before adding something that wasnât written on the card. Maybe because he thought Effie might make him remove it. âIt can in no way replace your losses, but as a token of our thanks weâd like for each of the tributesâ families from District Eleven to receive one month of our winnings every year for the duration of our lives.â - Peeta, the rebel! Talk about an act of radical kindness! Iâm so proud of him. But also, I think this is another excellent example of how he and Katniss are on the same wavelength (this took me some time to find, but here you go): I silently say good-bye to Thresh and thank him for my life. I promise to remember him and, if I can, do something to help his family and Rueâs, if I win. (Ch. 23, THG)
I look at Peeta and he gives me a sad smile. I hear Haymitchâs voice. âYou could do a lot worse.â At this moment, itâs impossible to imagine how I could do any better. The gift... it is perfect. So when I rise up on tiptoe to kiss him, it doesnât seem forced at all. - Peeta: does anything that exemplifies his sense of morality; Katniss: *swoons* - but honestly, it is so beautiful how Katniss is so attracted to Peetaâs goodness and kind heart - it also tells us a lot about her (she is quite pure, as Peeta will point out later in this book) and what she values
âWait, please.â I donât know how to start, but once I do, the words rush from my lips as if theyâve been forming in the back of my mind for a long time. - And then Katniss launches into one of her spontaneous, heart-felt, and inspiring speeches/acts, expressing her thanks, sympathy, and a sense of kinship with people beyond the borders of her district, beyond the superficial barriers the Capitol has been trying to maintain in order to weaken the âcommon folkâ and keep the exploitation going
The full impact of what Iâve done hits me. It was not intentional - I only meant to express my thanks - but I have elicited something dangerous. An act of dissent from the people of District 11. - Again, Katniss has done something that will solidify her as a symbol of the revolution without intending to do so and thatâs the point, I think - she inspires people through her genuine displays of caring for others (which, in Panem, is already rebellious on its own)
Chapter 5
âWeâre going!â says Peeta, shoving the Peacekeeper whoâs pressing on me. âWe get it, all right? Come on, Katniss.â His arm encircles me and guides me back into the Justice Building. - Protective Peeta! Also, I think itâs interesting to note the wording of Peetaâs arms âencirclingâ Katniss and then âguidingâ her - his arms surround her, and heâs leading her away from harm (at least to the extent that is in his power - canât really be safe from harm in Panem, can you?), but it doesnât seem smothering or oppressive to Katniss in any way -âguideâ has more of a connotation of giving direction without force, imo; in contrast, when Katniss talked about her kiss with Gale she mentions sheâd never imagined how those hands [...] could as easily entrap me. (Ch. 2, CF); granted, these are two very different situations - the phrasing just stood out to me
âWhat happened?â Effie hurries over. âWe lost the feed just after Katnissâs beautiful speech, and then Haymitch said he thought he heard gun fire, and I said it was ridiculous, but who knows? There are lunatics everywhere!â - Very telling how a clueless Capitolite like Effie wouldnât register the rebellious aspect of Katnissâs speech; by keeping the Capitolites in the depths of sweet, sweet ignorance while simultaneously harshly trying to curb any spark of rebellion by cutting off the feed, the government is actually drawing the attention of the ignorant Capitolites to the act of rebellion itself (and also letting the people in the districts know that there was something censor-worthy going on); kind of shooting themselves in the foot here
As far as I know, Haymitch has only been here once, when he was on his Victory Tour decades ago. But he must have a remarkable memory or reliable instincts, because he leads us up through a maze of twisting staricases and increasingly narrow halls. [...] Eventually we climb a ladder to a trapdoor. When Haymitch pushes it aside, we find ourselves in the dome of the Justice Building. - I wonder how Haymitch has come to know this part of the Justice Building? Has he been to District 11 more often than Katniss supposes (he is friends with Chaff, after all), did his mentor take him there for some private conversation, or was there a moment during Haymitchâs Victory Tour where he felt so overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and powerlessness that he fled to the most desolate, solitary place he could find?
âI was supposed to fix things on this tour. [...] Calm things down. But obviously, all Iâve done today is get three people killed, and now everyone in the square will be punished.â I feel so sick that I have to sit down on a couch, despite the exposed springs and stuffing. - Obviously, all of this is awful and no one - especially a traumatized, 16-year old girl - should have to suffer carrying such a burden... But also, here we see one of the downsides of Katniss taking sole responsibility for everything - she totally forgot that Peeta might feel responsible too, only that he didnât even know whatâs at stake - which leads us to-
âThen I made things worse, too. By giving the money,â says Peeta. Suddenly he strikes out at a lamp that sits precariously on a crate and knocks it across the room, where it shatters against the floor. âThis has to stop. Right now. This - this - game you two play, where you tell each other secrets but keep them from me like Iâm too inconsequential or stupid or weak to handle them.â"It's not like that, Peeta-" I begin. "It's exactly like that!" he yells at me. - When kind, gentle Peetaâs mad, you know shit has hit the fan đł But also, being passed over/kept out of the loop seems to hit pretty close to home for Peeta (while I would like to know what his home life looked like before the Games, I have to admit that at this point, Iâm somewhat afraid I might not be able to handle the truth...). I just think this scene is an important moment that leads to an end of (most of) their detrimental secrecy (hello end-of-CF-Haymitch!) and establishes their little team as such (hence the drawing)
âYouâre always so reliably good, Peeta,â says Haymitch. âSo smart about how you present yourself before the cameras. I didnât want to disrupt that.â âWell, you overestimated me. Because I really screwed up today.â - Remember the last time someone overestimated Peeta (Foxface and the berries)? That ended in someoneâs death as well... And, Haymitch? âNever assumeâ applies to you, too!
âDo you think I gave them [Rueâs and Threshâs families] a bright future? Because I think theyâll be lucky if they survive the day!â Peeta sends something else flying, a statue. Iâve never seen him like this. - Considering that his rebellious act of kindness is now threatening to become a sword of Damocles, hanging over those towards which he wanted to extend his kindness - simply because heâs been kept out of the loop (again)- Peetaâs anger is quite understandable
âLook, boy-â Haymitch begins. âDonât bother, Haymitch. I know you had to choose one of us. And Iâd have wanted it to be her. But this is something different. People are dead out there. More will follow unless weâre very good.â - Peeta doesnât really care if itâs just his life on the line, but if other peopleâs lives are at risk? He takes no shit (itâs admirable in one way and deeply concerning in another); also, Peeta is right - while there still is a game to play, itâs not the Games, so different circumstances and rules apply
âFrom now on, youâll be fully informed,â Haymitch promises. âI better be,â says Peeta. - Peeta generally is a very cooperative fellow, but donât ever think he canât be forceful and stand his ground when it matters!
âDid you choose me, Haymitch?â I ask. âYeah,â he says. âWhy? You like him better,â I say. âThatâs true. But remember, until they changed the rules, I could only hope to get one of you out of there alive,â he says. âI thought since he was determined to protect you, well, between the three of us, we might be able to bring you home.â âOh,â is all I can think to say. - This is such a quiet, sweet moment and also shows that Katniss, Haymitch and Peeta have been some sort of team from the start (also, in their team effort they actually managed to get the both of them back home!)
Everything is happening too fast for me to process it. The warning, the shootings, the recognition that I may have set something of great consequence in motion. The whole thing is so improbable. And it would be one thing if I had planned to stir things up, but given the circumstances... how on earth did I cause so much trouble? - Lol, youâre giving yourself a little too much credit here, Katniss ;) Frankly, the Capitol has been the one to create this powder-keg they are sitting on in the first place - all it needed was a little spark... All these injustices, the humilitation, the pain inflicted... itâs like an elastic rubber band thatâs been stretched and stretched - until it snaps
âIâm something of an expert in architectural design, you know?â âOh yes, Iâve heard that,â says Portia before the pause gets too long. - Bless Portiaâs heart, making sure they avoid that awkward silence đ
Effie looks so distressed that I spontaneously give her a hug. âThatâs awful, Effie. Maybe we shouldnât go to the dinner at all. At least until theyâve apologized.â - Aww, Katniss doing something nice for Effie!đ
Peeta and I join hands. âHaymitch says I was wrong to yell at you. You were only operating under his instructions,â says Peeta. âAnd it isnât as if I havenât kept things from you in the past.â - Peeta sorta apologizing, even acknowledging that he also had kept secrets from Katniss? We love to see itđ - [...] âI think I broke a few things myself after that interview.â âJust an urn,â he says. - Peetaaa... stop diminishing your own physical injuries! Good thing that Katniss wonât let him: - âAnd your hands. Thereâs no point to it anymore though, is there? Not being straight with each other?â I say. âNo point,â says Peeta. - Gasp! Honest, open communication as a good basis for a successful relationship? Itâs more likely than you think!
âWas that really the only time you kissed Gale?â Iâm so startled I answer. âYes.â With all that has happened today, has that question actually been preying on him? - Peeta, you sly dog! Your priorities đ
Some crowds have the weary-cattle feel that I know District 12 usually projects at the victorsâ ceremonies. But in others - particularly 8, 4, and 3 - there is genuine elation in the faces of the people at the sight of us, and under the elation, fury. - I do think that itâs interesting how D4 is one of the districts being elated to see Peeta + Katniss and displaying such fury, despite being a Career district; just goes to show that, just because their odds are better at winning the Games, doesnât have to make them more simpatico with the Capitolâs cruelty... (Considering how Finnick knows how to perform CPR, itâs highly likely that people in D4 are also used to awful and precarious working + living situations... maybe thatâs exactly why they generally are so robust and do well in the Games; and maybe they are simply not that above joining the other Careers as long as it improves their chances of survival, like Katniss or Thresh had been... worked for a while for Peeta, too)
Effie starts giving me pills to sleep, but they donât work. [...] Peeta, who spends much of the night roaming the train, hears me screaming as I struggle to break out of the haze of drugs that merely prolong the horrible dreams. He manages to wake me and calm me down. Then he climbs into bed to hold me until I fall back to sleep. After that, I refuse the pills. But every night I let him into my bed. We manage the darkness as we did in the arena, wrapped in each otherâs arms. - đ Also: Very telling how Capitolite Effie just throws pills at the problem (with the best of intentions, Iâm sure), which is an immediate, unpersonal, and superficial solution at best, whereas Peeta holding Katniss, offering comfort, understanding, a sense of safety, and human connection is so much more personal, intimate, and effective (for both of them!)
I personally killed the girl, Glimmer, and the boy from District 1. As I try to avoid looking at his family, I learn that his name was Marvel. How did I never know that? - You know why, Katniss -Â I suppose that before the Games I didnât pay attention and afterward I didnât want to know. - Still, not knowing his name didnât stop you from humanizing him, Katniss, and thatâs important, too
Whatever we do seems too little, too late. Back in our old quarters in the Training Center, Iâm the one who suggests the public marriage proposal. Peeta agrees to do it but then disappears to his room for a long time. Haymitch tells me to leave him alone. âI thought he wanted it, anyway,â I say. âNot like this,â Haymitch says. âHe wanted it to be real.â - Come on, Katniss, donât be so callous; Peetaâs just as much of a prisoner here as you! Also, itâs all about being real or not real with these two, isnât it?
Chapter 6
... you would think that at this moment, I would be in utter despair. Hereâs whatâs strange. The main thing I feel is a sense of relief. That I can give up this game. [...] That if desperate times call for desperate measures, then I am free to act as desperately as I wish. - Honestly, I think it was pretty short-sighted of Snow to let Katniss know so clearly that she didnât succeed in her task; she did her utmost and it wasnât enough - might as well fling caution to the wind now. All bets are off. If there had been still some small chance she could have âmade things rightâ, she probably would have been trying harder to comply to his expectations. (Iâm sure Snow thought the upcoming implementations of his stricter regime would be enough to keep Katniss in check, but pride comes before a fall ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ)
Itâs essential to get back to District 12, because the main part of any plan will include my mother and sister, Gale and his family. And Peeta, If I can get him to come with us. I add Haymitch to the list. - For such a âlonerâ, Katniss sure has a lot of people that are important to her... And how ironic that Peeta, who she isnât sure sheâll be able to convince in following her will be a much more willing participant that Gale, who Katniss is pretty much banking on joining her
âYouâll probably have to pass a new law,â I say with a giggle. âIf thatâs what it takes,â says the president with conspiratorial good humor. Oh the fun we two have together. - The dynamic between Snow and Katniss is so strange; despite the obvious antagonism there is definitely some vibe of interacting with each other at eye level and itâs weird (Sidenote: Is there any law in Panem preventing minors from marrying?)
âI want to taste everything in the room, â I tell Peeta. [...] âThen youâd better pace yourself,â he says. âOkay, not more than one bite of each dish,â I say. My resolve is almost immediately broken at the first table, which has twenty or so soups - couldnât have happened to me; I hate soup (like, thick soups I maaaybe can get behind, but clear soup/broth is just flavored water to me, no thanks - then again, Iâm a picky eater)
Peeta and I make no effort to find company but are constantly sought out. We are what no one wants to miss at the party. I act delighted, but I have zero interest in these Capitol people. They are only distractions from the food. - Well isnât that a mood for every social gathering ever (one person I enjoy talking to and lots of food I like? Perfect.)
I pick up a small roasted bird, bite into it, and my tongue floods with orange sauce. Delicious. But I make Peeta eat the remainder because I want to keep tasting things - Katniss seems to like the combination of meat and fruit, huh? (the lamb and plums, now bird and orange sauce) Personally, itâs a combination thatâs on thin ice for me; there are only a few dishes with that component I actually like and it took me forever to tolerate them (I donât know if itâs the texture or the taste, but something makes me apprehensive about it); anyway, Katniss making Peeta eat the rest is such a casual, couple-y thing to do (or at least something you do with someone you feel very comfortable with, I think)
Peeta looks at the glass again and puts it together. âYou mean this will make me puke?â My prep team laughs hysterically. âOf course, so you can keep eating,â says Octavia. âIâve been in there twice already. Everyone does it, or else how would you have any fun at a feast?â Iâm speechless, staring at the pretty little glasses and all they imply. - Oh boy, I have a lot of thoughts on this part: A) I just noticed how this is the second delicate/fancy glass/drink thatâs bringing about a jarring revelation: first that orange juice with the frilly straw in THG, now these tiny wine-stemmed glasses, B) âEveryone does itâ + âhow else would you have fun?â are the shittiest reasons Iâve ever heard at a party for doing something stupid you probably donât want to do (Iâm having flashbacks to all the times I had people trying to pressure me into drinking alcohol as a teen - it was even legal, btw - although I insisted that I didnât like the taste (which I still donât, to this day); it was tiresome đ), C) âeveryone does itâ - the people in the Capitol must have some messed up teeth if thatâs a regular occurence (sure, they probably bleach their teeth all the time, but also... theyâd really need to, D) the obvious: how effed up that they just puke to stuff in more food when in the districts people literally are dying from starvation?! (and yeah, unequal distribution of resources sadly isnât just a thing in Panem, I know... but there is something about actively purging yourself just for funsies thatâs just extra, well, sick)
All I can think of is the emaciated bodies of the children on our kitchen table as my mother prescribes what the parents cannot give. More food. - God, how awful! How powerless they must feel đ
And here in the Capitol theyâre vomiting for the pleasure of filling their bellies again and again. Not from some illness of body or mind, not from spoiled food. - Ooh, Iâve never noticed before how this passage not only recognizes physical reasons for purging, but also mental reasons! Wouldnât have necessarily expected Katniss to acknowledge eating disorders like that, tbh... She has become a lot more cognizant and sensitive when mental health issues are concerned
One day when I dropped by to give Hazelle the game, Vick was home sick with a bad cough [...] he still spent about fifteen minutes talking about how theyâd opened a can of corn syrup from Parcel Day and each had a spoonful on bread and were going to maybe have more later in the week. How Hazelle had said he could have a bit in a cup of tea to soothe his cough, but he wouldlnât feel right unless the others had some, too. - Aww, Vick is such a sweetheart! Hazelle is raising her kids right!
âPeeta, they bring us here to fight to the death for their entertainment,âI say. âReally, this is nothing by comparison.â âI know. I know that. Itâs just sometimes I canât stand it anymore. To the point where... Iâm not sure what Iâll do.â He pauses, then whispers, âMaybe we were wrong, Katniss.â âAbout what?â I ask. âAbout trying to subdue things in the districts,â he says. - Peetaâs rebellious nature coming through again!
âSorry,â he says. He should be. This is no place to be voicing such thoughts. âSave it for home,â I tell him. - I know Katniss means D12, but her phrasing of âhomeâ evokes a more domestic, couple-y connotation again đ
I donât want to dance with Plutarch Heavensbee. I donât want to feel his hands, one resting against mine, one on my hip. Iâm not used to being touched, except by Peeta or my family, and I rank Gamemakers somewhere below maggots in terms of creatures I want in contact with my skin. - Itâs telling that, while Katniss is not big on being touched aside from her family (does that include Gale? probably? although they hadnât even really hugged until Katniss had been reaped, so... I dunno), sheâs totally fine with Peeta touching her (more than that: remember how good she felt holding his hand again in Ch.4 and how sheâs feeling safe in his arms when they are sharing a bed), it says a lot about how comfortable she feels around him
Plutarch steps back and pulls out a gold watch on a chain from a vest pocket. He flips open the lid, sees the time, and frowns. âIâll have to be going soon.â He turns the watch so I can see the face. âIt starts at midnight.â - Honestly, this very subtle hint/foreshadowing of the clock setup of the Quarter Quell arena is simply brilliant! And also, midnight is going to become an important point in time as well from here on out (lightning tree, in the hanging tree song, saving Peeta and the others from the Training Center in the Capitol)
Itâs another mockingjay. Exactly like the pin on my dress. Only this one disappears. He snaps the watch closed. âThatâs very pretty,â I say. âOh, itâs more than pretty. Itâs one of a kind,â he says. - The disappearing mockingjay on the clock is interesting because A) Plutarch canât really be flaunting the symbol of rebellion as Head Gamemaker, duh, but also B) the clock arena will be the place where the Mockingjay will disappear (until the rebellion will be able to use her for their cause); and that last comment by Plutarch clearly is aimed at the Mockingjay (Katniss) herself
When I open my eyes, itâs early afternoon. My head rests on Peetaâs arm. I donât remember him coming in last night. - Okay, Katniss must feel hella safe and used to Peeta joining her in her bed, because apparently she didnât even wake up when he did, like... Iâm a fairly heavy sleeper, but I canât imagine sleeping so deeply that I wouldnât jerk awake if someone crawled into my bed while I was snoozing
âNo nightmare,â he says. âWhat?â I ask. âYou didnât have any nightmares last night,â he says. Heâs right. For the first time in ages Iâve slept through the night. - Telling how the first time Katniss sleeps through the night is after Snow let her know her performance wasnât enough; sheâs must have been so tense and on edge, desperately trying to calm down the districts and convince Snow, that she hadnât been able to sleep properly, aside from the obvious sleeping issues sheâd have from the PTSD (Iâm often that way before an important exam - especially if itâs an oral exam; I get tense just thinking about it đ)
âI had a dream, though,â I say, thinking back. âI was following a mockingjay though the woods. For a long time. It was Rue, really. I mean, when it sang, it had her voice.â âWhere did she take you?â he says, brushing my hair off my forehead. âI donât know. We never arrived,â I say. âBut I felt happy.â - Interesting how in Katnissâs dream, the mockingjay is Rue - lending further credence to the hypothesis that maybe Rue was originally meant to be the Mockingjay (would make Plutarchâs comment of the mockingjay being âone of a kindâ a bit more hypocritical/exaggerated/dramatized, which still fits with his flair for propaganda/showmanship... and ultimately, Katniss as the Mockingjay was unique, but that doesnât mean that the rebellion couldnât have made someone else their symbol if they needed to); also, Peeta brushing Katnissâs hair off her forehead is so sweet and intimate đ
After I got home, we [Madge and I] started spending time together. [...] It was a little awkward at first because we didnât know what to do. Other girls our age, Iâve heard them talking about boys, or other girls, or clothes. Madge and I arenât gossipy and clothes bore me to tears. But after a few false starts, I realized she was dying to go into the woods, so Iâve taken her a couple of times and showed her how to shoot. Sheâs trying to teach me the piano, but mostly I like to listen to her play. - Honestly? Iâd love to read a fanfic about Katniss and Madge figuring out their friendship (let me know if there already are some!); itâs cute how they end up including each other in their hobbies đ Ah, the classic âIâm/Weâre not like other girlsâ, which often is especially prevalent during your teen years (Iâd be lying if I said that I havenât been gulty of this in my past đ
)... Katniss might actually would have benefited from talking with Madge about her boysâ troubles, though... And itâs so funny how Katniss admits that she has no interest in clothes, despite it being her supposed âtalentâ, while she also admits that she does admire Cinnaâs work
... thereâs a mob scene. The squareâs packed with screaming people, their faces hidden with rags and homemade masks, throwing bricks. Building burn. Peacekeepers shoot into the crowd, killing at random. Iâve never seen anything like it - I... I have. At least on tv... In different places, at different times, but... yeah...
#thgagain#thg#katniss everdeen#peeta mellark#haymitch abernathy#everlark#thg meta#my sketches and drawings#honestly there were so many scenes in these 3 chapter that I wanted to draw... but I barely had the time for these 2#Catching Fire is just chock-full with interesting/important moments... my book is more post-it notes than pages at this point
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