Joshua Hooten
College comp.1 pd.3
Mrs. Cramer
25 March 2013
The Art of Pyromaniacs: Book 2 -Catching Fire
Oppression from all sides. Death at every turn. In a world without hope, what matters most? Survival. The Hunger Games series is based off of Panam, a place built in what used to be America in the post apocalyptic future. In the books, the common people fight for freedom from the ever oppressive government that resides in the Capitol. Though the main character of the Hunger Games is Katniss, the spark of the rebellion, there is a far more important underlying symbol that enables the People to find new hope. This symbol is the Mockingjay, the bird on Katniss’s pin.
The Mockingjay is a mutant combination of female mocking birds and male Jabberjays. The Jabberjays were genetically engineered to spy on the rebels during the first rebellion, they had the ability to remember large sections of conversation and mimic them back to the capitol officials. The rebels however, discovered what was going on and fed the birds’ false information, thus the entire Capitol plan for Jabberjays backfired. The Jabberjays were abandoned with the expectation they would die out. However, the Jabberjays interbred with Mockingbirds and their offspring, the Mockingjay, became a symbol of the rebel’s ability to survive the Capitol’s efforts to quell their attempts for freedom.
Although not all agree, some believe that the Mockingjay is the most important symbol of the series. The reason one might think this is is because it appears at many critical times to deliver an important message. For instance, when Katniss is planning to run and escape from district twelve, she encounters two women she does not know and is debating on whether or not to kill them. One of the strangers shows her a soggy piece of bread, depicting the Mockingjay. This helps Katniss realize that they are actual fugitives that were part of the rebellion in a different district, and not peace keepers (capitol hit men).
Plutarch Heavensbee (the head game keeper) also uses a gold watch that has a holographic projection of the Mockingjay to tip her off on the arena and that he is actually on her side. With time, this gesture eases the change when she discovers how much of an ally of he actually is. (A game keeper is a technical designer hired by the capitol to work with a team to design and create and run each year’s arena. The head game gamekeeper is the man who is in charge of the others, and is responsible for any and all mistakes.) Another place the Mockingjay appears eventually saves Katniss from the arena.
By the second time Katniss enters the arena, she is a crowd favorite as well as the spark of the rebellion. Even the Capitol’s oblivious inhabitants are wearing Mockingjay paraphernalia without even knowing its true meaning. One such product was a golden bangle given to Haymich, Katniss’s mentor, who knew what the symbol meant. In order to break her out, some of the contestants had to work together. Haymich concocted an elaborate plan with Heavensbee, and told all the involved members except Katniss and Peeta. This gives them feigned innocence if they are captured, and are safer without knowledge of the scheme. In order to get Katniss to cooperate, Haymich gave Finnick the bangle to wear in the arena. When the two met, Katniss was about to try and kill Finnick when she saw the bangle and knew that Haymich wanted her to trust him. Together with the other members of the escapee group, they use their combined knowledge and protection to overcome the hardships of the arena, map out the dangers, and receive hidden messages that let them know the time to start the escape. This all started using the Mockingjay symbol and incorporated it into a signal of trust, as well as rebellion, thus, making it the most important and commonly used symbol in catching fire.
One of the less important symbols in Catching Fire is a white rose. The white rose represents President Snow, the head of the Capitol and the father of the Hunger Games, because he always has genetically enhanced rose on his person. This rose has a much stronger scent than the average rose and masks the smell of blood from his mouth. The blood smell was caused by some elaborate scheme that resulted in the death of his opponents and Snow’s presidency, two which the exact details are a mystery. The rose however, whenever she sees it, is a constant reminder to Katniss that wherever she is, President Snow is watching her to ensure that she is not attempting to fuel the rebellion. To stress the importance, he personally visited to remind her that he also has the power to hurt the ones she loves if she does not cooperate.
The third and final symbol is Katniss. She is from District Twelve, a district that almost never wins the Hunger Games, yet she still manages to win against all odds. In the first book she even manages to save Peeta as well, while at the same time figuratively slapping the Capitol in the face. Her act of courage shows the people of Panam that the games is not an unbeatable wall between them and freedom, and they can if they work together tear off their shackles and escape the Capitols rule.
Although she did not intend to start a rebellion, in the back of her mind Katniss has always wanted to be able to free and protect the helpless victims of the Hunger Games, and do something to combat the cruelty that oppresses the districts every day. Even while she is using the symbol of the old rebellion, she has become the new Mockingjay and the face of the new rebellion, proving that anyone from anywhere has the ability to fight back.
College comp.1 pd.3
Mrs. Cramer
25 March 2013
The Art of Pyromaniacs: Book 2 -Catching Fire
Oppression from all sides. Death at every turn. In a world without hope, what matters most? Survival. The Hunger Games series is based off of Panam, a place built in what used to be America in the post apocalyptic future. In the books, the common people fight for freedom from the ever oppressive government that resides in the Capitol. Though the main character of the Hunger Games is Katniss, the spark of the rebellion, there is a far more important underlying symbol that enables the People to find new hope. This symbol is the Mockingjay, the bird on Katniss’s pin.
The Mockingjay is a mutant combination of female mocking birds and male Jabberjays. The Jabberjays were genetically engineered to spy on the rebels during the first rebellion, they had the ability to remember large sections of conversation and mimic them back to the capitol officials. The rebels however, discovered what was going on and fed the birds’ false information, thus the entire Capitol plan for Jabberjays backfired. The Jabberjays were abandoned with the expectation they would die out. However, the Jabberjays interbred with Mockingbirds and their offspring, the Mockingjay, became a symbol of the rebel’s ability to survive the Capitol’s efforts to quell their attempts for freedom.
Although not all agree, some believe that the Mockingjay is the most important symbol of the series. The reason one might think this is is because it appears at many critical times to deliver an important message. For instance, when Katniss is planning to run and escape from district twelve, she encounters two women she does not know and is debating on whether or not to kill them. One of the strangers shows her a soggy piece of bread, depicting the Mockingjay. This helps Katniss realize that they are actual fugitives that were part of the rebellion in a different district, and not peace keepers (capitol hit men).
Plutarch Heavensbee (the head game keeper) also uses a gold watch that has a holographic projection of the Mockingjay to tip her off on the arena and that he is actually on her side. With time, this gesture eases the change when she discovers how much of an ally of he actually is. (A game keeper is a technical designer hired by the capitol to work with a team to design and create and run each year’s arena. The head game gamekeeper is the man who is in charge of the others, and is responsible for any and all mistakes.) Another place the Mockingjay appears eventually saves Katniss from the arena.
By the second time Katniss enters the arena, she is a crowd favorite as well as the spark of the rebellion. Even the Capitol’s oblivious inhabitants are wearing Mockingjay paraphernalia without even knowing its true meaning. One such product was a golden bangle given to Haymich, Katniss’s mentor, who knew what the symbol meant. In order to break her out, some of the contestants had to work together. Haymich concocted an elaborate plan with Heavensbee, and told all the involved members except Katniss and Peeta. This gives them feigned innocence if they are captured, and are safer without knowledge of the scheme. In order to get Katniss to cooperate, Haymich gave Finnick the bangle to wear in the arena. When the two met, Katniss was about to try and kill Finnick when she saw the bangle and knew that Haymich wanted her to trust him. Together with the other members of the escapee group, they use their combined knowledge and protection to overcome the hardships of the arena, map out the dangers, and receive hidden messages that let them know the time to start the escape. This all started using the Mockingjay symbol and incorporated it into a signal of trust, as well as rebellion, thus, making it the most important and commonly used symbol in catching fire.
One of the less important symbols in Catching Fire is a white rose. The white rose represents President Snow, the head of the Capitol and the father of the Hunger Games, because he always has genetically enhanced rose on his person. This rose has a much stronger scent than the average rose and masks the smell of blood from his mouth. The blood smell was caused by some elaborate scheme that resulted in the death of his opponents and Snow’s presidency, two which the exact details are a mystery. The rose however, whenever she sees it, is a constant reminder to Katniss that wherever she is, President Snow is watching her to ensure that she is not attempting to fuel the rebellion. To stress the importance, he personally visited to remind her that he also has the power to hurt the ones she loves if she does not cooperate.
The third and final symbol is Katniss. She is from District Twelve, a district that almost never wins the Hunger Games, yet she still manages to win against all odds. In the first book she even manages to save Peeta as well, while at the same time figuratively slapping the Capitol in the face. Her act of courage shows the people of Panam that the games is not an unbeatable wall between them and freedom, and they can if they work together tear off their shackles and escape the Capitols rule.
Although she did not intend to start a rebellion, in the back of her mind Katniss has always wanted to be able to free and protect the helpless victims of the Hunger Games, and do something to combat the cruelty that oppresses the districts every day. Even while she is using the symbol of the old rebellion, she has become the new Mockingjay and the face of the new rebellion, proving that anyone from anywhere has the ability to fight back.