Catching Fire

By: Suzanne Collins

Plot Summary

     Catching Fire is the second book of the Hunger Games trilogy.  The book starts out with Katniss and Peeta back in District 12.  Katniss and her family have moved into a house for Victors.  Since she has returned from the Games her and Gale have not done much talking.  Gale has gotten a job at the mines and has been avoiding her. One day President Snow makes a personal visit to have a few words with Katniss.  He was very concerned with her acts of rebellion.  He let her know that when she threatened the Capitol with the berries she had lit a flame and she had to be the one to put it out.  He was unconvinced with her love for Peeta and said she better put a good show on for everyone while they are on tour.  Snow tells Katniss that he knows about her and Gales kiss.  He lets her know that if she fails to convince him Gale will be the first one to pay.

     Katniss and Peeta along with the crew leave for the tour. The first stop is District 11.  Peeta is the first one to give his speech. Peeta ends his speech by giving each of the tributes’ families from district 11, one month of his and Katniss’ winnings every year for the duration of their lives.  After Katniss gives her speech a man in the crowd whistles the four-note mocking jay tune that Rue had done while she was in the games.  Everyone in the crowd then pressed their figures to their lips and extended them as a good bye to Katniss.  Everything that happened while they were in District 11 defied the Capitol.  This is exactly President Snow wanted Katniss to prevent and defuse.  Once back from the tour Katniss learns that District 8 has started an uprising.   

     Katniss wants Gale to run away with her into the woods.  He refuses because he wants to join the fight..  Katniss is startled when two women dressed in Peacekeeper uniforms.  Katniss is prepared to shoot them when they show her the mockingjay on their uniforms.  They tell her their names are Twill and Bonnie and that they are from district 8.  They say they are headed for District 13.   Bonnie also tells Katniss that the mockingjay means that they are on her side.    

     Caesar announces that this is the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games and there will be a special theme.  The theme for this year is one male and female victor from each District will be heading back to the games.  Katniss and Peeta return to the games, and form alliance with other district members.   The Capitol is loosing control of its Districts and a nation wide uprising is slowly taking place.

Textual Elements

1. Plot: The Capitol is upset with Katniss' stunt with the berries.  Many things in her district have undergone changes because of her.  Gale and Peeta have become the main targets of the Capitol to get back at Katniss. An uprising has began to occur in a few districts.  Katniss and Peeta are sent back into the arena.  There is a huge twist in the end that sets us up nice for The Mockingjay. 
2. Setting:  The book starts in District 12 but the climax takes place in the arena.
3. Characters:
• Katniss- She is the main character and the main protagonist.  
• Peeta- Protagonist.  District 12 tribute and victor.  Goes back into the hunger games with Katniss
• Gale- Katniss' hunting buddy, and best friend.  They both love each other but the Capitol is preventing them from showing it.
• President Snow- President of the Capitol.  Main antagonist. He really wants Katniss dead because he know she is going to start an uprising.
• Cinna- The designer for District 12.  Makes Katniss rememberable by her outfits.  Cinna plays a role in the uprising through his clothing designs. 
• Haymitch- District 12 victor and the mentor for Katniss and Peeta.  He plays a big part in the uprising.
•  Finnick- Previous victor from District 4.  Formed an alliance with Katniss and Peeta.
•  Mags- Previous victor from District 4.  Formed an alliance with Katniss and Peeta.  Sacrificed herself to save Katniss.
• Beetee-Previous victor from District 3.  Had a very creative mind and was an inventor.   
• Johanna- Previous victor from District 7.  Reluctantly teams up with Katniss and Peeta.
• Wiress-Previous victor from District 3.  She is brilliant.  She figured out how the games worked.
4. Point of view: This is book is through Katniss' point of view.  We know how she is feeling and what she is thinking.
5. Theme: Science Fiction, Heroism 

Analysis and Critique

     Catching Fire shows that even though you might not always get along with someone (Johanna and Katniss) you need to overcome that to save your freedom. 

Many times in life one is forced to work with someone who drives them crazy, however when the situation is over it is clear that both parties have benefitted from the forced interaction.  The same goes for Johanna and Katniss.  In the end, both characters get what they want (freedom) and learned how to work together and trust each other.  Children and adults alike can learn from this.  It often is hard to trust people who we do not get along with, but if we give a little trust then the results can be astronomical!  This is a great message that this book promotes.   

     Something that is common in the Hunger Games trilogy is the symbol of the Mockingjay.  In Catching Fire, the symbol of the Mockingjay shifts from a pin that Katniss is given at the first hunger games and is transformed into a tangible symbol to the districts to stay strong in the rebellion, and this symbol is not Katniss.   In an interview with Suzanne Collins, she mentions that there is indeed a symbolic parallel between these birds and her central character Katniss.

     Suzanne Collins explains in detail that the Capital made jabberjays as a way to spy on people in the districts until people started feeding them false messages.  At this point the Capital decided to leave them be and forget about them.  Then these birds mated with mocking birds and mockingjays were the result.  These birds could sing any tune fed to them and  serve a mockery of the Capital and their failed plan to spy on the districts.  The jabberjays were an original creation by the Capital, but saw no harm in leaving them be instead of killing them.  So these birds created a new species which the Capital never intended. 

     In a very similar fashion, Katniss is also a creature the Capital never intended to create.  Suzanne Collins says, “symbolically, I suppose, Katniss is something like a mockingjay in and of herself” (Collins).  The Capital keeps close watch on every district and enforces rules so that they can never be overthrown.  They watch every district except district 12, where Katniss lives.  They feel that since the people are so poor they will never be a threat.  They also will never have the tools show them in a bad light.  Katniss ventures to the other side of the fence, the forbidden area, to hunt for food.  Since her district is so poor, even the peacekeepers who are employed through the Capital, trade with her for meat and allow her to break the rule of leaving the fenced in area.  She is able to skills that no one else in her district know how to use.  These become essential during her time in the arena.  It is easy to say that these are the skills that help her survive not only the other tributes, but also from starving to death. “Not only that, she’s a survivalist, and along with that goes a degree of independent thinking that is unusual in the districts” (Collins). 

     It is the fact that she was able to gain these skills that means the Capital created something they did not intend to create.  At the end of the games Katniss and Peeta realize they have been lied to about the rule change of having two winners this year, so they both decide to eat a poison berry so no one would win.  The Capital, not wanting to be embarrassed by having no winner as the entire nation watched the moment, quickly came to the rescue and declared both Peeta and Katniss the victor.  The Capital created someone who not only had the wits to win their game but also one who had the survival skills to win their game, and one who could and could rebel against them.  “In the same way they just let the jabberjays go and thought, “We don’t have to worry about them,” they thought, “We don’t have to worry about District 12.” And this new creature evolved, which is the mockingjay, which is Katniss” (Collins). 

     This interview shows how Suzanne Collins puts her own perspective and style into the story.  She writes in language appealing to younger readers but writes about topics that appeal to older readers as well, such as the romance between Katniss and Peeta, Katniss and Gale and the love triangle this story creates.  Along with the action in the book, this love triangle propels readers to read further.  Every aspect of the book makes the reader question their beliefs, both in morals and ethics when reading about the Hunger Games, as well as their beliefs in love and what Katniss should do.  The story gives a good meaning as to what it means to love someone unconditionally, which is how Peeta loves Katniss.  It also shows how friendship is a good basis for any type of relationship, and that the friends who you share yourself completely with will be there forever.  It gives the reader, especially a young reader the idea of what true friendship is and what it means to be a good friend.

References

Wikipedia

Characters

Suzanne Collins Inspiration

Suzanne Collins

"Interview With The Hunger Games Author Suzanne Collins | The Hunger Games Trilogy Fansite." The Hunger Games Trilogy Fansite. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov.      2010. <http://www.hungergamestrilogy.net/2010/08/interview-with-the-hunger-games-author-suzanne-collins/>.