What does katniss symbolize in the hunger games

The novel describes the origins of the mockingjay, stating that it was a combination of the mockingbird and the jabberjay. The jabberjay was a genetically altered bird created by the Capitol, which was used to record conversations of rebels during the first rebellion of the districts. When the rebels caught on and began spreading false information through the birds, the Capitol shut down the program, and the birds mated with mockingbirds Collins They represent the true lack of power that the Capitol possesses.

She is well aware that the Capitol will be watching each of the tributes, and will see the mockingjay as a sign that the district is not complacent in their acceptance of the Hunger Games and the political choices of the Capitol.

The political statement and rebellious connotations of the mockingjay pin are lost as a result of the remediation of The Hunger Games. Instead, it becomes a reminder for Katniss to keep fighting so that she can return home. This is largely due to the removal of Madge from the movie, which is a result of the need to condense the storyline.

As movies are generally around two hours long, they are not capable of containing the entirety of a novel in exact detail. This moment is the turning point not only for Katniss and Peeta, but also for Panem as a whole. The topic of survival, in various forms and modes of expression, is a central idea in The Hunger Games.

It is a motivator that causes characters to act in certain ways and do particular things. It is a justification for characters when they commit unethical acts. It is the reason why Katniss plays along when Peeta declares his love for her, and later on, why she escalates their relationship by kissing him in the arena.

Finally, survival is the weapon the Capitol and the Gamemakers leverage against the tributes. They rely on the idea that, when tested, the human will to survive will be stronger than the human sense of right and wrong. The Question and Answer section for The Hunger Games is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How does katniss help put food on the table for her family. Which of the following inferences about the Capitol is best supported by the text?

Please provide all information including the text in question when making your posts. Rather than commenting on the fictional Panem, it instead comments the real United States in the ways described above, thus offering a valuable criticism of modern culture in the U. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Themes Motifs Symbols. Important Quotes Explained. Mini Essays Suggested Essay Topics. What would it mean if Katniss's daily life weren't a battle against hunger?

Dandelions symbolize hope for Katniss. Well, because these little flowers some might say weeds were the first things she saw after Peeta gave her the bread on that fateful day long ago when her family was starving to death:.

I had just turned away from Peeta Mellark's bruised face when I saw the dandelion and I knew hope wasn't lost. I plucked it carefully and hurried home. I grabbed a bucket and Prim's hand and headed to the Meadow and yes, it was dotted with the golden-headed weeds.

After we'd harvested those, we scrounged along inside the fence for probably a mile until we filled the bucket with the dandelion greens, stems and flowers. Upon seeing the dandelions, Katniss realizes that she will be able to feed her family with food she can gather from the forest. What other people might consider useless, Katniss turns into her family's sustenance. This is both a lesson in resourcefulness and a reminder that hope springs eternal.

After the death of her ally Rue, Katniss covers the body of the young girl with flowers as a symbol of Rue's humanity and a tribute to her short life. By calling attention to the sacrifice that Rue made during the Hunger Games, Katniss challenges the idea that Hunger Games — and the people who play them — are mere entertainment for the audiences back in the Capitol.

For Katniss, Rue isn't simply a character on a television show. She is a human being who is worthy of respect, admiration, and mourning. That Rue was more than a piece in their Games.

And so am I. Covering Rue with flowers is an intense act of rebellion against the Capitol. The experience of witnessing Rue's death inspires Katniss to go on and win the Games — and to prove to the Capitol that they can't strip the tributes of their humanity, however they might try.

Move over Romeo and Juliet , there's a new pair of star-crossed lovers in town, and they're willing to do anything — and everything — to keep their love and themselves alive. OK, so Katniss might not be head over heels in love with her co-tribute Peeta, but at the end of the Hunger Games, she realizes that the only way she and Peeta might have a chance of both coming out alive is to take the whole star-crossed lovers bit to its logical conclusion: tragedy.

Like the doomed teenagers Romeo and Juliet, Peeta and Katniss decide not to fight each other to see who will win the Games, but instead to deny the Gamemakers any winner at all by downing some poisonous berries in a double suicide attempt. Without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers' faces. They'd have failed the Capitol. Might possibly even be executed, slowly and painfully while the cameras broadcast it to every screen in the country.

Katniss realizes that if she and Peeta both take their own lives — or at least act like they're going to — then the Gamemakers would be in some very hot water. This stroke of master strategy is what allows Katniss — and Peeta — not only to survive, but to actually beat the Games.

Instead of allowing the pair to kill themselves, the Gamemakers change the rules of the game once again and declare both Peeta and Katniss winners. The double suicide attempt is an act of rebellion, to be sure. Even after she's out of the arena, Katniss fears that the Capitol will somehow punish her subversive behavior.

It is this reason that Katniss must continue her star-crossed lovers charade with Peeta — even though she finally realizes that he wasn't actually pretending. Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide. By Suzanne Collins.