Fairbloom, ENG4U

The Hunger GamesChapters 4, 5, and 6

ReviewSetting As we learnt in chapter 1, Panem is located in what was North America In the middle sits the Capitol – the center for wealth and affluence, which

organizes the yearly Hunger Games Surrounding the Capitol are thirteen districts – regions, which fall under the rule

of the Capitol District 13 was bombed during the Dark Days as a reminder that everyone in

Panem must obey the Capitol Katniss is from District 12, which is in charge of coal / mining. She lives in an area

called The Seam

Treaty of Treason & Hunger Games Treaty of Treason: Crime of betraying one’s country (i.e. by trying to kill or

overthrow the government)o “The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace,

and as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games” (18).

Two teens (tributes) are chosen in each district to participate in the Hunger Games, as an act of repentance for rebelling against the Capitol

Mockingjay Pin• The mockingjay pin was given to Katniss by Madge

Oversee, the mayor’s daughter to wear during the Games to represent District 12

• A mockingjay is a bird: mockingbird mixed with a jabberyjay

• The jabberjays were birds that had been genetically engineered by the Capitol as spies during the rebellion

• They were used to overhear the conversations in the districts and to report back to the Capitol. The people in the Districts figured this out and fed the Capitol false information

• The Capitol left the birds alone in the wild where they mated with female mockingbirds

• The mockingjay can carry a tune and can repeat songs / melodies• The bird reminds Katniss of her father, who loved to whistle to the birds• The bird broke free of the control of the Capitol – the bird is a sign of resistance

and rebellion• “Something of a slap in the face to the Capitol” (42)• As we read the novel, we will see Katniss begin to be identified with the bird

Chapter 4 (Pg. 48 – 60) Getting to Know Peeta• Peeta volunteers to clean up Haymitch, who is drunk and has fallen in his own

vomit. • “Possibly Peeta is trying to make a good impression on him, to be his

favorite once the Games begin” (48). • While Katniss sits in her room, she wonders

why Peeta did this, then realizes he may just be kind.

• “It’s because he’s being kind. Just as he was kind to give me the bread” (49).

• She decides this is more dangerous to her than an unlikable Peeta and determines not to get any closer with him.

• “A kind Peeta Mellark is far more dangerous to me than an unkind one. Kind people have a way of working their way inside me and rooting there” (49).

Dandelions• When she throws the cookies his father gave her out the window, they land in a

field of dandelions, and she remembers gathering dandelions with Prim after she realized she would have to feed her family

• “Enough to remind me of that other dandelion in the school yard years ago… 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” (49 – 50).

• “But my father added other entries to the book. Plants for eating, not healing. Dandelions, pokeweed, wild onions, pines. Prim and I spent the rest of the night poring over those pages” (50).

• SYMBOL• Hope for Katniss• First things she saw after Peeta gave her bread on that fateful day long ago

when her family was starving to death• When she saw the dandelions, she realized that she would be able to feed her

family with food she can gather from the forest

Survival in District 12 for the Everdeens• Her mother, who is an apothecary, had a book describing plants that can be used

for healing, and in it she found notes, made by her father, about which plants were edible.

• The next day, she went into the woods alone for the first time and began hunting and foraging regularly to keep her family alive.

• “The woods became our savior, and each day I went a bit farther into its arms… I stole eggs from nests, caught fish in nets, sometimes managed to shoot a squirrel or rabbit for stew, and gathered the various plants that sprung up beneath my feet” (51).

• “I kept us alive” (51). • What she caught or collected that she didn’t need, she would trade or sell at the

Hob.• “On May 8th, I went to the Justice Building, signed up for my tesserae, and

pulled home my first batch of grain and oil in Prim’s toy wagon. On the eighth of every month, I was entitled to do the same” (51).

• One day, she noticed some katniss, the plant she’s named after, in a pond. She dug up the edible roots, and that night she and her family ate till they were full. 

• “’Katniss,’ I said aloud. It’s the plant I was named for. And I heard my father’s voice joking, ‘As long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve’” (52).

• Her mother began to return to normal as well. Katniss, however, never fully forgave her weakness and their relationship was never the same. 

• “Prim forgave her, but I had taken a step back from my mother, put up a wall to protect myself from needing her and nothing was ever the same between us again. Now I was going to die without that ever being set right” (53).

Getting Haymitch’s Attention• In the morning she goes to the train’s dining car. Effie, Peeta, and Haymitch are

there.• “We can’t be far from the Capitol now. And once we reach the city, my

stylist will dictate my look for the opening ceremonies tonight anyway. I just hope I get one who doesn’t think nudity is the last word in fashion” (55).

• Haymitch is already drinking, and Peeta gets angry with him because he’s supposed to be advising them.

• He slaps the drink out of Haymitch’s hand. • https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z92aHy9-fkk&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqo-

V5sZExERhVkbxSDctJIr&index=3 (0:45 – 1:40)

• Haymitch punches him, and Katniss stabs her knife into the table between his hand and the liquor bottle. 

• “Well, what’s this? Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year” (57)?• Haymitch wonders if he’s got fighters this year and asks Katniss what else she can

do with a knife. • She pulls it out of the table and throws skillfully into the wall.

Entering the Capitol• If they don’t interfere with his drinking, Haymitch says he’ll help them. • His first piece of advice is that whatever the stylists do to them, they shouldn’t

resist.• The train finally arrives at the Capitol. Katniss and Peeta are amazed at the

grandeur and strangeness of it. • The people all have bizarre hair and painted faces. • https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z92aHy9-fkk&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqo-

V5sZExERhVkbxSDctJIr&index=3 (2:05 – 2:36) • Peeta waves to the people gathered to see the tributes coming in. • He says he’s waving because some of them may be rich, and Katniss realizes he

may be planning a way to survive the Games, making him a threat to her.• “All of the pieces are still fitting together, but I sense he has a plan

forming. He hasn’t accepted death. He is already fighting hard to stay alive. Which also means that kind of Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave me the bread, is fighting hard to kill me” (60).

Chapter 5 (Pg. 61 – 72)Cinna (Katniss’s Stylist)• In the Capitol, a team of people wax Katniss’s body hair to prepare her for her

stylist, Cinna. • Cinna is quiet and modest. • It’s his first year working as a stylist for the Hunger Games, and to Katniss’s

surprise, he requested the tributes of the impoverished District 12.

“Katniss, the girl who was on fire” (67).• It is typical for the tributes to dress in a style that reflects their district• Cinna says since District 12’s industry is coal mining, Katniss’s and Peeta’s

costumes will reflect coal’s main function, which is to burn.

• “You’re not afraid of fire, are you, Katniss” (67).• Her costume will be lit with a synthetic flame• “I want the audience to recognize you when you’re in the arena…” (67)

Cinna’s Success• In their matching costumes—an unusual touch as tributes are rarely made to match

—Katniss and Peeta are escorted to a main plaza in the city, where they will go before the huge audience.

• The other district’s tributes all have their turns, then just before Katniss and Peeta emerge, Cinna lights them and tells them to hold hands.

• “Remember, heads high. Smiles. They’re going to love you! I hear Cinna’s voice in my head. I lift my chin a big higher, put on my most winning smile, and wave with my free hand… As I gain confidence I actually blow a few kisses to the crowd” (70).

• They emerge and are instantly a sensation. The crowd loves them, and because of Cinna’s work, they are the most memorable tributes of the night.

• “Cinna has given me a great advantage. No one will forget me. Not my look, not my name. Katniss. The girl who was on fire” (70).

Katniss & Peeta• “For the first time, I feel a flicker of hope rising in me. Surely, there must

be one sponsor willing to take me on! And with a little extra help, some food, the right weapon, why should I count myself out of the Games” (70).

• “So I keep holding on, but I can’t help feeling strange about the way Cinna has linked us together. It’s not really fair to present us as a team and then lock us into the arena to kill each other” (71).

• “Don’t be so stupid. Peeta is planning how to kill you, I remind myself. He is luring you in to make you easy prey. The more likeable he is, the more deadly he is” (72).

Chapter 6 (Pg. 73 – 85)The Training Center• At the Training Center, where the tributes stay until the Games begin, Effie Trinket

talks enthusiastically about Katniss and Peeta. • Katniss is in awe of how luxurious her room is. It’s larger than her house and has all

sorts of automated features, notably in the shower and closet.• Katniss finds everyone, including the stylists, in the dining room for dinner. • The servers are all young people dressed in white tunics. • Katniss, who has had some wine, says she knows

one of them, a girl with red hair, then realizes this person is associated with a bad memory. 

• Effie snaps at her, saying she can’t possibly know an Avox.

• Haymitch explains that an Avox is someone who committed a crime and had their tongue cut out

• Katniss says it must be a mistake, and Peeta covers for her by saying the Avox girl resembles someone from there school.

• Haymitch acknowledges the hand holding idea as the “perfect touch of rebellion” (79)

• “Rebellion?... But when I remember the other couples, standing stiffly apart, never touching or acknowledging each other, as if their fellow tribute did not exist, as if the Games had already begun, I know what Haymitch means. Pretending ourselves not as adversaries but as friends has distinguished us as much as the fiery costumes” (79).

• Everyone talks about their success at the ceremony, then Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta to go get some sleep. Their training begins the next day.

The Truth Behind the Avox Girl• Katniss and Peeta go to the roof, where they can speak without being overheard.

There’s an electrified field around it so tributes can’t jump off.• Peeta leads Katniss to a garden where wind chimes and the wind will cover their

voices. • Katniss says she and Gale were hunting in the woods one day when they saw a

ragged-looking girl and boy running in terror. • A hovercraft appeared and captured the girl in a net. It hauled her up instantly,

then shot the boy through with a spear that had a cable attached and hauled his body up too. Then it disappeared.

• Katniss says for a moment, before the girl was taken, she locked eyes with her, but Katniss did nothing. The memory haunts her. 

Dystopian World• “District 12 is pretty much the end of the line. Beyond us, there’s only

wilderness. If you don’t count the ruins of District 13 that still smolder from the toxic bombs… Haymitch had called the Avoxes traitors. Against what? It could only be the Capitol. But they had everything here. No cause to rebel” (83).

• They go back inside because it’s cold, and Peeta asks Katniss if Gale is a relative. He also asks if Gale came to say goodbye when she left. She says he did, but so did Peeta’s father.

• Peeta mentions that his father knew Katniss’s mother. • They said goodnight, and in her room Katniss sees the redheaded Avox. She asks

the girl to take some clothes to Cinna.• “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope” (85). • As she falls asleep, wonders if the girl will enjoy watching her die in the Games

Poverty vs. Wealth• Numerous comparisons between Katniss’s poor upbringing in District 12, and the

wealth of the Capitol• In Chapter 4 we saw how Katniss learned where and how to get food for her family

to survive; i.e. the meal of katniss roots that filled their bellies. A few paragraphs later the reader sees Katniss sitting down at breakfast, which included eggs, ham, fried potatoes, bread, etc.

• In Chapter 5 Cinna presses a button and a giant, hot meal appears in front of them. Katniss thinks about how much work would go into her trying to prepare a similar version of that meal at home

Importance of Appearance• Chapter 5 is devoted entirely to Katniss’s preparation for the ceremony: waxing,

washing, and greasing her naked body• The costumes created make Katniss and Peeta look exceptional • It is important for Katniss and Peeta to stand out because it helps them attract the

sponsors, who can give them useful gifts during the Games that may ultimately mean the difference between survival and death

• The costumes turn them into media sensations• The people in the audience cheer their names• The viewers prefer this manufactured spectacle to the reality of the situation that

these children (tributes) are frightened for their lives• Haymitch and the stylists instruct Peeta and Katniss to present themselves in a

certain way to control what the other tributes think of them• The matching costumes and holding hands makes them appear as an allied couple,

which is unusual in the Games because only one can win

Brutality & Totalitarian Control• Avoxes in Chapter 6• Haymitch says that they are traitors, which implies that they committed crimes

against the state • Panem punishes them brutally by cutting out their tongues, which literally and

symbolically silences them, and makes them slaves• They are only spoken to when given an order• The boy that the Avox was running with was punished savagely and shot through

with a spear

Assignment: Interesting Interviews- You will create interview questions that you would like to ask a specific character- You can select any character from the novel- Create 5 questions- The questions should make reference to specific circumstances that the selected

character was involved- The questions should make a person think – they are not YES or NO questions and

should not be followed with a WHY or WHY NOT question- You will then answer the interview questions from the selected character’s point of

view. The answers should make reference to events or circumstances in the book.- Example Question for Katniss: In what ways do you think your knowledge of

plants and animals will be helpful during the Games?

Use this space to brainstorm ideas…

The Hunger Games – Interesting Interviews

STEP 1: You will create interview questions that you would like to ask a specific character. You can select any character from the novel. Create at least five “fat” questions that make reference to specific circumstances in which the selected character was involved. “Fat” questions are provocative – they make a person think, and they draw out feelings, which can then draw the reader or audience in. “Fat” questions are NOT ones that can be answered with “yes” or “no” or with a word or two, even if a follow-up question (i.e. why or why not) is added.

STEP 2: You will then answer the interview questions from the selected character’s point of view, using a complete paragraph. The answers should make reference to events or circumstances in the book.

Interesting Interviews Rubric3 2 1

APPLICATION:

All five questions are provocative for

Three or four questions cause

Most questions can be answered with

Question Creativity

the character and draw the audience into the interview.

the character to think and may draw the audience into the interview.

yes, no, or a short answer with a Why? follow-up question.

APPLICATION:Informative & Interesting Questions

All five questions encourage the character to give insightful answers about unique or interesting experiences.

Three or four of the questions require insightful answers or may be unique or interesting to the audience.

Most questions make it difficult to know what may be unique about the character. The audience may not be interested.

KNOWLEDGE:Completeness of Answers

All paragraphs have a topic sentence and at least four additional detail sentences. Two or more sentences are compound and/or complex.

Most paragraphs have a topic sentence and at least four additional detail sentences. One sentence may be compound or complex, but most are simple.

Most paragraphs contain fewer than five sentences or may not have topic sentences. Although several sentences may be long, most are simple.

THINKING:Informative & Interesting Answers

All answers give de-tailed, rich descriptions of experiences, feelings, or beliefs that are true to the specific character.

Most answers give details and/or descriptions that are mostly true to the feelings or beliefs of the character.

General statements may be true to the character’s feelings or beliefs, but few details support the descriptions.

COMMUNICATION:Writing Conventions

Few minor errors, or none at all, make the paragraphs meaningful and easy to read and understand.

Several errors may make the meaning unclear in spots, but answers are mostly understandable.

Serious and frequent errors make the meaning unclear and the paragraphs difficult to read.