Games, Anyone?
The Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, the ongoing game that Snow plays against Katniss…Collins’ trilogy is loaded with games.
In Chapter 10, hunkered down in the District 13 bunker thanks to Peeta’s warning of the impending bombing, Katniss can’t figure out what game Snow is playing with her using Peeta as the bait. She’s also confused as to what Peeta was struggling against in order to get those last warning words out in Chapter 9. He seemed to be battling against himself—Foreshadow Warning!
We’re not exactly sure that Katniss’ playing a game called Crazy Cat in Chapter 11 with Prim’s cat, Buttercup, would be cool with animal rights groups, but Buttercup seems to like it. The cat frantically tries to “catch” the light that Katniss shines from a flashlight. Katniss realizes that the Capitol uses Peeta similarly as the light, waving him around but holding him just out of reach, and that Snow is torturing Peeta in direct response to her Mockingjay actions.
And what’s the deal with Snow’s having roses strewn aboveground in District 13 after the bombing? Does he not know how expensive roses are?
Finnick’s describing how Snow used to sell or award Finnick’s body to Capitol citizens who desired him is way, way more than disturbing. We think the upside in Chapter 12 is that Finnick’s beloved Annie is rescued from the Capitol and brought to District 13. And Peeta, too! Oh, wait…When he awakens from unconsciousness and sees Katniss, he runs toward her and starts strangling her. What???
When Peeta calls Katniss a mutt created by the Capitol to use against the rebels, Katniss thinks she’s all but lost to Peeta and that he is all but lost to her. Even in District 13, the Capitol maintains Peeta as its prisoner. Chapter 13 is NOT one of our favorite chapters; let’s just leave it at that.