Hunger Games Character Log

Katniss As I read to the end of the book, I realized that Katniss really is normal 16 year old girl in extraordinary circumstances.  She has raised to the challenge of being the head of the household, but emotionally, she is still a 16 year old girl struggling to deal with what all 16 year old girls deal with, only in a futuristic societies death arena.  “I excuse myself to change out of my dress and into a plain shirt and pants.  As I slowly, thoroughly wash the makeup from my face and put my hair in its braid, I begin transforming back into myself.  Katniss Everdeen.  A girl who lives in the Seam.  Hunts in the woods.  Trades in the Hob.  I stare in the mirror as I try to remember who I am and who I am not.  By the time I join the others, the pressure of Peeta’s arm around my shoulders feels alien.” (Page #371)  At the end of the Games, I argue that Katniss has really only offensively or maliciously killed the boy tribute from District 1, and even that could be argued that she did it trying to save her “teammate” Rue.  This shows that she didn’t want to kill anybody.	Peeta I realized at the end of the book that Peeta too is truly a teenage boy with a crush, but he doesn’t know how to deal with it.  After he admits to it, he says it’s just a part of the game, then when the game’s over, he says, no it was for real.  He’s just too nervous to say to Katniss, “Listen, no kidding, I really love you!”  When they get back to their living quarters after Peeta tells everybody he has a crush on Katniss, Peeta says, “It was my idea… She’s just worried about her boyfriend… But I bet he’s smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it.” (Page #135)  Peeta is a clever player in the Games.  He is able to form alliances with other tributes and still keep Katniss safe.	Haymitch I realized that Haymitch probably drinks because of his experiences in the Games.  I realized that he’s really more of a tortured soul who has watched children from District 12 die every year since he won.  I’d like to think that Haymitch was never drunk while Katniss and Peeta were in the arena because he was too busy trying to help them.  Katniss guessed that Haymitch won by outsmarting his opponents.  On page 351, Haymitch says to Katniss, “Nice job, sweetheart.”  Katniss thinks, “It doesn’t sound sarcastic.”  Haymitch is described as a, “paunchy, middle-aged man,” who drinks too much.  Though he comes across as a sloppy drunk, I believe that Haymitch is really more of a depressed hero that’s worn down by too many negative experiences.	Prim Prim is an innocent and it’s Katniss’s goal to keep her that way as long as possible.  Prim is described as having a face, “as fresh as a raindrop.”  She has light hair and blue eyes.  She is friendly.  At one point, Katniss points out that most of the people in District 12 like Prim more than they like her.  Prim also worked on sick and hurt people with her mother.  Katniss says that even though Prim would be afraid of her own shadow, she could sit through severely injured patients and help her mother care for them.	Gale Gale is a close friend, perhaps closest friend, to Katniss, depending on her mood.  He is a skilled hunter.  He spends a lot of time with Katniss outside the District fence hunting, trapping, and gathering.  Gale is 18 years old and like Katniss, is the main supporter of his family of five.  Gale has a deep seeded hatred for the Capitol and voices it often when outside the fence with Katniss: “We could do it you know… Leave the district. Run off.  Live in the woods.  You and I, we could make it.”
Cinna “The door opens and a young man who must be Cinna enters.  I’m taken aback by how normal he looks… Cinna’s close-cropped hair appears to be its natural shade of brown.  He’s in a simple black shirt and pants.”  Cinna also has green eyes.  Cinna seems to be a supported of Katniss.  He gives her advice when she is struggling with being likeable in the interviews before the Games.  He also says that he chose to work with District 12.  He is very creative and instantly makes the people of the Capitol fall in love with Katniss by dressing her in a dress of fire.	Effie Trinket “…the maniacally upbeat women who arrives once a year to read out the names at the reaping.”  “…District 12’s escort, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin, pinkish hair, and spring green suit.”  Effie is an interesting character in that I don’t think her intentions are all bad, but she struggled between compassion and self-interest.  My example is when she was saying goodbye to Katniss before the games.  “Effie takes both of us by the hand and with actual tears in her eyes, wishes us well.  Thanks us for being the best tributes it has ever been her privilege to sponsor.”  Then Effie says, “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!”  I don’t think she meant this to be as mean as it sounds.  I think she actually cared for Katniss and Peeta and she just doesn’t have a filter between her brain and her mouth.	Rue Besides the girls name, Rue is also a flower that grows in the Meadow like Primrose, Katniss’s sister.  Rue is similar to Prim in size.  “Neither of them could tip the scale at seventy pounds soaking wet.”  Rue is from District 11 and her co-tribute is Thresh.  She also impressed the Gamemakers and was given a score of 7 before the Games started which we later learn is because of her climbing ability that she learned working in District 11.  Rue is also good with medicinal medicines that also reminds Katniss of Prim.	President Snow President Snow is the president of all of Panem.  He lives in the President’s Mansion in the Capitol.  He is described as, “a small, thin man with paper-white hair.” (Page #71).  According to Haymitch, the Capitol is angry at Katniss for embarrassing them and creating two winners for the Games.  When President Snow crowns Katniss after she wins, Katniss says that his eyes are, “as unforgiving as a snake’s.” (Page #364)	Cato If there’s one “bad guy” in the arena, Cato is it.  He is a ruthless career tribute who takes an offensive role in the Games, teaming up with other career tributes and hunting weaker ones.  Cato is eventually, mercifully killed by Katniss when he is being attacked by a pack of angry hybrid dogs at the cornucopia.