"Enemy. Enemy. The word is tugging at a recent memory. Pulling it into the present. The look on Haymitch's face. 'Katniss, when you're in the arena...' The scowl, the misgiving. 'What?' I hear my own voice tighten as I bristle at some unspoken accusation. 'You just remember who the enemy is,' Haymitch says. 'That's all'" (Collins 378).
In the previous book of the trilogy The Hunger Games, Haymitch seemed like a drunk... in fact he is a drunk, but he is very clever when it comes to playing these games. He knows what makes the audience tick, and what makes sponsors want each tribute more. He also seems to know how the government runs and in that way, he is almost a liaison. All along, Katniss has been fighting the other tributes, but Haymitch's advice had never come to mind from the first book, but now after all this time, she realizes that Haymitch was right, the common enemy, is and has always been, The Capitol. This goes back to the issue of government in the future, and how the government has made the people of Panem live in such a dehumanized state that the government is becoming public enemy number 1. It reminds me of totalitarian governments where the citizens become so fed up with the way that they are living, that they decide to overthrow the government leader so that they can instill change.
The purpose of the passage is mainly what the tributes have been neglecting to notice throughout all the years of the Hunger Games. They are so infatuated with surviving the games and coming out with the glory and victory and the perks that are involved with winning the games that they forget that the common enemy is the people that are putting them through all the pain, agony, and death. I feel like the purpose of the quote is to portray that Katniss has been underestimating Haymitch from the very beginning. He is actually a Hunger Games genius if you think about it. Though, Collins seems to make Haymitch's character the way he is on purpose so that he becomes a character that is a bit complex and hard to figure out. She does so by making his character seem unstable with his drinking and constant instabilily. But when it comes to the games, he gets down to business and gets her to do things in a very strategic and smart way.
Connecting back to one of the essential questions, Haymitch is exemplary to the fact that people use language and image to manipulate people's minds. Haymitch initially presented himself as a drunk, but when it came to private matters with his tributes from District 12, his demeanor was different. In addition, Katniss with this realization can begin to manipulate other tributes to have the same common enemy. Although I wouldn't say that she is manipulating them because they are all working together towards a common goal. The words that appear in Katniss's mind from Haymitch are enough to manipulate her into the realization that the enemy is no longer the other tributes.
This quote reminds me of the "Go Back!" post that I had previously discussed. The image of this god-like figure could be enough to manipulate people's ways of life in the present, to perhaps change the future that they live in. In addition, like I mentioned before, the idea of overthrowing totalitarian governments seems to be a recurring theme throughout all of history. Maybe, the Hunger Games are just a repeat of history when a totalitarian government existed.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Phase 2: Who's Eyes Are On You?
"One way or the other, I have a very valuable piece of information. And if they know I have it, they might do something to alter the force field so I can't see the aberration anymore. So I lie" (Collins 284).
As this quote relates to the future and dystopias, I find that this reminds me of one of the characteristics of a dystopia. This characteristic is the one where citizens are perceived as under constant surveillance, which is exactly how Katniss feels while she is in the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell occurs every 25 years (quarter) and always features a special twist to remind the citizens of Panem why the Hunger Games are played every year. I find that the Hunger Games is not only a huge physical game, but the biggest mind game. It is all about making allies, and being able to keep important information to yourself and your team. This is the exact case in this quote. Katniss has found out about the barrier force field that has been put up around the Quell. The people who designed the game could easily change the force field, but the secret that she knows is that it is not static. But instead, Katniss acts like she doesn't know a thing so she indeed has the upper hand against the other competitors and on the government officials and game makers watching her.
The purpose of this quote from the Quarter Quell is to show that Katniss must continue to play the game in a clever and smart way. Without doing so, she might as well kill herself. But the fact that Katniss already has so much experience in the Hunger Games that she survived a year before, gives her a bit of an upper hand. She purposefully lies to keep the information that she has to herself. The aberration means a potential loop hole that Katniss can use in the course. Collins uses this information to inform the readers of her findings, and to show that Katniss is still in the game to win it. She achieves this purpose by keeping the valuable information to herself and the readers so that they know that she is still clever when it comes to the Hunger Games. This also connects back to the fact that the government has so much control over the players of the game that they can control the environment and the severity of the conditions inside the Quell.
In this case, it connects back to the essential question of how we use language and images to manipulate people's minds. The game makers are under the impression that Katniss has no idea what is going on, but in fact she does. She uses her words to be cunning in hiding the information that she knows inside. Though, the impression she makes with her words and expression show no indication that she knows otherwise. In this way, she is manipulating the other players and the game makers into thinking that she doesn't have an upper hand.
This passage reminds me of my previous post on Eureka simply for the fact that in Eureka, the house is in constant surveillance of what the inhabitants are doing, what they need, and what they want. Though, the game makers and the government officials have no intention of helping Katniss, the constant surveillance of the players in the Quell reminds me of the same condition.
As this quote relates to the future and dystopias, I find that this reminds me of one of the characteristics of a dystopia. This characteristic is the one where citizens are perceived as under constant surveillance, which is exactly how Katniss feels while she is in the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell occurs every 25 years (quarter) and always features a special twist to remind the citizens of Panem why the Hunger Games are played every year. I find that the Hunger Games is not only a huge physical game, but the biggest mind game. It is all about making allies, and being able to keep important information to yourself and your team. This is the exact case in this quote. Katniss has found out about the barrier force field that has been put up around the Quell. The people who designed the game could easily change the force field, but the secret that she knows is that it is not static. But instead, Katniss acts like she doesn't know a thing so she indeed has the upper hand against the other competitors and on the government officials and game makers watching her.
The purpose of this quote from the Quarter Quell is to show that Katniss must continue to play the game in a clever and smart way. Without doing so, she might as well kill herself. But the fact that Katniss already has so much experience in the Hunger Games that she survived a year before, gives her a bit of an upper hand. She purposefully lies to keep the information that she has to herself. The aberration means a potential loop hole that Katniss can use in the course. Collins uses this information to inform the readers of her findings, and to show that Katniss is still in the game to win it. She achieves this purpose by keeping the valuable information to herself and the readers so that they know that she is still clever when it comes to the Hunger Games. This also connects back to the fact that the government has so much control over the players of the game that they can control the environment and the severity of the conditions inside the Quell.
In this case, it connects back to the essential question of how we use language and images to manipulate people's minds. The game makers are under the impression that Katniss has no idea what is going on, but in fact she does. She uses her words to be cunning in hiding the information that she knows inside. Though, the impression she makes with her words and expression show no indication that she knows otherwise. In this way, she is manipulating the other players and the game makers into thinking that she doesn't have an upper hand.
This passage reminds me of my previous post on Eureka simply for the fact that in Eureka, the house is in constant surveillance of what the inhabitants are doing, what they need, and what they want. Though, the game makers and the government officials have no intention of helping Katniss, the constant surveillance of the players in the Quell reminds me of the same condition.
Phase 2: Beginning the Rebellion
"As the Peacekeepers fell, weapons were appropriated for the rebels. There was hope that this had not been an act of madness, that in some way, if they could get the word out to other districts, an actual overthrow of the government in the Capitol might be possible" (Collins 145).
In this particularly action packed scene in Catching Fire, this was the part where rebellion officially began, and it started with taking out some Peacekeepers. Peacekeepers are essentially the police in Panem, they are the ones that maintain order in each district. This attack on the Peacekeepers is the equivalent to attacking a police in today's society, and the consequences could be fatal for attacking one. But in previous chapters, President Snow had mentioned that he knew that war was coming upon Panem. If it were me, I would be too afraid to attack these type of people... if you can only imagine how trained they are in combat and in "Peacekeeping" I would not want to mess with one of them. They are probably armed and dangerous if they are put in the situation to be. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be Katniss in this situation either because of the fact that President Snow thinks that she is the head of this rebellion-- so the blame may potentially be all on her.
It seems as though the purpose of the passage is to show that a real rebellion is beginning in Panem. One would think that is a good thing right? It does begin to explore a different realm of the book and begin to talk more about war-- a war between the government and the citizens of Panem. Although this is on a smaller scale, this act is the start of what could be a huge war. Though, this means that if they want to go through fully with this rebellion, then there must be a change in the way that each district views each other, and that they must band together with one common enemy in mind. It explores the fact that the government may be able to be overthrown. The second purpose is also to show that suspicions of Katniss starting the rebellion are coming more to life, even though she doesn't even know it. But since the Capitol is already under the impression that she is the start of the rebellion, she fears that the credit is all going to her, but she didn't know it. Collins achieves this purpose by showing that action is being taken in order to remain hopeful that the government will one day not reign over them.
This connects to the idea of what it means to be human. We as humans live life with freedom with regulations. I wouldn't say that these regulations restrict us from doing anything that won't harm us. But it seems as though in Panem, that their restrictions are far too limiting and that it severely lessens the quality of life that should be a given right to a person. This quote shows that to be human means to have freedom, and if that freedom is not a given, that it should be fought for. Almost like the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die."
Although, the particular focus is on government, this quote reminds me of my post about Halo Wars and how the game is reaching into the future where humans may have to fight mysterious creatures for land / resources / life / etc. Except in the case of Catching Fire, they are fighting a government instead.
In this particularly action packed scene in Catching Fire, this was the part where rebellion officially began, and it started with taking out some Peacekeepers. Peacekeepers are essentially the police in Panem, they are the ones that maintain order in each district. This attack on the Peacekeepers is the equivalent to attacking a police in today's society, and the consequences could be fatal for attacking one. But in previous chapters, President Snow had mentioned that he knew that war was coming upon Panem. If it were me, I would be too afraid to attack these type of people... if you can only imagine how trained they are in combat and in "Peacekeeping" I would not want to mess with one of them. They are probably armed and dangerous if they are put in the situation to be. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be Katniss in this situation either because of the fact that President Snow thinks that she is the head of this rebellion-- so the blame may potentially be all on her.
It seems as though the purpose of the passage is to show that a real rebellion is beginning in Panem. One would think that is a good thing right? It does begin to explore a different realm of the book and begin to talk more about war-- a war between the government and the citizens of Panem. Although this is on a smaller scale, this act is the start of what could be a huge war. Though, this means that if they want to go through fully with this rebellion, then there must be a change in the way that each district views each other, and that they must band together with one common enemy in mind. It explores the fact that the government may be able to be overthrown. The second purpose is also to show that suspicions of Katniss starting the rebellion are coming more to life, even though she doesn't even know it. But since the Capitol is already under the impression that she is the start of the rebellion, she fears that the credit is all going to her, but she didn't know it. Collins achieves this purpose by showing that action is being taken in order to remain hopeful that the government will one day not reign over them.
This connects to the idea of what it means to be human. We as humans live life with freedom with regulations. I wouldn't say that these regulations restrict us from doing anything that won't harm us. But it seems as though in Panem, that their restrictions are far too limiting and that it severely lessens the quality of life that should be a given right to a person. This quote shows that to be human means to have freedom, and if that freedom is not a given, that it should be fought for. Almost like the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die."
Although, the particular focus is on government, this quote reminds me of my post about Halo Wars and how the game is reaching into the future where humans may have to fight mysterious creatures for land / resources / life / etc. Except in the case of Catching Fire, they are fighting a government instead.
Phase 2: What have I done?
"This all flashes through my head in an instant as President Snow's eyes bore into me on the heels of his threat to kill Gale. How stupid I've been to think the Capitol would just ignore me once I'd returned home. Maybe I didn't know about the potential uprisings. But I knew they were angry with me. Instead of acting with the extreme caution the situation called for, what have I done? From the president's point of view, I've ignored Peeta and flaunted my preference for Gale's company before the whole district. And by doing so made it clear I was, in fact, mocking the Capitol. Now I've endangered Gale and his family and my family and Peeta, too, by my carelessness" (Collins 28).
This quote is the epitome of a totalitarian control to the point that the government controls more than just the people and how they live, but to the point where they control even all of the people's actions. The games had called for Peeta and Katniss to act like a couple so much that they staged a marriage even though Katniss had no intentions of ever liking Peeta... it was all just for show. One of the conflicting interests of the story is Katniss's choice of guy. Does she particularly favor Peeta after going through the games "pretending she was in love with him?" Or does her heart still lie with Gale back at home, the man who has been making sure her family has been staying safe. But the context of the passage is President Snow beginning to scare Katniss into thinking that her family may not be okay because of her choices during the games to begin to instill rebellion among television viewers.
Again, the purpose of this text is to show the paranoia that begins to run through Katniss's mind. Then again, why is she paranoid? Well, if one thinks about it, President Snow is asserting his authority in this situation. She knows that any kind of rebellion would result in some sort of event that would resemble that of District 13's fate. As the novel progresses, it is easy to see the struggle that goes on inside of Katniss's mind whether to keep her family safe, or to continue with the rebellion that is secretly starting. At this point, Katniss is just thinking "What have I done?" "I've mocked the Capitol" "I've ignored Peeta and flaunted my preference for Gale's company" meaning that the Capitol is somehow beginning to see the truth behind the act that Peeta and Katniss have been putting on throughout the games.
A recurring question of how we use language and images to manipulate people's minds comes to play yet again. It seems that Katniss and all of Panem has grown up with District 13's demise in mind which keeps them running without any sort of rebellion. As a result this instills an image in people's minds that they associate with bad occurrences, hence, the government who has planted this image in the citizens of Panem's minds, they can manipulate the citizens to do their bidding. In addition, they have these annual events called the Hunger Games, which centers around the idea that each District owes something to the Capitol in remembrance of what happened to District 13. The government has nothing to lose, only the Districts do, so they are under complete control, and there is nothing they can do about it without suffering a fatal experience.
When I read this quote it reminded me a lot of District 13 and how they use the image of it's destruction to instill into people's minds that they shouldn't begin another rebellion. This seemed to connect to the movie 2012 that I mentioned in one of my previous posts, because it seems apocalyptic as the movie was. Much like people viewed Y2K and 6/6/06, and the upcoming 12/21/12 I found that the demise of District 13 could be the equivalent to one of these natural occurrences. I still can't imagine the world spontaneously ending on any given day, although I'm sure it will happen, I hope that it is not within our lifetime. Though it must be scary knowing that your government can enact this disaster at any given time. Poor Panem...
This quote is the epitome of a totalitarian control to the point that the government controls more than just the people and how they live, but to the point where they control even all of the people's actions. The games had called for Peeta and Katniss to act like a couple so much that they staged a marriage even though Katniss had no intentions of ever liking Peeta... it was all just for show. One of the conflicting interests of the story is Katniss's choice of guy. Does she particularly favor Peeta after going through the games "pretending she was in love with him?" Or does her heart still lie with Gale back at home, the man who has been making sure her family has been staying safe. But the context of the passage is President Snow beginning to scare Katniss into thinking that her family may not be okay because of her choices during the games to begin to instill rebellion among television viewers.
Again, the purpose of this text is to show the paranoia that begins to run through Katniss's mind. Then again, why is she paranoid? Well, if one thinks about it, President Snow is asserting his authority in this situation. She knows that any kind of rebellion would result in some sort of event that would resemble that of District 13's fate. As the novel progresses, it is easy to see the struggle that goes on inside of Katniss's mind whether to keep her family safe, or to continue with the rebellion that is secretly starting. At this point, Katniss is just thinking "What have I done?" "I've mocked the Capitol" "I've ignored Peeta and flaunted my preference for Gale's company" meaning that the Capitol is somehow beginning to see the truth behind the act that Peeta and Katniss have been putting on throughout the games.
A recurring question of how we use language and images to manipulate people's minds comes to play yet again. It seems that Katniss and all of Panem has grown up with District 13's demise in mind which keeps them running without any sort of rebellion. As a result this instills an image in people's minds that they associate with bad occurrences, hence, the government who has planted this image in the citizens of Panem's minds, they can manipulate the citizens to do their bidding. In addition, they have these annual events called the Hunger Games, which centers around the idea that each District owes something to the Capitol in remembrance of what happened to District 13. The government has nothing to lose, only the Districts do, so they are under complete control, and there is nothing they can do about it without suffering a fatal experience.
When I read this quote it reminded me a lot of District 13 and how they use the image of it's destruction to instill into people's minds that they shouldn't begin another rebellion. This seemed to connect to the movie 2012 that I mentioned in one of my previous posts, because it seems apocalyptic as the movie was. Much like people viewed Y2K and 6/6/06, and the upcoming 12/21/12 I found that the demise of District 13 could be the equivalent to one of these natural occurrences. I still can't imagine the world spontaneously ending on any given day, although I'm sure it will happen, I hope that it is not within our lifetime. Though it must be scary knowing that your government can enact this disaster at any given time. Poor Panem...
Phase 2: Inspiring Rebellion
"'In several of them, however, people viewed your little trick with the berries as an act of defiance, not an act of love. And if a girl from District Twelve of all places can defy the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to stop them from doing the same?' He says. 'What is to prevent, say, an uprising?'" (Collins 21).
I feel that this quote which was spoken by President Snow shows the paranoid side of the government. Of course, with television, the influential figures who are actually the ones being televised begin to have the most power. I think that is what is scaring President Snow the most because he realizes that Katniss may actually have power... power that she doesn't even realize or know that she has. It is almost like when people from "ghettos" were become popular in main stream society-- in essence one could say that District 12 was the equivalent to a ghetto and that Katniss is unknowingly leading an uprising. This just goes to show how much control the government wants to have over each district and their citizens. These words from the President are just a warning to Katniss to dismiss any ideas she has of an uprising.
Collins seems to purposefully show that the government is trying to have complete control. Targeting the fact that she is a girl from District 12 "defy[ing] the Capitol" makes her influence even stronger. Therefore, Collins makes this quote to convey the message that if any kind of rebellion is formed that there will be consequences associated with their actions. Though, the message reaches Katniss because she doesn't want to rebel since her family is safe. Since that is all she really wants, without rebellion she will have it. Overall, this creates the effect that Katniss is beginning to have an internal conflict on whether to let her society control her, or be part of the solution for everybody else. Her inner conflict also touches upon the meaning of being human. Maybe being human is more than just following rules and regulations blindly. We have the power to choose to follow, but not follow blindly and here Katniss has the choice to determine what kind of human she will be: the passive abiding citizen, or the bold and outspoken citizen.
This quote reminds me of Fahrenheit 451, and that Beatty is almost like President Snow trying to control Guy who is Katniss. Burn your books / abide by the rules and you and everything you care about will be fine, but if not then prepare for a different fate. At this point of the book I did predict that Katniss was going to eventually lead a rebellion on the state, and of course they will win or else, what kind of book would this be?...Right?
I feel that this quote which was spoken by President Snow shows the paranoid side of the government. Of course, with television, the influential figures who are actually the ones being televised begin to have the most power. I think that is what is scaring President Snow the most because he realizes that Katniss may actually have power... power that she doesn't even realize or know that she has. It is almost like when people from "ghettos" were become popular in main stream society-- in essence one could say that District 12 was the equivalent to a ghetto and that Katniss is unknowingly leading an uprising. This just goes to show how much control the government wants to have over each district and their citizens. These words from the President are just a warning to Katniss to dismiss any ideas she has of an uprising.
Collins seems to purposefully show that the government is trying to have complete control. Targeting the fact that she is a girl from District 12 "defy[ing] the Capitol" makes her influence even stronger. Therefore, Collins makes this quote to convey the message that if any kind of rebellion is formed that there will be consequences associated with their actions. Though, the message reaches Katniss because she doesn't want to rebel since her family is safe. Since that is all she really wants, without rebellion she will have it. Overall, this creates the effect that Katniss is beginning to have an internal conflict on whether to let her society control her, or be part of the solution for everybody else. Her inner conflict also touches upon the meaning of being human. Maybe being human is more than just following rules and regulations blindly. We have the power to choose to follow, but not follow blindly and here Katniss has the choice to determine what kind of human she will be: the passive abiding citizen, or the bold and outspoken citizen.
This quote reminds me of Fahrenheit 451, and that Beatty is almost like President Snow trying to control Guy who is Katniss. Burn your books / abide by the rules and you and everything you care about will be fine, but if not then prepare for a different fate. At this point of the book I did predict that Katniss was going to eventually lead a rebellion on the state, and of course they will win or else, what kind of book would this be?...Right?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Phase 2: Catching Fire
"What about the other families, Katniss? The ones who can't run away? Don't you see? It can't be about just saving us anymore. Not if the rebellion's begun!" Gale shakes his head, not hiding his disgust with me. "You could do so much." He throws Cinna's gloves at my feet. "I changed my mind. I don't want anything they made in the Capitol." And he's gone." (Collins 100).
The fact that Gale and Katniss had previous relations makes the book all the more twisted. Throughout the book it seems like a huge conflict-- Haymitch is trying to get Peeta and Katniss to portray to their audience their undying love for each other that even leads to a staged engagement! But no, the fact that Katniss once had feelings for Gale makes this quote more powerful. It is the beginning of a rebellion towards the government. This actually reminds me of an old movie called Max Keeble's Big Move, which featured mainly a rebellious little boy, and a corrupt school system with a bias principal who only supported football. This connects so well to what is happening in the book because, the government with the new appointed game master, has become even more corrupt. The President Snow, warns Katniss early on that he is watching her because the acts of rebellion are starting to arise. In the quote, Katniss is torn because she doesn't want to rebel, but Gale is all for it. It is undeniable that the forces are beginning to take shape into another rebellion-- but the thing is Katniss is leading it unknowingly.
Overall, the message of the quote is that rebellion is imminent. Though Katniss knows that she and her family are safe because of their compliance to the rules, Gale tries to get her to realize that there are other families just like her's that are in the same type of danger. The only this is that Katniss may be one of the most powerful forces that could be part of any rebellion. The purpose of the quote is to show the internal conflict that Katniss develops in the second book. Should I comply with the government and keep my family safe and happy? Or should I rebel with the rest of them and fight for the rights of not only my family, but for families in all districts across Panem? Gale of course, has come to the realization that the government has too much control over each district. It is time for a change, and this section of the book brings about an overall effect of tension.
I feel that this connects to the question of the use of language to manipulate the minds of an audience. However, in this case, this is Gale using language to manipulate Katniss's mind for the better. To think about it, Katniss and Gale have always had a close relationship, and it is because of that relationship that Katniss takes his words to heart. His words saying that she could do so much and his connection to other families creates a pathetic appeal that tackles Katniss's emotions. This is the beginning of Katniss's road to self-realization of the amount of strength she has inside of her. Gale's words easily get the ball rolling, and thus begins her journey to her inner power.
This passage reminds me of my "Rich get Richer" post for a number of scenarios. One because The government is the man walking off the plank with loads of money leaving the working class people who are the people who inhabit Panem to fall over the edge of the cliff. There is obviously the social injustices featured in the book from the government to the citizens. However, the second scenario is that Katniss is the man walking off the plank with all the money, and leaving the rest of the rebels to fall of the cliff and die on their own because she knows that her family is now safe. But remember what Gale said, it isn't about saving ourselves anymore... so maybe Katniss should get to turning around and saving the people who are dangling for their lives at the edge of that plank.
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