We learn from Finnick, I believe, the secrets of President Coriolanus Snow, to include why his breath smells like blood, namely, “mouth sores that will never heal” (chapter 12, p. 172). Supposedly, the roses he wears are to cover the smell of blood on his breath. As these sores are a consequence of poisons, the roses take on another meaning, I think, one we see again and again in Mockingjay.

Snow uses roses to unsettle Katniss; he thinks correctly that she will think of him when she sees or smells a rose and that this will drive home his determination to find and kill her. Hence the rose in the Victor House, the roses dropped with the bunker busters on District 13, and the rose breath of the lizard mutt-tations.

I think, though, beneath the narrative line ‘roses over blood’ is an image Ms. Collins wants us to take away as a symbol of how wars are packaged and presented as public goods rather than tragic necessities. Seeing how the tributes, citizens, and survivors of District 12 are transformed from victims to victors capable (if living) of voting for a Capitol-children Hunger Games production.

Your thoughts?

I will have to return to the subject of Miss Everdeen’s “speaking truth to power” as well as her choice to play the Mockingjay part (as well as several other roles, from comic book super-powered heroine to foot soldier and special forces squad leader) but this morning I wanted to put up an open thread for your first impressions of the 17 year old leader of the Panem rebellion.

The big question, of course, is what causes her to shoot an arrow into President Coin? She ended her first Hunger Games with an arrow that was a mercy killing and she destroyed the Quell arena with an arrow to end her second trip; was the assassination of the new Panem President both of those things or just revenge for the death of Prim?

I made ten public predictions for Mockingjay in addition to the “Three Sure Things” above and I would be remiss if I didn’t go back and grade my prognostication abilities. The ten points were: [Read more…]

The day before the day before Mockingjay! Time to put your cards on the table, serious readers!

Here are my top ten predictions. Each is based on a story formula, story elements, or character story arc that is evident in the first two books of the Hungers Games trilogy. Some are straight forward and near sure things, I think, most are risible guesses I only offer in the hope of illustrating a point or principle and to generate a response and better predictions from you.

No fair saying “I knew that was going to happen!” on Tuesday if you haven’t told us all what you know right here before reading it in the Panem Saga finale. This is your last big chance to win major credit as an insightful reader; go for it! [Read more…]