Katniss, During Almost The Entirety Of The Trilogy: I Don't Want Kids But I Want Peeta To Have Children

Themes of Implicit Submission in The Hunger Games (Book One)

I’ve just finished re-reading The Hunger Games (book one) and there are a few themes that I expect SOTR will develop based on Hume’s implicit submission theory. Specifically, these are the main six tactics I believe the Capitol uses to thwart another rebellion present in the first book alone: 

Societal Pressure:

District 12 has a “keep your head down” culture. Any talks of rebellion are frowned upon. Any anti-government statements will cause social repercussions. It’s not just Katniss rolling her eyes at Gale in the woods, it’s how she has been groomed by the culture to keep quiet about the issues pervading life in the district:

“When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually, I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts. Do my work quietly in school. Make only polite small talk in the public market. Discuss little more than trades in the Hob.… Even at home, where I am less pleasant, I avoid discussing tricky topics. Like the reaping, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games. Prim might begin to repeat my words and then where would we be?” (p.6)

All of this proceeds the statement:

“Even here, in the middle of nowhere, you worry someone might overhear you.” (p. 5)

Under this point, it is also telling that during the reaping ceremony, Katniss says the “boldest form of dissent [the audience] can manage,” is silence. Not outrage, not yelling, not like district 11, but silence (p. 24).

2. Division between Classes 

The Capitol has created conflict within the districts to draw hatred to a local target. In the case of the first book, Gale remarks tesserae is a tactic to keep them divided. 

“Gale knows his anger at Madge is misdirected. On other days, deep in the woods, I’ve listened to him rant about how the tesserae are just another tool to cause misery in our district. A way to plant hatred between the starving workers of the Seam and those who can generally count on supper and thereby ensure we will never trust one another. “It’s to the Capitol’s advantage to have us divided among ourselves,” he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine.” (p. 14)

Interestingly, tesserae is already known as the “courtesy of the capitol” as stamped on Haymitch’s shorts in SOTR. The Capitol markets tesserae as something it does out of goodness. It attempts to make itself seem well-intentioned via the distribution of necessary goods. It’s their courtesy, after all. 

This point also includes the division between the districts. In the games, Katniss remarks how allying with the careers is essentially traitorous. 

“No one from District 12 would think of doing such a thing! Career tributes are overly vicious, arrogant, better fed, but only because they’re the Capitol’s lapdogs.” (p. 162)

By treating certain districts better, the Capitol promotes distrust between the districts, dampening potential unionization with planted hatred. By choosing favorite children, the parent that is the Capitol forces the districts to fight. 

3. Weaponized Language

The name of the Treaty of Treason, the treaty that makes the Hunger Games necessary per the law, is definitive of how the districts are forced to see themselves. They are the ones who committed treason by rebelling, and therefore they are guilty. They must repent by sending the children to the games. The permanent treaty, read during every reaping ceremony, enforces the guilt the districts are supposed to feel. In turn, the fact it is a “treaty” means the districts must have agreed to and signed it. Regardless of the circumstances around the signing of the treaty, the capitol then has the ability to wave it over their heads henceforth. 

The name itself points a finger and keeps the districts forever at fault. 

Furthermore, the fact Katniss is referred to by her district number until and even after she is given something to remember her by (the fire) further dehumanizes the tributes. During the parade, she says the citizens of the capitol have liked her and Peeta enough to "read the program" and learn their names (p. 70).

There are many more examples of villainizing and dehumanizing language in the book, but I have chosen those examples for the sake of brevity.

4. Propagandizing Education

A major theme in many dystopian novels is how the system treats education. In District 12, Katniss tells the reader:

“Besides basic reading and math, most of our instruction is coal-related. Except for the weekly lecture on the history of Panem. It’s mostly a lot of blather about what we owe the Capitol.” (p. 42)

A weekly lecture in a school is quite a lot of time to devote to any one subject. Seeing as how the rest of their curriculum revolves around district-specific content, the weekly lecture must be mandated across all districts, likely leaving the rest up to the discretion of the district itself. The Capitol once again emphasizes how the districts were wrong. It is repeated week after week, and eventually, it becomes ingrained in the social psychology of the district. 

5. Hunger and Deprivation of Needs

Continuing from the section about Katniss knows the weekly lecture must be propaganda, saying,

“I know there must be more than they’re telling us, an actual account of what happened during the rebellion. But I don’t spend much time thinking about it. Whatever the truth is, I don’t see how it will help me get food on the table.” (p. 42)

This point coincides with my second point about the division of classes. By keeping the people hungry, they are too busy thinking about the lowest rung on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. They see those who have food, and they are the opposition in front of them, rather than examining the source of the problem. By keeping the people hungry, they are less likely to have the time or ability to even think about a collective uprising. 

6. Limiting Flow of Information

The Capitol limits the flow of information between districts. In doing so, the districts are forced to make bridging assumptions about one another. This is revealed through Katniss and Rue’s discussion in the games: 

“It’s interesting, hearing about her life. We have so little communication with anyone outside our district. In fact, I wonder if the Gamemakers are blocking out our conversation, because even though the information seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another.” (p. 203)

By keeping them separate, they can turn any district against another. They rely solely on the Capitol for information about other districts, and therefore the Capitol has all of the power. 

Interestingly, another division between classes is shown through Peeta’s knowledge about other districts. He knows the different types of bread from the districts, implying the merchant class may have more access to information than those of the seam, leading to further division between classes. 

All in all, these are the themes I expect to be addressed in SOTR based on the pretense of implicit submission.

E Rated Fics Masterlist (29)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19 / Part 20 / Part 21 / Part 22 / Part 23 / Part 24 / Part 25 / Part 26 / Part 27 / Part 28 /

Created: December 17th, 2023

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Everybody's Got a Dark Side-shesasurvivor (ao3) Summary: When Katniss reminds Peeta about the time President Snow visited the study, it accidentally triggers an episode. Then Peeta decides it's time to reclaim Katniss… and the desk. Hijacked!Peeta smut, post-Mockingjay.

Favorite Holiday-Diana_Flynn (ao3) Summary: Misery loves company, except when it's your own family. Katniss Everdeen is hiding out from her dysfunctional family on Thanksgiving when she bonds with the last person she expected to - Peeta Mellark - the practically perfect man who she considers ruined her Halloween. Why does he have to be so gorgeous… and be so unavailable?

It Happens Any Way-hutchabelle (ao3) Summary: The trial is over. Katniss is free to return to District 12 but only if accompanied by her fake fiancé, Peeta Mellark. The problem is he’s still recovering, so time spent with him is dangerous, especially if he suffers another hijacking episode. How do the star crossed lovers of District 12 find their way back to each other when all the cards are stacked against them? It happens anyway and any way they try.

Lost and Found-Peetabreadgirl (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen takes a much needed break from life on a deserted island, where she comes across the hidden treasure of a lifetime. Tarzan!Peeta request by Mega-aulover on Tumblr.

Say My Name-marycontrary82 (ao3) Summary: Peeta teaches Katniss a lesson she'll never forget. Modern day AU -One-shot - Rated MA for language and sexual content.

Something New-wheather79 (ao3) Summary: A glimpse of how Katniss and Peeta grew closer during the Victory Tour. Drabble. Everlark.

Sparked-HEA_andallthelike (ao3) Summary: She didn't expect his words, and she never imagined she could react the way she did. The consequences of it all, sweeter than she could have ever dreamed.

Sugar-promptsinpanem (tumblr) Summary: Desperate to find financial security for her family, Katniss Everdeen goes to whatever lengths it takes to bring home a paycheck. Peeta Mellark just wants someone to make him feel normal again.

The Apothecary's Daughter-LilyMaid (ao3) Summary: After a devastating illness the people of Panem find themselves on the brink of extinction. In response the games are canceled indefinitely and replaced with a breeding program to increase genetic diversity in the population.

Wrapped in Green-katnissdoesnotfollowback (tumblr) Summary: Wrapped In Red!Peeta is a horny boy and I am here for it. He likes to dress Katniss up in nothing but those naughty red stockings, spank her, and then rail her into the mattress when the kiddos are fast asleep

and finally: no one, absolutely no one, is doing it like Peeta “look at the shape you’re in” Mellark

the way that this blows any “Peeta is a lovestruck puppy” discourse out of the water … the way that it’s Katniss expecting hugs and kisses (from her really very definitely platonic friend nonetheless) … the way Katniss is like “I’ll enable you, Haymitch” … the way that Peeta is paying Ripper off like yes king use your wealth … the way he casually threatens to get his wife and weird drunk uncle arrested if they don’t get on board with his fitness program … the way he absolutely leaves no crumbs … Katniss’s final line asdfghjkl … I love this scene

His dark materials “The botanic garden”

I am convinced that it happened.

I have an everlark headcanon now, that after their “you love me. real or not real?”/“real” moment, it’s like a barrier breaks for katniss and she can’t stop saying “i love you” to peeta. she’ll put her hands up to her cheeks to feel her smile as she says it. she’ll whisper it to him again and again as they lie in bed. she’ll make herself smile as she thinks it while watching him work and will just blurt it out at random when peeta doesn’t even expect it. she’ll say it in a sing song way, in a hushed way, in a breathy way. she’ll just love that she can finally vocalise what she’s felt for so long and she’ll want him to know it all the time.

experiencing the hunger games renaissance through twitter for the first time is so beautiful

if you recommend me a good zutara fic ill kiss your cute lil head

You know how I've been complaining about Everlark and Silverparry deniers this past year. They've been bugging me a lot.

Today I saw a tweet about people being anti-romance these days and harping on the writers whenever the main characters have a romantic relationship. It's getting ridiculous.

I'm now struggling to remember if that was a thing 10/15 years ago when both fandoms were more active. I honestly can't remember because I wasn't on as many platforms as I am now and the ones I had been on seemed very romance-friendly as far as I remember.

On tumblr, I was mainly just THG/Everlark-focused 10 years ago and I honestly don't remember any Everlark deniers coming my way at all. Was it really the case or was it just me living in a bubble?

People today saying Everlark never had romance/they should be just friends are so weird to me as well. I was convinced they were just trying to be different but their persistence is weirding me out. Why does two fictional characters having a romantic relationship disturb you so much? Why are you hell bent on denying what the writer wrote in her books?

I don't know. I'm just really confused. Would love to hear your experience and opinions on it.

the thing that always breaks my heart about benji ovich is just… how good he is. how selfless. how kind. how he helps people without expecting anything in return, without even asking for acknowledgement. he just has such a strong, solid moral streak, far superior to that of his peers and even those of the adults around him. 

he stops bobo from attacking amat in his fury after their first training session together, saving amat (whom he just met) from potentially serious injury. he splits with kevin, his best friend and the boy he’s loved for years, for the unforgivable act of hurting an innocent girl. he’s one of the first few people to believe maya and take her side. he wrecks an entire bathroom in school just so she doesn’t get in trouble for smashing the mirror, taking on all the blame for himself. he steps aside in the bathroom as she’s storming out so that she doesn’t physically touch him and relive her trauma. time and time again he throws himself in the line of fire to protect the people around him, even those he barely knows. 

and in spite of all that he still truly believes himself to be a monster. he’s convinced that he’s beyond redemption, that something inside him is irreparably damaged. he doesn’t want to be saved because he doesn’t think he deserves it. he gets high and starts fights and shuts people out because he’s afraid of those he loves seeing how gentle and vulnerable he truly is. despite being one of the most self-sacrificing and considerate individuals in beartown, he still makes himself out to be the villain.

it just gets me every time, man.