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Katniss the Cattail An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Valerie Estelle Frankel Books

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Katniss the Cattail An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Valerie Estelle Frankel Books

"As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve."

Names carry great significance in THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Residents of the Capitol and its favored districts are commonly given Roman names (Cato, Cinna, Plutarch, Enobaria), establishing a parallel with the rise and fall of a brutal empire, while those living in the districts are named after food (Katniss, Peeta), plants (Rue, Prim, Posy), and other natural forces (Gale, Annie Cresta), as well as their work - their district's specialty (Thrush, Chaff, Wiress). Even the name of the country evokes images of ancient Rome: "Panem" comes from the Latin phrase "Panem et Circenses" - bread and circuses to entertain and distract the masses.

When one considers the cultural and historical context of each given and/or surname - particularly in relation to the character's story arc in THE HUNGER GAMES - it becomes obvious that author Suzanne Collins chose many of these names with great care and attention to detail. (In this vein, I can't help but laugh at those reviewers who complain that Frankel is reading "too much into" the names and symbols found in THE HUNGER GAMES. That's kind of the point! Plus, it's just plain fun.)

In KATNISS THE CATTAIL, Valerie Estelle Frankel - whose other 2012 release, BUFFY AND THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing through Library Thing - provides a kind of "Cliffs Notes" guide to the numerous names and symbols found in THE HUNGER GAMES. The book is divided into two sections: The Names of Panem (roughly 49 pages in length) and Symbols/Allusions to Literature and Life (21 pages). Frankel draws on a number of subjects to give greater context to the names and symbols of THG: history (especially military and Roman), literature (with Shakespeare receiving the lion's share of attention), botany, linguistics, and religion and mythology, to name a few.

Obviously, The Names of Panem is lengthier and more detailed than Symbols/Allusions. While it's difficult to tell from memory whether Frankel lists ALL the names found in THE HUNGER GAMES, certainly she includes MOST of them, from the "Big Three" (Katniss, Peeta, Gale), all the way down to relatively minor players (Gale's miner friend Thom; the "goat man" from whom Prim purchases Lady). Even those names with little apparent meaning (Rory) make the cut. As such, this section also makes a handy reference guide to the many characters who appear in the trilogy.

Symbols and Allusions briefly touches upon a number of topics, many of which deserve a much lengthier discussion. Among the symbols discussed are bows and arrows; bread; dandelions; ducks; food; fire (The Girl who was on Fire); "The Hanging Tree"; Holo and Logbooks; The Hunger Games; Mockingjays; Mutts; Nightlock; Pearls; Roses; and Snakes. Allusions includes Dystopia; History; Mythology; Reality Television; Rome; and Shakespeare.

An in-depth discussion of allusions is perhaps beyond the scope of such a book, and Frankel would have been better served to omit this section and instead focus more on names and symbols. For as detailed as The Names of Panem is at times, some of the entries seem oddly incomplete. Take, for example, this brief paragraph about the morphlings:

"The unnamed drugged-out District Six Tributes in the Quarter Quell. Since they have `morphed,' or changed, into shells of their formerly heroic selves, they suggest pitiful, helpless victims of the war just like the Avoxes."

Upon hearing the slang name for these addicts, I immediately thought of the narcotic morphine. Used as a pain reliever and sedative, the drug was named after Morpheus, the Greek god of sleep and dreams. With both medicinal and recreational uses, it stands to reason that morphine (or its Panem-day version) is one of the drugs manufactured in District Six. Since we know from Katniss that pharmaceuticals are a rare luxury in the districts, the possibility that Capitol citizens may be abusing the drug - wasting it when those in pain go without - is yet another affront to the impoverished residents of Panem (and is reminiscent of the "binge parties" encountered by Katniss and Peeta).

Some Amazon reviewers have complained about the accuracy of the information, starting with the title: Katniss and Cattails are two entirely different plants. While true, I took this as Frankel's attempt at a clever, aurally pleasing title; the entry for Katniss doesn't mention cattails at all. Other criticisms focus on pieces of literature with which I'm not familiar (e.g. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD), so I can't comment either way.

For what it is - a short, relatively inexpensive guide - KATNISS THE CATTAIL is enjoyable enough. You can read it straight through or use it as a reference guide; at the very least, it provides a nice starting point for further research. Hardcore fans (of which I am one!) are likely the key audience.

At the same time I was reading KATNISS THE CATTAIL, I was also working my way through V. Arrow's THE PANEM COMPANION. While the two are different enough that a direct comparison would be unfair*, I highly recommend the latter to fans (both casual and obsessive) who want a more comprehensive discussion of the themes found in THE HUNGER GAMES. For what it's worth, it also contains a (44-page) lexicon of Panem names. Both Frankel and Arrow's versions include enough unique material that serious fans will want to pick up a copy of each.

* Though I did bristle at Frankel's characterization of Annie as "helpless"; one whose strength is "loving and emotional" - in direct contrast to Johanna, whose power is "hard and physical" (pages 47-48) - after reading Arrow's impassioned defense of Annie as a survivor whose strength is too often overlooked due to her mental and/or cognitive disabilities (and even as PTSD and depression aren't used to undermine the other Victors, including Katniss herself). After all, this is a woman who lost her entire family, possibly as retribution for something she did or failed to do; who survived The Hunger Games when 23 of her peers could not; who had to stand by and watch as someone she loved was sexually trafficked by President Snow; and who withstood torture (possibly of a sexual nature) during the Second Rebellion - and yet still managed to sustain the hope, courage, and optimism to bear a child in the midst of such suffering and carnage.


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Katniss the Cattail An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Valerie Estelle Frankel Books Reviews

I teach English to at-risk students. This synopsis of symbolic names and events from the Hunger Games Trilogy has added depth to my understanding of the novels, and given me a shorthand version to enhance lessons to my students. It will help bring history, literature, and folklore to my students through the riveting Hunger Games books.
Wow. This was totally interesting and illuminating to read. As a huge fan of the Hunger Game series, I had no idea of how much these books reflected on history and of mythology. This makes a very interesting read. I am sure I will read it over and over when the new movies come out to reference the information pertaining to the final two movies. Well worth the read.
My 10 yr. old granddaughter had this book on her Christmas List. I asked her how she liked the book. She said give it a 4 star. She liked it very much, but was disappointed that not all of the characters were in the book. She is a fan of The Hunger Games. She has seen the movies and read the books.
Just OK. Nothing new that one couldn't google to find out more meaning behind a name or thing. Got bored halfway through. I did finish it but wasn't really impressed. Don't waste your money on this one. Not worth it.
I buy all of the series related books. This is the best one I have ever read. If you though you could see the symbolism in the Hunger Games you are WRONG! This book makes the series even better and you'll be blown away at how much thought Collins put into her series. I have bought this book for my friends and made them read it. This brings the HG series in a whole new light! I implore you to please read this!
An exploration by the author into the possible origins of the names used in the Hunger Games trilogy. I usually avoid books of this type as the author is trying to draw "meaning" out of a popular author's work. The only real way of doing that is to ask the author what they were thinking when they wrote the book. No really interesting facts in this book, just guesses about what the original author may have been thinking.

Waste of money, in my opinion.
I was vaguely interested in the subject and thought I would pick this up. I figured I would learn at least a couple of things or make a few connections I missed when I read the books. I had seen the title before, but passed. It went on sale, so I bought it. Honestly i could ave done without it. If I were a teacher and had my class read Mockingjay series, this would have been good for me to use in a classroom. Or if I were a student writing a report on the books, this would have been a help.

If your not either of those things, pass. It's pretty much straight forward reasoning regarding the character names, etc....
My 11-year-old has been crazy for The Hunger Games for the past 2 years. She is also wicked smart, so Katniss and Cattail seemed like an excellent way to lead her into a more analytical approach to reading fiction. Ms. Frankel did not let me down. My daughter kept running into the room announcing all these amazing connections between the real world and Hunger Games. She was so excited to read something really intellectual about the series, and to make new connections herself. You could almost see her getting smarter as she read the book. This really opened her up to a new way to read, so thanks!. I recommend this to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the series and in expanding their minds.
"As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve."

Names carry great significance in THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Residents of the Capitol and its favored districts are commonly given Roman names (Cato, Cinna, Plutarch, Enobaria), establishing a parallel with the rise and fall of a brutal empire, while those living in the districts are named after food (Katniss, Peeta), plants (Rue, Prim, Posy), and other natural forces (Gale, Annie Cresta), as well as their work - their district's specialty (Thrush, Chaff, Wiress). Even the name of the country evokes images of ancient Rome "Panem" comes from the Latin phrase "Panem et Circenses" - bread and circuses to entertain and distract the masses.

When one considers the cultural and historical context of each given and/or surname - particularly in relation to the character's story arc in THE HUNGER GAMES - it becomes obvious that author Suzanne Collins chose many of these names with great care and attention to detail. (In this vein, I can't help but laugh at those reviewers who complain that Frankel is reading "too much into" the names and symbols found in THE HUNGER GAMES. That's kind of the point! Plus, it's just plain fun.)

In KATNISS THE CATTAIL, Valerie Estelle Frankel - whose other 2012 release, BUFFY AND THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing through Library Thing - provides a kind of "Cliffs Notes" guide to the numerous names and symbols found in THE HUNGER GAMES. The book is divided into two sections The Names of Panem (roughly 49 pages in length) and Symbols/Allusions to Literature and Life (21 pages). Frankel draws on a number of subjects to give greater context to the names and symbols of THG history (especially military and Roman), literature (with Shakespeare receiving the lion's share of attention), botany, linguistics, and religion and mythology, to name a few.

Obviously, The Names of Panem is lengthier and more detailed than Symbols/Allusions. While it's difficult to tell from memory whether Frankel lists ALL the names found in THE HUNGER GAMES, certainly she includes MOST of them, from the "Big Three" (Katniss, Peeta, Gale), all the way down to relatively minor players (Gale's miner friend Thom; the "goat man" from whom Prim purchases Lady). Even those names with little apparent meaning (Rory) make the cut. As such, this section also makes a handy reference guide to the many characters who appear in the trilogy.

Symbols and Allusions briefly touches upon a number of topics, many of which deserve a much lengthier discussion. Among the symbols discussed are bows and arrows; bread; dandelions; ducks; food; fire (The Girl who was on Fire); "The Hanging Tree"; Holo and Logbooks; The Hunger Games; Mockingjays; Mutts; Nightlock; Pearls; Roses; and Snakes. Allusions includes Dystopia; History; Mythology; Reality Television; Rome; and Shakespeare.

An in-depth discussion of allusions is perhaps beyond the scope of such a book, and Frankel would have been better served to omit this section and instead focus more on names and symbols. For as detailed as The Names of Panem is at times, some of the entries seem oddly incomplete. Take, for example, this brief paragraph about the morphlings

"The unnamed drugged-out District Six Tributes in the Quarter Quell. Since they have `morphed,' or changed, into shells of their formerly heroic selves, they suggest pitiful, helpless victims of the war just like the Avoxes."

Upon hearing the slang name for these addicts, I immediately thought of the narcotic morphine. Used as a pain reliever and sedative, the drug was named after Morpheus, the Greek god of sleep and dreams. With both medicinal and recreational uses, it stands to reason that morphine (or its Panem-day version) is one of the drugs manufactured in District Six. Since we know from Katniss that pharmaceuticals are a rare luxury in the districts, the possibility that Capitol citizens may be abusing the drug - wasting it when those in pain go without - is yet another affront to the impoverished residents of Panem (and is reminiscent of the "binge parties" encountered by Katniss and Peeta).

Some reviewers have complained about the accuracy of the information, starting with the title Katniss and Cattails are two entirely different plants. While true, I took this as Frankel's attempt at a clever, aurally pleasing title; the entry for Katniss doesn't mention cattails at all. Other criticisms focus on pieces of literature with which I'm not familiar (e.g. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD), so I can't comment either way.

For what it is - a short, relatively inexpensive guide - KATNISS THE CATTAIL is enjoyable enough. You can read it straight through or use it as a reference guide; at the very least, it provides a nice starting point for further research. Hardcore fans (of which I am one!) are likely the key audience.

At the same time I was reading KATNISS THE CATTAIL, I was also working my way through V. Arrow's THE PANEM COMPANION. While the two are different enough that a direct comparison would be unfair*, I highly recommend the latter to fans (both casual and obsessive) who want a more comprehensive discussion of the themes found in THE HUNGER GAMES. For what it's worth, it also contains a (44-page) lexicon of Panem names. Both Frankel and Arrow's versions include enough unique material that serious fans will want to pick up a copy of each.

* Though I did bristle at Frankel's characterization of Annie as "helpless"; one whose strength is "loving and emotional" - in direct contrast to Johanna, whose power is "hard and physical" (pages 47-48) - after reading Arrow's impassioned defense of Annie as a survivor whose strength is too often overlooked due to her mental and/or cognitive disabilities (and even as PTSD and depression aren't used to undermine the other Victors, including Katniss herself). After all, this is a woman who lost her entire family, possibly as retribution for something she did or failed to do; who survived The Hunger Games when 23 of her peers could not; who had to stand by and watch as someone she loved was sexually trafficked by President Snow; and who withstood torture (possibly of a sexual nature) during the Second Rebellion - and yet still managed to sustain the hope, courage, and optimism to bear a child in the midst of such suffering and carnage.