Catching Fire Quotes
"'Him I can easily kill off if we don't come to a happy resolution,' he says." (President Snow, Chapter 2, p. 24)
President Snow is explaining to Katniss the consequences of her actions, if she chooses to disobey his directive. He has told her she needs to show him and the country, she and Peeta are in love or else Gale will be killed.
This threat makes Katniss realize the seriousness of her situation. Her defiance during the Games does not have just consequences for her, but for those she loves. She realizes she needs to make sure President Snow believes her feelings for Peeta are real.
"'Only you'll have to do even better if the uprisings are to be averted,' he says. 'This tour will be your only chance to turn things around.'" (President Snow, Chapter 2, p. 29)
Katniss now knows her act of defiance has caused unrest in some of the districts. The President is there to make sure the districts see she did not disobey the wishes of the Gamemakers because of rebellious intent, but instead as an act of love for Peeta. It is the only way to try to turn the tide in the districts which are experiencing uprisings.
The President is letting her know a show of undying love between her and Peeta, during the Victory Tour, is the only chance of calming the waters of dissent in those districts.
"Did I do it? Was it enough? Was giving everything over to you, keeping up the game, promising to marry Peeta enough?"
"In answer, he gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 5, p. 74)
Katniss and Peeta are being congratulated by President Snow on their impending marriage. As he looks at Katniss she raises her eyebrows in question. He knows what she is asking, did she convince him of her love of Peeta. Is the engagement enough to keep the dissention in the districts at bay? His answer is no, which at first snatches all hope from her, then she feels a sense of relief. She no longer has to play his game, if what she and Peeta did on the Victory Tour did not convince him and the country, of the true reasons for her defiance, then nothing will. She can now behave in any manner she chooses.
"I am going back into the arena." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 12, p. 173)
Katniss has just found out the unimaginable is true. She is going back into the arena to participate in the seventy-fifth Quarter Quell. The President has announced the Quell will consist of past victors, to show the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot best the power of the Capitol. Katniss knows she is going back into the arena, because each team consists one female tribute and one male tribute. Since she is the only female victor from District 12, then she is a tribute in the Quarter Quell.
She is filled with rage and despair at the turn of events, but eventually she accepts her fate. She is now determined to make sure Peeta survives the Quell.
"If I can make it clear that I'm still defying the Capitol right up to the end, the Capitol will have killed me...but not my spirit. What better way to give hope to the rebels?" (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 17, p. 243)
Katniss and Peeta are on the roof of the Training Center discussing their future. They both know the chances of them coming out of the Games is almost zero, so they decide to go down fighting.
Katniss has made up her mind to use every minute in the arena to show the rebels they need to keep on fighting. She is going to defy the Capitol in every action she takes, so her death will mean something and empower the rebels.
"For a moment we're frozen, sizing each other up, our weapons, our skill. Then Finnick suddenly grins. 'Lucky thing we're allies. Right?'" (Katniss Everdeen, Finnick Odair, Chapter 19, p. 270)
Katniss and Finnick are the first two tributes to reach the Cornucopia in the arena. They are about to go for the weapons in the Cornucopia and Katniss is ready to kill him, if necessary, to reach the bow and arrow. It is then Finnick disarms her by announcing he is her ally.
To prove he is telling the truth, he shows her his arm bangle, which is identical to the one Haymitch is wearing. She realizes even though she and Peeta told Haymitch they didn't want to form any alliances, he brought together tributes for an alliance with them anyway.
The alliance with Finnick proves to be useful, as he is able to resuscitate Peeta after he comes in contact with the force field. Finnick is also strong, which helps when Peeta needs to be carried, after his encounter with the force field and poisonous fog.
"And maybe it's because of that underlying goodness that he can move a crowd-no, a country-to his side with the turn of a simple sentence." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 23, p. 338)
Katniss is trying to understand why the other tributes are so intent on keeping Peeta alive. First, Fennick swims out to Peeta's metal plate to tow him in to the land strip, then Mags walks into the poisonous fog so Finnick can carry Peeta instead of her, and later, a morphling takes a death blow from a mutant monkey, which is aimed at Peeta all actions meant to save Peeta's life.
She knows why she is trying to save Peeta's life, but she cannot figure out why the others are willing to sacrifice themselves for him. She at last comes to the conclusion it must be because he is the voice of the revolution. He can speak in such a way as to bring a crowd to its feet and inspire the country to rebellion. He speaks for justice in a way only a few have the capacity, to become the voice of what everyone is thinking.
"'Katniss,' he says softly, 'it's no use pretending we don't know what the other one is trying to do.'" (Peeta Mellark, Chapter 24, p. 350)
Peeta and Katniss are taking a break sitting on the beach, after Katniss has survived the mind games played on her and Finnick by the jabberjays. Peeta is telling her he knows she is trying to make sure he survives the games, while at the same time he is intent on ensuring her survival.
They both have made promises to Haymitch to help the other survive. Peeta though, makes an incontrovertible argument for keeping Katniss alive. He points out his family doesn't need him to survive, but her family does. He also points out he could not live with himself, if she were to die in the arena.
"'We had to save you because you're the mockingjay, Katniss,' says Plutarch. 'While you live, the revolution lives.'" (Plutarch Heavensbee, Chapter 27, p. 386)
Plutarch is explaining to Katniss the reason for the elaborate plan to make sure she was rescued from the arena. Her being the mockingjay, which is what she became known as because of the mockingjay pin she wore on her clothes during the Hunger Games, became a symbol to all those who are participating in the rebellion.
She is the living symbol of the rebellion. A rebellion she unintentionally started during the Hunger Games. If she were to die, then the rebellion could die with her and that was too great a risk to take, after so many lives had been lost in the battle for freedom from the Capitol.
"But Gale is not one to keep secrets from me. 'Katniss, there is no District Twelve.'" (Gale Hawthorne, Chapter 27, p. 391)
Katniss learned from Gale, after losing Peeta to the Capitol, her home and all she knew had been destroyed. The President ordered District 12 be destroyed by dropping firebombs on it. Gale told her he managed to save her mother and sister, but the district was gone.
She had lost so much in the name of freedom and now she knew because of her actions President Snow ordered the destruction of District 12. She had tried to make sure all of her friends and family were safe, but in the end, she knew the enemy would never be satisfied by anything she did, so she destroyed the force field. The destruction of the force field was an intolerable situation for President Snow. Angry that he had been denied his opportunity to punish Katniss, because she was rescued by Haymitch, he turned his wrath on her home district. This was a horrible blow for Katniss to absorb.
President Snow is explaining to Katniss the consequences of her actions, if she chooses to disobey his directive. He has told her she needs to show him and the country, she and Peeta are in love or else Gale will be killed.
This threat makes Katniss realize the seriousness of her situation. Her defiance during the Games does not have just consequences for her, but for those she loves. She realizes she needs to make sure President Snow believes her feelings for Peeta are real.
"'Only you'll have to do even better if the uprisings are to be averted,' he says. 'This tour will be your only chance to turn things around.'" (President Snow, Chapter 2, p. 29)
Katniss now knows her act of defiance has caused unrest in some of the districts. The President is there to make sure the districts see she did not disobey the wishes of the Gamemakers because of rebellious intent, but instead as an act of love for Peeta. It is the only way to try to turn the tide in the districts which are experiencing uprisings.
The President is letting her know a show of undying love between her and Peeta, during the Victory Tour, is the only chance of calming the waters of dissent in those districts.
"Did I do it? Was it enough? Was giving everything over to you, keeping up the game, promising to marry Peeta enough?"
"In answer, he gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 5, p. 74)
Katniss and Peeta are being congratulated by President Snow on their impending marriage. As he looks at Katniss she raises her eyebrows in question. He knows what she is asking, did she convince him of her love of Peeta. Is the engagement enough to keep the dissention in the districts at bay? His answer is no, which at first snatches all hope from her, then she feels a sense of relief. She no longer has to play his game, if what she and Peeta did on the Victory Tour did not convince him and the country, of the true reasons for her defiance, then nothing will. She can now behave in any manner she chooses.
"I am going back into the arena." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 12, p. 173)
Katniss has just found out the unimaginable is true. She is going back into the arena to participate in the seventy-fifth Quarter Quell. The President has announced the Quell will consist of past victors, to show the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot best the power of the Capitol. Katniss knows she is going back into the arena, because each team consists one female tribute and one male tribute. Since she is the only female victor from District 12, then she is a tribute in the Quarter Quell.
She is filled with rage and despair at the turn of events, but eventually she accepts her fate. She is now determined to make sure Peeta survives the Quell.
"If I can make it clear that I'm still defying the Capitol right up to the end, the Capitol will have killed me...but not my spirit. What better way to give hope to the rebels?" (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 17, p. 243)
Katniss and Peeta are on the roof of the Training Center discussing their future. They both know the chances of them coming out of the Games is almost zero, so they decide to go down fighting.
Katniss has made up her mind to use every minute in the arena to show the rebels they need to keep on fighting. She is going to defy the Capitol in every action she takes, so her death will mean something and empower the rebels.
"For a moment we're frozen, sizing each other up, our weapons, our skill. Then Finnick suddenly grins. 'Lucky thing we're allies. Right?'" (Katniss Everdeen, Finnick Odair, Chapter 19, p. 270)
Katniss and Finnick are the first two tributes to reach the Cornucopia in the arena. They are about to go for the weapons in the Cornucopia and Katniss is ready to kill him, if necessary, to reach the bow and arrow. It is then Finnick disarms her by announcing he is her ally.
To prove he is telling the truth, he shows her his arm bangle, which is identical to the one Haymitch is wearing. She realizes even though she and Peeta told Haymitch they didn't want to form any alliances, he brought together tributes for an alliance with them anyway.
The alliance with Finnick proves to be useful, as he is able to resuscitate Peeta after he comes in contact with the force field. Finnick is also strong, which helps when Peeta needs to be carried, after his encounter with the force field and poisonous fog.
"And maybe it's because of that underlying goodness that he can move a crowd-no, a country-to his side with the turn of a simple sentence." (Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 23, p. 338)
Katniss is trying to understand why the other tributes are so intent on keeping Peeta alive. First, Fennick swims out to Peeta's metal plate to tow him in to the land strip, then Mags walks into the poisonous fog so Finnick can carry Peeta instead of her, and later, a morphling takes a death blow from a mutant monkey, which is aimed at Peeta all actions meant to save Peeta's life.
She knows why she is trying to save Peeta's life, but she cannot figure out why the others are willing to sacrifice themselves for him. She at last comes to the conclusion it must be because he is the voice of the revolution. He can speak in such a way as to bring a crowd to its feet and inspire the country to rebellion. He speaks for justice in a way only a few have the capacity, to become the voice of what everyone is thinking.
"'Katniss,' he says softly, 'it's no use pretending we don't know what the other one is trying to do.'" (Peeta Mellark, Chapter 24, p. 350)
Peeta and Katniss are taking a break sitting on the beach, after Katniss has survived the mind games played on her and Finnick by the jabberjays. Peeta is telling her he knows she is trying to make sure he survives the games, while at the same time he is intent on ensuring her survival.
They both have made promises to Haymitch to help the other survive. Peeta though, makes an incontrovertible argument for keeping Katniss alive. He points out his family doesn't need him to survive, but her family does. He also points out he could not live with himself, if she were to die in the arena.
"'We had to save you because you're the mockingjay, Katniss,' says Plutarch. 'While you live, the revolution lives.'" (Plutarch Heavensbee, Chapter 27, p. 386)
Plutarch is explaining to Katniss the reason for the elaborate plan to make sure she was rescued from the arena. Her being the mockingjay, which is what she became known as because of the mockingjay pin she wore on her clothes during the Hunger Games, became a symbol to all those who are participating in the rebellion.
She is the living symbol of the rebellion. A rebellion she unintentionally started during the Hunger Games. If she were to die, then the rebellion could die with her and that was too great a risk to take, after so many lives had been lost in the battle for freedom from the Capitol.
"But Gale is not one to keep secrets from me. 'Katniss, there is no District Twelve.'" (Gale Hawthorne, Chapter 27, p. 391)
Katniss learned from Gale, after losing Peeta to the Capitol, her home and all she knew had been destroyed. The President ordered District 12 be destroyed by dropping firebombs on it. Gale told her he managed to save her mother and sister, but the district was gone.
She had lost so much in the name of freedom and now she knew because of her actions President Snow ordered the destruction of District 12. She had tried to make sure all of her friends and family were safe, but in the end, she knew the enemy would never be satisfied by anything she did, so she destroyed the force field. The destruction of the force field was an intolerable situation for President Snow. Angry that he had been denied his opportunity to punish Katniss, because she was rescued by Haymitch, he turned his wrath on her home district. This was a horrible blow for Katniss to absorb.