| Title | : | Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 146996824X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781469968247 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 104 |
| Publication | : | First published February 7, 2012 |
Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Reviews
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I'm such a nerd when it comes to The Hunger Games-
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When I originally finished The Hunger Games trilogy, I had mixed feelings. I was a little disgruntled by the quick wrap up in Mockingjay. But now, after reading Katniss the Cattail by Valerie E. Frankel, I realize how brilliant Suzanne Collins really is. Oh. My. Goodness.
If you are a fan of The Hunger Games, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of Katniss the Cattail. Why, you ask? The answer is simple. This book explains the symbolism throughout the series. Sure, you may think you have already figured out the majority of the books’ hidden meanings, but let me assure you—you are wrong. The plant names and “big” symbols are easy to dissect. There is no challenging that; but did you realize that almost every name in this book has some link back to Roman civilization? More importantly, to the overthrowing of Caesar? Amazing stuff.
I devoured this book the moment I opened my mailbox. Everytime I read something “new” about a character, my brain started turning. I couldn’t help but stop and think about how a particular character interacted in the book; how they were described. It makes me want to reread the series with a more critical eye so I can appreciate the literary genius that is named Suzanne Collins. I do hope the movies can pull off this subtle characterization. Knowing the history behind the names really brings a new depth to the characters.
Wondering about what you might find in Katniss the Cattail? Here is a small sampling of some of the information I found so captivating:
• First, I must begin by saying that when my father (who is now hijacking my YA books before I can read them—note to self: stop taking books to his house when you visit) saw me watching the trailer for the movie, he stopped and watched it to. I had goosebumps at the end, but he replied, “That seems very Orwellian.” I didn’t pay much attention to his ramblings, because he’s always saying stuff like that (love my nerdy dad). But then I read the books, and I thought: Holy crap. Obviously this is a dystopian read, but there is more to it. George Orwell is the author of one of my favorite books, Animal Farm. (I do hope you’ve read this book!) As the plot of Mockingjay develops, I knew the leaders were important. District Thirteen’s leader was no saint. The events that followed were not by chance. Just like in the Orwell classic, “the pigs lead a revolution to drive out the farmer and run the farm themselves, but soon they elevate themselves over their fellow animals, becoming indistinguishable from the farmers in the end. Here is the true danger of power… The lesson in both series is clear: Absolute power corrupts absolutely; those who conquer tyrants will soon become tyrants themselves” (Frankel 79). Brilliant. Now be honest, when you read Mockingjay, were you thinking about Animal Farm? Seems like I should listen more closely to the ramblings of a middle aged man. Oh, and I’m not even going to start explaining the similarities between the Capitol’s lifestyle and Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World!
• There is also a hint of mythology in The Hunger Games. (I’ll be honest, I didn’t recognize this one.) Apparently, Collins has explained in interviews that the Hunger Games themselves were inspired by the story of Theseus. As the story goes, every nine years, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls would be sent to Crete as Tribute for the Minotaur to devour. Theseus volunteered to be placed with the Tributes, and killed the Minotaur (Frankel 80). Does the plot sound familiar?
I don’t want to give away all the gems in this book, but these two I found to be pretty interesting. Katniss the Cattail is divided into three sections: The names of Panem, symbols, and literary allusions. The symbols were pretty straight forward, but the allusions and historical value of the names were insightful. The author has done a fabulous job of putting together the research. When a great work of fiction presents itself, it only makes sense to view it under a critical literary lens. I know The Hunger Games is being taught in classrooms across the country because I have friends that are teaching the book to their students. At first I worried that it would be too graphic or gory for the censorship hounds, but after reading about the plethora of literary devices used in the novels, it only makes sense to teach these books.
If you’re interested in other books by Valerie Frankel, she has written several on the Harry Potter series and one titled From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey in Myth and Legend. You can also find her on her website
http://vefrankel.com . -
Full of thought provoking observations, Katniss the Cattail is a quick, clean read for any fan of The Hunger Games trilogy. It provides the historical and scientific background of the names of people, places, and symbols in the series as well as their links to other well know literature (Plato, Shakespeare, etc...). Frankel also provides some very interesting and convincing speculations as to the relationship between the names and the messages of the story itself.
Readers who have not read the entire series should be aware that this book contains spoilers as it is analyzing the series as a whole.
Read more content based reviews at Sarah's Reviews:
http://ssbookreviews.blogspot.com/ -
If you are a die hard fan of the Hunger Games series like me and enjoy reading any extra knowledge on the characters just to feel more connected to the story then you will enjoy this book. Katniss the Cattail goes into depth explaining the history and meaning behind each character from all three of the books within the series. It also mentions why some of the symbols used within the series hold such meaning and importance to the characters.
Focusing on the three main characters, or ‘The Big Three’, this story goes in depth to find the real meanings behind the names and personalities for each Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. The author really did her homework on researching the histories behind the names that Suzanne Collins made come to life. We get to see that Katniss’ name does not only represent a root, Peeta is not just a bread, and Gale is not just a powerful force of nature. The other names are defined in less detail but lets face it, they aren’t the main characters. They all have that are either defined in history, by nature, in representation of their district, or even influenced by other literary characters. No matter where they came from they all hold an important meaning in the Hunger Games.
This author defiantly spent her time researching all the possible meanings behind these names and symbols. It is clearly shown within the long in depth descriptions of the main characters names. This book might of been a little slow at times if you aren’t a real lover of the Hunger Games and just want to know as much about these books and their characters as possible; but nevertheless it was a very interesting and enlightening read. -
Are you a Hunger Games fan ? Holding the edge of your seat as the Hunger Game movie's release dates comes closer and closer with only just over two weeks to go :). I so cannot wait, I think for myself I have to explain my experience with the Hunger Games as I was introduced to them a few years ago with the release of the very first book "The Hunger Games" , I saw it coming and going from work and I thought hmmmm... I'll have to read that, so I picked it up and found that no matter how hard I tried , I could not get into it at all -so that was that , I put it back with no intention on picking it up again. However, that was to be short-lived as I soon discovered that the book was too be made into film as I sat back at the movies and witnessed the trailer and OMG it looked so great , so I decided Ok, I'll give the book another go and guesss what readers ..... I LOVED IT and soon I was hooked just like that on the Hunger Games and from that stemmed me wanting to read everything dystopian that I could get my hands on and then of course like I did with Twilight, read everything related to The Hunger Games trilogy which of course included Valerie's book "Katniss the Cattail" - this book is a non-fiction novel and is great to have as a reference guide to accompany the Hunger Games as Valerie has broken down the book and delved deeper into the meanings of the characters names e.g Katniss is a plant that is sometimes called an arrowhead which was used to explain in the connection to being amazing at archery. Arrow= Archery. It also talked about all the symbols e.g Bread - the bread that Peeta gave Katniss when she was five years old. It was really amazing to discover the amount of detail that Suzanne Collins went to into deciding the characters for the book and after you read Valerie Frankel's Katniss The Cattail ,you will have such a deeper understanding and knowledge of The Hunger Games Trilogy.
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Katniss the Cattail provides fans of Suzanne Collins's series a detailed look into the names and symbols found in all three books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.
From Alma Coin to York, from bows and arrows to Snake, and a thorough discussion of Katniss, Peeta and Gale, this book provides historical and literary background information on everyone and everything you could imagine from the books. Civil War admirals, Roman leaders, Persian kings and those made famous by Shakespeare's plays fill its pages. You'll soon discover the characters of Panem mean a lot more than their odd-sounding names.
Frankel also provides information on "Allusions to Literature and Life," discussing dystopia, history, Greek and Roman mythology and reality TV. The final pages of the book include a list of names by origin and the districts and their products.
This is a superb book for any lover of The Hunger Games series. It would also be an excellent resource for writers, showing the importance of carefully considering the names of their characters. Be warned, however, this book contains many spoilers, so it's a good idea to finish the series before reading it.
Highly recommended. -
This "unauthorized guide" presents glosses on the names used in the Hunger Games series. There are etymologies of the nature names from the districts and histories of the Romans whose names characters from the Capitol held. The connections between the word histories and the stories are sometimes eye-opening even if sometimes a bit of a stretch. A quick but enjoyable read!
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The Cliffs Notes to Symbolism in THG
“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.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/01/23/... -
My class at Butler University, First Year Smeinar: Unpacking the Hunger Games, read sections of this book throughout 2 semesters. We read portions at different times and I think(?) we read it all, but I am not sure. Overall, Ms. Frankel did a great job explaining the many themes in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. She had many perspectives I had never considered and I look forward to reading more of her self-published books! We also had the opportunity to hear from her over Zoom and that was very exciting.
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serotonin but make it intellectually stimulating
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Interesting read
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Enjoyable analysis and interpretation of names, symbols, and themes in the Hunger Games series. This was an entertaining way to reminisce stories read and watched quite a while ago.
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Something of a typical literary critique, this book collects thoughts from other critics, interview with the original author, and general knowledge of literature and history to draw meanings from the names of characters in the book and the symbols found throughout (bread, roses, etc). It also draws parallels to both ancient civilizations and some issues of today, though some of those will already be obvious (we of course understand that the Capitol was inspired by ancient Rome, for example).
However, there is a lot of insight here when the author correlates character names in the book with those from history, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and in some cases, biology. And the retelling of some myths is useful for those of us who never studied those in earnest--for example, who knew that throughout the history of storytelling, male heroes usually wield swords, but heroines always use range weapons--like, say, a bow and arrow? Or that silver is a symbol of "feminine strength?"
Whether any of this insight is accurate is the same problem I always have with literary criticism: who knows? It's easy enough to interpret nearly anything as one wishes. What is interesting, though, is that a popular young adult fiction book has inspired such lofty discussion in the first place. While there's no doubt Harold Bloom is wringing his hands even harder that normal on this latest evidence of the end of Western Civilization, those of us who appreciate The Hunger Games trilogy and their strange hold on us can also appreciate the work this author has done to put together this slim volume that provides additional food for thought. It's also a great way to help the series' younger readers begin to realize there often is more to a story than just what first appears. -
I'm confused as to why this book has so many sparkling reviews. As far as the world of companion books go, it's really amateur and half-hearted.
Basically, this book is a long blog post, tiny photos with captions and an abundance of minor spelling errors included. I realize my blog suffers from the same issues, but then again, I'm not trying to sell that material to anyone.
A large portion of the analysis is taken from previously published, well-known Hunger Games companion authors, such as V. Arrow and John Granger. If you've read them, you've already read a lot of this. More than anything it's another look into the Roman culture and Shakespeare parallels. They're fascinating, but it doesn't really offer you anything new if you've picked up a Hunger Games companion book before. Not to say it's ALL old hat-- there are some new ideas and insights that I wasn't familiar with, just not as much as I'd hoped for.
What frustrated me most about this book was that some characters were simply rattled off without any description, not even the basic meaning of their names. They're just there. Others have minimal descriptions that barely cover a thing. For instance, the author postulates that both Effie and Cecelia are named after martyred saints, but only Effie's description discusses the saint and how it relates back to her character while Cecelia gets about two sentences.
I have nothing against self-published authors and I applaud the research that went into this, but it just didn't pan out well. -
(From my blog, Word Vagabond: Supporting Independent and Small Press authors.)
English professor and pop-culture author Valerie Frankel delves into the symbolism, history, and mythology behind the popular Hunger Games series.
The largest part of this book is an examination of the names of the significant characters in all three of the Hunger Games books, listed in alphabetical order. Following that, Frankel explains the meaning of the main symbols in the series and then examines its themes. The index contains a list of the names covered, this time organized by origin, and also a list of the Districts of Panem and their products.
The depth of research Frankel put into this book was really impressive. She draws on a dizzying array of sources, which are meticulously noted in the bibliography. Some of the name interpretations she give seem like a bit of a stretch, but others, like Gale’s, seem spot-on. She also shows how the characters influence and illuminate each other, as in the relationship between Katniss and her sister’s cat, Buttercup.
The author draws a strong correlation with Roman and military history, especially give Suzanne Collins’ military background. I found the origin of the word Avox particularly interesting.
This is a detailed and fascinating look behind the scenes of a great series. I highly recommend it to any Hunger Games fans. -
This slim volume dedicates itself to finding out the history behind the names of the characters in The Hunger Games. I don’t know whether Suzanne Collins named her characters consciously trying to speak through the symbols etc but the names do give credence to many of the characters in both their personalities and their actions.
Katniss the Cattail is more on the academic side than not and that’s why I judged it as a scholarly piece of writing and not one for entertainment. However, it educates as well entertains and it is a handy tool to use to deepen your understanding and appreciation of The Hunger Games.
That said, I felt that the writing could have been more crisp and the tone a bit stronger. I don’t know what kind of scholarly material is available for such research but I think the author of the volume did her work and it comes through her frequent references to outsides that help to ground the novel somewhat on solid academic foundation. I say somewhat because obviously it needs to be peer reviewed for it to be totally academic.
Anyway, in simpler words, if you dig The Hunger Games like crazy, this book lets you glimpse at it a bit closer than you know…you might have. -
Well I just tried to start this book, but realized that perhaps I am best to wait until after I read the rest of the trilogy. It references many things from the series and I have not read book two or three and do not want to spoil the stories. So for now this book will wait, but as soon as I finish the series I will be diving right into this again.
It is filled with tons of information like the meanings behind the names of the characters and places and the symbolism of plants, items and people. Looks really good to me and I love this sort of story.
Stay tuned for an updated review once I get there. If you've read the series, then by all means crack this book open and learn about the symbolism and meaning behind everything.
ETA:
Now that I've read the entire series, I have gone back and finished this book. Thank goodness because there really are spoilers in it. So please read this AFTER reading the entire series.
I loved the information on the character names and places. I know that this is not written by Ms. Collins and some of the information may not be exactly why she chose the names she did, but I think everything suits the story based on this book.
I love reading these types of books - so much to learn! -
Okay, first of all katniss is not a cattail. They are two completely different plants. The author even shows a picture of katniss and describes it exactly but keeps referring to it as cattail... I don't think she knows what a cattail is... Other than the plant references, I'm assuming everything else is correct. However, on some pages it simply stated who the character was without even explaining the name.. why include it, then? The historical stuff was interesting, I'll give her that, but sooooo much more could've been included.
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This unauthorized guide is full of fascinating details that (a) you'll wish you had been clever enough to figure out for yourself while reading The Hunger Games and (b) you hope Suzanne Collins really meant to convey with her story. This little booklet is worth the read because whether or not everything listed here was directly intended by the author, it cannot be denied that there are layers of rich historical and moral symbolism in The Hunger Games trilogy that are certainly worth thinking about.
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Katniss the Cattail is a reference guide to wildly popular Hunger Games trilogy. (by Suzanne Collins) The author gives an encyclopedic style listing of the meanings of the characters names, plants, place names... All pertinent information from the book is listed in this short book. I'm not certain if Ms. Collins meant her books to be over analyzed, but many of the names fit the personalities of the characters.
If you are a Hunger Games lover, this book is a fantastic reference. -
Katniss the Cattail was very well researched. Everything that Valerie found about the names and symbols through research was pinpoint correct and matched the characters personalities and how things were supposed to appear in the book. I learned a lot from it and learned possible new insights on what Collins meant when she had certain things happen in The Hunger Games. If you are not a devote, crazy, obsessed fan of The Hunger Games then unfortunately this guide is not for you.
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The book gives an in-depth look at the themes and symbolism through the series. Although it is unauthorized, this is a great reference for students to use when studying the books in school or the rest of us who want to understand them. I advise reading this as a companion to the series or after you have read all three books. I got a greater understanding after reading this and confirmed some of my thoughts on links to 1984, Brave new world and Lord of the flies.
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I always love having new info on my favorite books, but this guide came a bit short. Not developed enough, lacking some pretty obvious symbolism and worst of all got Prim's name origin completely wrong. She's named after the evening Primrose not the other one. So all that part was wrong. If you're going to write a book about it, get your facts straight, lady, please.
I think I'm going to check out more serious analysis and symbolism HG books from now on. -
I am always fascinated by the thought that goes into the naming of characters and symbolisms behind those names in books that refer to classic and mythical literature. For the readers of The Hunger Games this book is an excellent explanation of just those characteristics. I would recommend it if you are interested in the 'rest of the story'.
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I have stop reading it, sometime ago. Since it really is a reference book and not a novel. Don't know why I even started, anyway it is a good book for what it is. Find info about people and symbols for the story. Nice to have when watching the movies on NetFlix, stop the movie and look what you want to find in the book.
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Though this was thought provoking I feel as it could have had more depth especially with the longer entries. Some of the shorter entries should have been thought out more. All in all, I enjoyed it though it could use more details for me. Looking forward to reading her other book about the development of Katniss as a character.
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A new side of the the series. Definitely makes you wonder if Suzanne Collins did it on purpose or if it was all just a coincidence. If your a Hunger Games fanatic, a good view on the topic, if your grasping for more. Two ** Stars.
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REALLY interesting analysis on The Hunger Games series on the meanings and importance of the characters' names and other symbols that appear throughout the series. Very interesting read for any HG fan
