{"id":104,"date":"2010-12-28T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2010-12-28T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=104"},"modified":"2010-12-28T09:50:48","modified_gmt":"2010-12-28T17:50:48","slug":"mark-reads-catching-fire-chapter-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2010\/12\/mark-reads-catching-fire-chapter-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘Catching Fire’: Chapter 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the third chapter of Catching Fire<\/em>, Katniss worries about her future on the Victory Tour and having to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pretend\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to love Peeta for months at a time. Her prep team arrives for her first appearance prior to the tour and Haymitch provides a damning reality for Katniss. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Catching Fire<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The smell of blood\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6it was on his breath.<\/p>\n
What does he do?<\/em> I think. Drink it?<\/em> I imagine him sipping it from a teacup. Dipping a cookie into the stuff and pulling it out dripping red.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ok, well, that was (partially) answered pretty quickly. So the dude\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s breath smells of blood? IS THIS GOING TO TURN INTO TWILIGHT<\/em>. Jay kay, jay kay.<\/p>\n
A visit from President Snow. Districts on the verge of uprisings. A direct death threat to Gale, with others to follow. Everyone I love doomed. And who knows who else will pay for my actions? Unless I turn things around on this tour. Quiet the discontent and put the president\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind at rest. And how? By proving to the country beyond any shadow of a doubt that I love Peeta Mellark.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Yeah, I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll agree with Katniss here: This is not good at all. Collins does a decent job of making us feel just as overwhelmed as Katniss does at the heavy info dump and the emotional dread that President Snow just gave her.<\/p>\n
Katniss does have a chance to process what she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just heard when her mother prepares a bath for her, right before her make-up and wardrobe team arrives. And another one of my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153predictions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d kinda, sorta comes true.<\/p>\n
Since I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been home I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been trying hard to mend my relationship with my mother. Asking her to do things for me instead of brushing aside any offer of help, as I did for years out of anger. Letting her handle all the money I won. Returning her hugs instead of tolerating them. My time in the arena made me realize how I needed to stop punishing her for something she couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help, specifically the crushing depression she fell into after my father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death. Because sometimes things happen to people and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not equipped to deal with them.<\/p>\n
Like me, for instance. Right now.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a sign that Katniss is growing up and is maturing from her admittedly childish response to her mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s depression. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sad that it took the Games to trigger this empathy in Katniss, but she appreciates it all the same: Sometimes you cannot control life. Sometimes it overwhelms you. And you never know how you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll react until that moment arrives.<\/p>\n
None of us are used to the luxury of turning on a tap and having a limitless supply of hot water at our fingertips. We had only cold at our home in the Seam, and a bath meant boiling the rest over the fire.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So no magic dispensary system in their house, but they do have the privilege of constant, hot running water.<\/p>\n
In the bath, Katniss takes a moment to think about the effect Snow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s message is going to have on her very-near future. She wonders who, if anybody, she should tell. She immediately decides against telling Gale, who is the most likely to do something to jeopardize the entire thing. As Katniss says it:<\/p>\n
Besideds, Gale\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already so angry and frustrated with the Capitol that I sometimes think he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to arrange his own uprising.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fair enough, Katniss. I agree. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see any good coming from Gale in this sense; I would only say something if things got out of hand and it became clear that Gale\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life was in danger. But for now, keeping quiet to him is a smart thing.<\/p>\n
She rules against Cinna, who might already be in enough trouble as it is. As for Peeta, it also seems like a bad idea.<\/p>\n
Then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Peeta, who will be my partner in this deception, but how do I begin that conversation? Hey, Peeta, remember how I told you I was kind of faking being in love with you? Well, I really need you to forget about that now and act extra in love with me or the President might kill Gale<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Yes, that is precisely what you should do<\/strong>. I only make fun because I would probably do worse than Katniss in all of this<\/em>. That stands to leave only one person who Katniss can tell: Haymitch. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be a bundle of fun, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?<\/p>\n
I liked the short story Katniss tells about the lake she used to go to with her father during the summer, especially when she contrasts it with her recent visits. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s symbolic that she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t share the location with Gale because he represents something different to her. Her memories of her father are idyllic because he died when she was so young. I imagine that she only built upon the myth in her head as her mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mental condition worsened.<\/p>\n
All that being said, I snickered at the thought that being in a bathtub reminded her of a lake. NOT THAT I EVER REALLY TAKE BATHS WITH ANY SORT OF FREQUENCY, but I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t associate baths with swimming.<\/p>\n
Even underwater I can hear the sounds of commotion. Honking car horns, shouts of greeting, doors banging shut.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
They still have cars in the future? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know why this is so fascinating to me. Now that I think of it\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.they took a train to the Capitol, not an airplane. Why aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there planes in the future? THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS I ASK<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Katniss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s style \u00e2\u20ac\u0153entourage,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as she refers to them, arrives to begin work on her before she leaves for the Victory Tour. (By the way, did not expect that to begin so soon either.) I have a gentle indifference to Venia, Octavia, and Flavius. In the same way that Effie is so clueless in her execution, these three seem to generally enjoy Katniss, yet are completely unaware of how offensive they can be. They are self-involved and arrogant about how they make every conversation about themselves, and I still can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to dislike them at all.<\/p>\n
They talk about the Quarter Quell, which is Collins\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way of making the reality of the Capitol even more fucked up.<\/p>\n
But to make things even worse, this is the year of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games, and that means it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a Quarter Quell. They occur every twenty-five years, marking the anniversary of the districts\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 defeat with over-the-top celebrations and, for extra fun, some miserable twist for the tributes. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never been alive for one, of course. But in school I remember hearing that for the second Quarter Quell, the Capitol demanded that twice the number of tributes be provided for the arena. The teachers didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go into much more detail, which is surprising, because that was the year District 12\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very own Haymitch Abernathy won the crown.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Well, Haymitch just became a thousand times more fascinating (and mysterious) than he already was. So fourty-seven people had to die for Haymitch to win? WHAT ON EARTH DID HE DO TO WIN?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
After they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve exhausted the topic of the Quarter Quell, my prep team launches into a whole lot of stuff about the incomprehensibly silly lives. Who said what about someone I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never heard of and what sort of shoes they just bought and a long story from Octavia about what a mistake it was to have everyone wear feathers to her birthday.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m quoting this because, at first, I related to Katniss. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t relate to what a lot of people talk about. Sometimes, when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m on BART and going to work, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll end up on a car full of older men in suits talking about the most mundane, boring shit and then I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be mad that I forgot my headphones and I think THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR NOT BELIEVING IN GOD OR SOMETHING. Thank you, Financial District.<\/p>\n
Except maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m an asshole:<\/p>\n
In the mirror, I can see their earnest faces following her every move, their eagerness with it is their turn to try a step. In fact, all three are so readily respectful and nice to my mother that I feel bad about how I go around feeling so superior to them. Who knows who I would be or what I would talk about if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been raised in the Capitol? Maybe my biggest regret would be having feathered costumes at my birthday party, too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s another sign that Katniss is maturing right in front of us. How many of us can say we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done exactly this when confronted with other people? It takes a conscious effort to accept that people grew up differently and that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean what they do is inferior to your experiences. (I think it actually can be, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a different conversation.)<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so easy to talk to Cinna, though. Lately we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been speaking a lot on the telephone that came with the house. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sort of a joke, because almost no one else we know owns one.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Huh. I never thought about phones in Katniss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world. I suppose there aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cell phones either, right? Hmm.<\/p>\n
Oh, and for the record, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll state it right here: TEAM CINNA FOREVER. Dude is so fierce and awesome HATERS TO THE LEFT. I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t figured him out enough to propose a theory as to WHY he is so wonderful to Katniss, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll just accept him for who he is. He even assists Katniss in picking out her \u00e2\u20ac\u0153talent,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which is one of the stranger things that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a part of post-Hunger Games.<\/p>\n
Every victor is supposed to have one. Your talent is the activity you take up since you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to work either in school or your district\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s industry. It can be anything, really, anything that they can interview you about.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what you do so you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t waste time all day? Ok, I know that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what it is. Wait\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6what is Haymitch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talent??? SPRING BREAK BROS!<\/strong><\/p>\n
Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s move on past my immature thought process. They film crew arrives, along with Effie Trinket, to record Katniss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s parts for her \u00e2\u20ac\u0153talent\u00e2\u20ac\u009d presentation. When she sees Prim hanging around in the kitchen as she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s being interviewed, it triggers a memory of Rue. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time we hear of her in Catching Fire<\/em> and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still a sad thought. Rue\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death really only has meaning to Katniss and her family and friends. To the rest of the world, she was a plot piece, an entertainment for them on a night of television.<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not going to be fun when Katniss goes to District 11<\/strong> HOW DID I MESS THIS UP<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Katniss gets her first test at her romance with Peeta when they move outdoors into the snow for the shot to represent the beginning of their trip on the Victory Tour. Katniss knows that Snow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s final words to her are serious and the risk is real. So she sells this directly to him.<\/p>\n
My face breaks into a hue smile and I start walking in Peeta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s direction. Then, as if I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stand it for another second, I start running. He catches me and spins me around and then he slips\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe still isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t entirely in command of his artificial leg\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand we fall into the snow, me on top of him, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where we have our first kiss in months. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s full of fur and snowflakes and lipstick, but underneath all that, I can feel the steadiness that Peeta brings to everything.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be sold if I was watching this. It helps to know how complicated this is for Katniss, too.<\/p>\n
As badly as I have hurt him, he won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expose me in front of the cameras. Won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t condemn me with a halfhearted kiss. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still looking out for me. Just as he did in the arena. Somehow the thought makes me want to cry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Man, this is no fun at all. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard enough for Katniss to have to deal with pretending to be in love, especially when she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not even sure if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all an act anyway. Basically, THIS SUCKS.<\/p>\n
They leave the district on the train headed to\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6well, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know yet. After everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s headed off to bed, she decides to take the time to speak to Haymitch. And oh lord, I did not expect this in any way at all.<\/p>\n
Using a moment where they stop briefly at a station to get away from the possible surveillance on the train, Katniss explains what happened with her and President Snow. Unfortunately, he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have good news.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Even if you pull it off, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be back in another few months to take us all to the Games. You and Peeta, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be mentors now, every year from here on out. And every year they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll revisit the romance and broadcast the details of your private life, and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll never, ever be able to do anything but live happily ever after with that boy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122M SORRY, WHAT?????<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The full impact of what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s saying hits me. I will never have a life with Gale, even if I want to. I will never be allowed to live alone. I will have to be forever in love with Peeta. The Capitol will insist on it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
No, this is seriously fucked up and awful. How is she going to deal with this?<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you understand what I mean?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he presses.<\/p>\n
I nod. He means there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only one future, if I want to keep those I love alive and stay alive myself. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to marry Peeta.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. Holy shit, WHAT IS ALL THIS.<\/p>\n
Shit isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even real and yet shit is getting so real<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the third chapter of Catching Fire, Katniss worries about her future on the Victory Tour and having to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pretend\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to love Peeta for months at a time. Her prep team arrives for her first appearance prior to the tour … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,5],"tags":[28,33,24,27],"class_list":["post-104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-catching-fire","category-hunger-games","tag-katniss-everdeen","tag-mark-reads-catching-fire","tag-mark-reads-the-hunger-games","tag-suzanne-collins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}