Catching Fire

Katniss goes into the woods, hoping to meet up with Gale to talk to him about running away. As she sees mockingjays in the woods, she recalls how the Capitol created jabberjays, genetically enhanced birds meant to spy on the districts. When the jabberjays failed to serve the Capitol effectively, they were left to die, but “they had mated with female mockingbirds, creating an entirely new species [...] A mockingjay is a creature the Capitol never intended to exist” (92). When Gale arrives at their meeting spot, Katniss tries to explain away her engagement to Peeta and convince Gale to run away with her. At first, Gale is delighted at the thought of running away with Katniss and their families, but once Katniss mentions bringing Peeta and Haymitch along, Gale grows cold. Katniss tries to explain that she can’t leave Peeta and Haymitch behind or they might be tortured to death, and reveals that there has been an uprising in District 8. Gale is thrilled at the idea of an uprising and decides that he will not leave if there is a chance there could be an uprising in District 12. Gale tries to convince Katniss to stay, telling her that she could be a big part of the rebellion. They continue to argue, and Gale storms away. Katniss is discouraged, but “still determined to carry on with [her] plan to escape District 12” (102). She returns to town and meets Peeta along the way. As she is trying to convince Peeta to run away with her, they are drawn into the town square by the sound of a public whipping and find Gale being punished by a Capitol Peacekeeper Katniss has never seen before.

Katniss “throw[s] [her]self directly between the whip and Gale” (106) and takes one of the blows across her face. Haymitch and Peeta jump in to protect Katniss and Gale from the Peacekeeper’s wrath, and Haymitch tries to defuse the situation. The Peacekeeper, Romulus Thread, is the new Head Peacekeeper assigned to District 12. He is furious that Katniss “interrupted the punishment of a confessed criminal” (107), because Gale was caught trying to sell a wild turkey that he poached from the woods. After some gentle coaxing from the crowd and Haymitch, Thread allows Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch take Gale home. They take Gale to Katniss’s house, where her mother and Prim begin to work on his wound. Katniss feels “sick to [her] stomach” and “useless” (112) to help. Katniss glues herself to Gale’s side, refusing to leave him all night. She remembers the first time she met Gale in the woods, and how for years they were “Mutually counting on each other, watching each other’s backs, forcing each other to be brave” (117). Katniss tries to imagine how she would feel if the roles were reversed, and she had to watch Gale pretend to be in love with someone else. Katniss realizes the depths of her feelings for Gale and kisses him. Katniss is ashamed that she thought of running away when she knows she must stay and fight. She decides that she would rather die fighting against the Capitol than die on the run like prey in the woods.

The morning after Gale’s beating, Katniss is awakened by Peeta saying that he will watch over Gale while she gets some rest. She begrudgingly leaves Gale’s side, but once again has horrible nightmares about the arena. Katniss wonders if she is making the right choice by committing to stand her ground and fight but realizes that this is what is best for her family. She thinks about Peeta and how supportive he has been and feels like “No matter what [she] do[es], [she’s] hurting someone” (120). In the days following Gale’s whipping, the new Head Peacekeeper begins to crack down on the citizens of District 12, and food supplies begin to dwindle. Katniss notes that “people are dragged in and punished for offenses so long overlooked [the citizens have] forgotten they are illegal,” and “The woods, of course, are forbidden. Absolutely” (132). When no one rises up to challenge these oppressive practices, Katniss wonders if the people of District 12 are not ready for an uprising after all. Upset by the arrival of wedding dress options already approved by President Snow, Katniss goes into the woods to clear her head and figure out what to do next. She runs into two women wearing Peacekeeper uniforms hiding out by a lake. They show her “a small white circle of flat bread,” with “an image is clearly stamped in the center of it. It’s [Katniss’s] mockingjay” (135).