The Hunger Games Chapter 7 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
The Gamemakers appeared early on the first day. Twenty or so men and women dressed in deep purple robes. They sit in the elevated stands that surround the gymnasium, sometimes wandering about to watch us, jotting down notes, other times eating at the endless banquet that has been set for them, ignoring the lot of us. But they do seem to be keeping their eye on the District 12
tributes. Several times I’ve looked up to find one fixated on me. (7.66)
The Gamemakers are the people who are completely in control of the competition. Like Greek Gods, they are removed from the action, but are still on hand to move the game pieces around the board.
Quote 2
Peeta rolls his eyes at Haymitch. “She has no idea. The effect she can have.” He runs his fingernail along the wood grain in the table, refusing to look at me.
What on earth does he mean? People help me? When we were dying of starvation, no one helped me! No one helped me except Peeta. Once I had something to barter with, things changed. I’m a tough trader. Or am I? What effect do I have? (7.36-37)
There are lots of kinds of power that people can have, and here Peeta suggests that Katniss has a kind of power she that isn’t aware of. But what is it? What effect does she have on people? What effect does she have on Peeta?
Quote 3
When we finally escape to bed on the second night, Peeta mumbles, “Someone ought to get Haymitch a drink.”
I make a sound that is somewhere between a snort and a laugh. Then catch myself. It’s messing with my mind too much, trying to keep straight when we’re supposedly friends and when we’re not. At least when we get into the arena, I’ll know where we stand. “Don’t. Don’t let’s pretend when there’s no one around.” (7.85-86)
What’s real and what isn’t? In the Hunger Games, Katniss can’t be sure. Is Peeta sincere about being her friend? Or does he have other plans?
Quote 4
The exceptions are the kids from the wealthier districts, the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment. The tributes from 1, 2, and 4 traditionally have this look about them. It's technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol but it happens every year. In District 12, we call them the Career Tributes, or just the Careers. And like as not, the winner will be one of them. (7.51)
Katniss finally meets the kids from the rich districts in the Training Center. The wealth of their region has given them a decided leg up over the competition. Why do you think their districts see competing in the Games as an honor?
Quote 5
"And you're good?" asks Haymitch.
I have to think about it. I've been putting food on the table for four years. That's no small task. I'm not as good as my father was, but he'd had more practice. I've better aim than Gale, but I've had more practice. He's a genius with traps and snares. "I'm all right," I say.
"She's excellent," says Peeta. "My father buys her squirrel. He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the body. She hits every one in the eye." (7.19-21)
Katniss can kill her own food – and she's a remarkable shot.
Quote 6
Suddenly I am furious, that with my life on the line, they don't even have the decency to pay attention to me. That I'm being upstaged by a dead pig. My heart starts to pound, I can feel my face burning. Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it straight at the Gamemakers' table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. The arrow skewers the apple in the pig's mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief. (7.96)
Katniss loses her temper during her private training session with the Gamemakers. She shoots an arrow straight the apple in the pig's mouth. What is Katniss's real strength? Is it her bow and arrow or her spirit of defiance?
Quote 7
The exceptions are the kids from the wealthier districts, the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment. The tributes from 1, 2, and 4 traditionally have this look about them. It's technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol but it happens every year. In District 12, we call them the Career Tributes, or just the Careers. And like as not, the winner will be one of them (7.51)
As Katniss explains here, the Career Tributes have the leg up in the competition.
Quote 8
The Gamemakers appeared early on the first day. Twenty or so men and women dressed in deep purple robes. They sit in the elevated stands that surround the gymnasium, sometimes wandering about to watch us, jotting down notes, other times eating at the endless banquet that has been set for them, ignoring the lot of us. But they do seem to be keeping their eye on the District 12 tributes. Several times I've looked up to find one fixated on me. (7.66)
The Gamemakers are the ones in control of the competition. They seem though to be pretty disinterested in the whole thing. Why do you think they are so passionless about the whole thing? Why is Katniss of particular interest to them?