Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games [Paperback]

Valerie Estelle Frankel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2012

Who was Cinna? What do the hawthorn and primrose symbolize? Or President Snow’s roses and Peeta’s bread? What about Katniss’s last name? Bringing details from myths, herbal guides, military histories, and the classics, English professor and award-winning pop culture author Valerie Estelle Frankel sheds light on the deeper meanings behind Panem’s heroes and villains in this hottest of YA trilogies. In her series, Collins not only weaves a heroic tale of deep complexity but harnesses the power of Shakespeare and Rome to retell an ancient epic of betrayal, violence, and glory on the stage of an apocalyptic future. The perfect treat for fans of all ages. Everything Hunger Games, packed into one volume. From Alma Coin to Wiress you’ll learn about • Why roses are a flower of death • How eighteen of the characters are used in Shakespeare’s plays • Katniss’s nickname Catnip • The meaning of “The Hanging Tree” • Peeta’s pearl and Katniss’s salvation • Effie the saint and Finnick the Irish hero

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey in Myth and Legend and Buffy and the Heroine’s Journey (McFarland 2010, 2012). Her projects on fandom, called Harry Potter: Still Recruiting and Teaching with Harry Potter will be coming in 2012. Shorter works have appeared in over 100 anthologies and journals including Inside Joss' Dollhouse, Illuminating Torchwood, and Rosebud Magazine. Her parody, Henry Potty and the Pet Rock, was winner of the Indie Excellence Award and a USA Book News National Best Book. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she’s a frequent speaker on fantasy, myth, pop culture, and the heroine’s journey, with many fans of all ages. Come explore her latest research at http://vefrankel.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 146996824X
• ISBN-13: 978-1469968247
• Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 5.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism

More About the Author

Valerie Estelle Frankel has won a Dream Realm Award, an Indie Excellence Award, and a USA Book News National Best Book Award for her Harry Potter parodies, the Henry Potty series. She is the author of five new and forthcoming books on pop culture: From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine's Journey in Myth and Legend, Buffy and the Heroine's Journey, Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in The Hunger Games, Teaching with Harry Potter, and Harry Potter: Still Recruiting. Learn more at http://vefrankel.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Hunger Games fan needs this book March 1, 2012

By The Flashlight Reader

Format:Paperback

There are some books that just deserve a permanent home. This is one of them. If you're a fan of The Hunger Games, you need this book! Period.

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. Get your copy here for a mere $7. =) Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended for Fans of The Hunger Games Series March 23, 2012

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

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.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very in-depth and insightful! Recommended! March 22, 2012

By A. Arendt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

(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.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh May 4, 2012

By MissBell

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Well, I had high hopes for this book and in some ways it came through. But some glaring errors, omissions, or biases truly nagged at me.

First the good things : I'm no student of Shakespeare though I do love his better-known works. The same can be said of me & Roman history/mythology. I'd already placed several of the characters as being leaders or philosophers from ancient Rome, but this book helped me place many others (Cinna !) who are somewhat lesser-knowns in Shakespearean dramas. And it reminded me of meanings of the names of some of the major background characters. The military origin of certain characters was VERY helpful.

Now the bad : I've grown up with plants called "cattails". They are NOT katniss. Two completely different plants in look & uses. The title is based on a lack of knowledge of the plant world (though the info about the katniss plant is correct otherwise).

It's very obvious Ms. Frankel doesn't like the character Gale. Very obvious, as she paints him in as odious a light as possible. She completely misses some clues about his true character. And it's very obvious she does like Peeta (as does everyone), making something of a stretch to compare him to the Christian disciple Peter. A bit much. Peeta may stem from "Peter", but I think it's simpler than a convoluted comparison to a saint. It has more to do with the meaning of the root name. Peter means "rock", which is what he becomes for Katniss.

When referencing Katniss' parents, I almost wondered if Ms. Frankel had even read the book. She refers to Mr. & Mrs. Everdeen as "almost ghostly". Given that Mr. Everdeen died a few years before the book opens, his presence SHOULD be ghostly. And Mrs. Everdeen is fighting to pull herself out of the depths of depression she entered when he died.... Of course they are not high-functioning. If they were, Katniss never would have become who she was.

There are many other similar examples in this book that make me wonder if the author really read The Hunger Games trilogy or just skimmed it & wrote down names to research. Overall, it does help, but the author makes grand leaps @ times & puts in too much of her own biases. Read more ›