"The Hunger Games" vol.3 WOW! that's all I can say.

I have finished reading the trilogy, I am done and I am at a loss for words. Once I finished reading them, I started doing some research because I knew the book was full of symbolisms that I hadn't caught. I realized the writer had written much more than a popcorn book, it was deep, and as a matter of fact, rather realistic. As I did my research I started to feel and get the book more, and also admire it. All twens, teens and aldults are reading this trilogy, I only hope everyone is giving the thinking that it deserves. I was rather pleased to see that my niece, who is 15 years old, had done just that. She had spoken about it at family dinner and made it into a whole conversation over several dinners, and she totally nailed the point of the book, I was happily amazed!

MINOR SPOILER ALERT. When I was reading the third book my niece told me that the ending wasn't a happy one, and once I was done reading it I realized that she was young and that only age will make you really appreciate the ending, which to me was not sad but rather was peacefully realistic. I actually loved the ending, it is what it is supposed to be. I will not tell you what happens, so don't freak out. All I'm going to say is that it was perfect for the writer's message but still hopeful and thus happy. 

BIG SPOILER ALERT. I was reading a Travis Prinzi's article and I just loved the way he played with the analogy of the book. I love symbolism so when he started explaining about the character's names I got really excited. Using plants as symbols of the meaning of the part of character plays and therefore the story. On the first book we meet Rue, "A “rue” is a strong herb with medicinal properties, used to help with eyestrain or sore eyes." In the beginning we see how lost Katniss is and how she hasn't found herself, then Travis Prinzi points out how when Rue dies, this allows Katniss to gets her first enlightenment. We realize the name is not a coincidence, Katniss couldn't see, and Rue's her death helped her see what her spirit was all about. This really got me thinking of the moment when Katniss' father tells her what her name means, which is the name of a plant, the roots are edible, so if she finds "herself" she will never go hungry. I love how that worked out. First we have the fact that once her father dies she becomes the hunter of the household, providing and feeding her family. Second, her name becomes the food of freedom. I love the beauty of that as well, I feel the writer is using her as body, mind and soul, and in that order as well. She feeds her family, which represents the body. She feeds people's minds, which allows a revolution to start. And finally, my third point on Katniss' name, she feeds OUR souls, the readers' souls. By telling us her story, she makes us take a long look at ourselves and what we are doing with the world and ourselves. I let you define what that means to you. The last name that I am going to analyze is the symbol for Katniss' sister, Primrose, who becomes Katniss survival symbol. It is for her sister that Katniss becomes a hunter after her father's death, for Primrose she goes into the hunger games, for her she fights for freedom of the country, so it is only fair to analyze her name. Primrose, means literally first rose of spring. It symbolizes the beginning of spring and as we know spring means: life, youth, new beginnings. Primrose is the spirit of Katniss. Katniss always describes her sister as the opposite of her, she is friendly, sweet, lovable. Katniss is tough, really tough. Primrose is what and who drives Katniss to fight, to become better, to grow, to heal. Therefore she symbolizes the first flower of the new start of the country that was liberated in the third book. 

There are other symbolisms such as the fact that the country calls Katniss the "girl on fire" and the president is named Snow. Of course the big one is the mockingjay, the bird meaning of rebellion, survival, and beauty. Let's not forget how important the female role is played throughout the series. I won't go into more detail of the many other symbols, because then I will never end! So I just leave you with this last thought, who are you? The people from the capitol or one of the victims of the districts? But more importantly, who do you want to be or become?
The Hunger Games are now happening...