Hunger Games Names And Their Meanings

Hunger Games names and their meanings

Panem: Panem is named after "panem et circenses," which is latin for the phrase "bread and circuses." bread and circuses refers to how in Rome, the emperors would give the poor food and entertainment to keep them satisfied. Their living conditions were often poor, with unsafe and unsanitary homes. However, the elites and rulers figured they could distract them, and they did. While bread and circuses refers to (primarily, but not exclusively) grain and circuses refers to, as you guessed, circuses, it is different in Panem. Food refers to the monthly tesserae allocations so long as they put their name in the reaping bowl one time per recieval, and the circuses refer to the Hunger Games. With these, the people are kept silence.

Katniss: At surface level, Katniss refers to the arrowhead plants. She knows this is where her name comes from, and we learn very early that her father used to tell her if she could find her namesake, she could always eat. I'd like to add additional interpretations to this. Katniss relies on people a lot, not in a dependent way, but as in she grows to lean on people when she does not expect to. However, at her core, she is independent. She doesn't often put herself first, but she trusts her own judgment and knows what she can do. As long as she continues being who she is at her core, she can live and eventually thrive.

Peeta: I probably should've added this right after Panem to better explain, but I've already written Katniss' explanation and it gets confusing moving things around. Anyway, while Suzanne Collins has not explicitly revealed the origins of Peeta's name, the general consensus is that he is named after pita bread. This is likely due to his family business at a bakery, but there is also a clear parallel: Panem and Peeta. In fact, it's a distinct contrast between the two. Panem represents everything horrible, at least until the end of Mockingjay. However, Peeta is constantly showed as an amazing person, clever and kind. One thing I've not seen anyone mention is how Panem grew better, and Peeta grew worse. Panem became a democracy, and while we don't know how good the state became, we know it became better than it was. In contrast, Peeta's hijacking ruined him for quite some time. This is probably all a stretch, but it is how I see the naming.

Coriolanus Snow: There is much more emphasis on his last name throughout both the main trilogy and the prequel, the meaning of his name is mostly rooted in his first: Coriolanus. He is named for Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus, who may be a real person or who may be a legend. However, mostly, it's based on Shakespeare's tragedy of a man by the same name, who (as I've read on the internet, though I have not read Shakespeare's story of him) seems to be a dramatized version of G. Coriolanus. I'll be referring to Shakespeare's portrayal of him in this explanation. Coriolanus (the name he goes by, given to him for his marvelous feats) ran for consul, the ruler position during the Republic of Rome. At first, he was in favor of the lower class called the plebeians. However, two enemies rallied the plebeians against him, making Coriolanus explode in distaste. He quickly flies into a rage and explains that plebeians being allowed to vote shouldn't be allowed because they are lesser. He is exiled from Rome—this suggestion is not allowed. He reaches a new region and requests help to launch an attack against Rome, but is dissuaded by his mother and agrees to sign a peace treaty. However, when he returns to the region to explain this, he is killed for his betrayal. (Note: This information is from Wikipedia because that was the easiest-to-read source. If any Coriolanus experts are reading this, feel free to correct me.) G. Coriolanus directly mirrors Coriolanus Snow. Both of them are feverishly against the poor, seeing them as lesser beings, even going so far as comparing them to animals (G. Coriolanus described plebeians as "crows pecking at eagles" in the context of voting). They are both ruthless and care more about power than the people.

Cato: I can't find exactly how Cato is named, but there are two relevant items. One: Cato's name means "all-knowing." He's seen as intimidating to Katniss, but not quite revered for his intelligence. This does not go to say he isn't, because we only see Katniss' perspective. However, you do not get that far into the Hunger Games without wits. He is, almost certainly, fairly smart. Despite this, another explanation for his name would be the Shakespeare character named Cato. He is a soldier, which is definitely how Hunger Games Cato is portrayed. However, despite their deaths, that is as far as their similarities go. Shakespeare's Cato is a follower of the Roman Republic, and a humble man. This is very unlike the Hunger Games iteration. Their deaths, while extremely different, can also find similarities. Shakespeare's Cato dies before Julius Caesar's (the man who would've become the first emperor if not for the senate murdering him) legion arriving by suicide. He stands so much for the Republic that he'd die, as many Romans would. In The Hunger Games, Cato does not stand for a republic. He stands for the exact opposite of what Shakespeare's Cato stands for: an empire. In spite of this, they stand for their opposing views in the same way. Cato volunteered for the Games, and while he may have expected to win, he accepted he may die. He believed in his country, for better or for worse.

I will write more, but it's night and I have actual homework to do after spending an hour writing and researching just these four names. idk when i'll update this, but i swear i will (i'll reblog it to add on more, not edit this post.) i doubt anyone read all of this because it's really just me yapping about stuff i don't know much of (i know everything about the hunger games, but not Shakespeare). if i got anything wrong, pleaseee tell me and i'll edit the post because i'm definitely no expert. byeeeee