Let’s Re-Read The Hunger Games Together! Chapter 18

Welcome to HungerGamesMovie.org’s Community Re-read!

While we impatiently wait for The Hunger Games to be released, we continue with our highly-popular, Community Re-Read!

Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday, I’ll post a breakdown for each chapter in the book, counting down the days until the official release of the film on March, 23rd. Let’s get started, dig out your copy of The Hunger Games, read the chapters together with us, and discuss anything you may find of interest that you might have missed the first time around.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Chapter 18

“Rue’s eyes have fluttered shut. Her chest moves but only slightly. My throat released the tears and they slide down my cheeks. But I have to finish the song for her.    Deep in the meadow, hidden far away. A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray. Forget your woes and let your troubles lay. And when again it’s morning, they’ll wash away. Here it’s safe, here it’s warm. Here the daises guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you.

 Rue’s cannon fires. I lean forward and press my lips against her temple.”

Pg.233-235   Katniss reaches Rue a second too late. The boy from District 1 has stabbed Rue in the stomach with a spear, and its bad…really bad. Katniss reacts within a split second and shoots an arrow into the boy’s neck and he removes the arrow, and then drowns in his own blood.  Horrific!   Katniss is on the defense looking for anyone to take down. Rue tells Katniss over and over, there is no one else around. Katniss surveys Rue and she knows there is no hope for her.    Her hand reaches out and I clutch it like a lifeline. As if it’s me who’s dying instead of Rue. “You have to win,” she says. “I’m going to. Going to win for both of us now,” I promise.   A cannon sounds and Katniss attempts to move out of the way knowing the hovercraft will be there to collect the boy from District 1. Rue begs Katniss not to leave, then asks her to sing. Katniss thinks back to when her father used to sing to them, and when she would sing to Prim when she is very sick. Katniss begins to sing a song to Rue about a meadow, as Rue drifts farther and farther away. Katniss can’t fight the tears that are now streaming down her face. As the next cannon sounds it becomes official little Rue from District 11 is now the 18^th child to die in the 74^th annual Hunger Games.

Pg. 236-237  Katniss has an epiphany. She realizes what Peeta was saying on the rooftop, about not letting the Capital think they own him. Just before the hovercraft comes to collect the bodies, Katniss strips the boy from District 1 of his arrows and his supplies. She also takes Rue’s food and retrieves the backpack she gave her as well. Rue’s departure from the arena is sad but lovely as Katniss decides to decorate Rue’s lifeless body in flowers from head to toe, even covering her wound to the stomach.  “Bye, Rue,” I whisper. I press the three middle fingers of my left hand against my lips and hold them out in her direction. Then I walk away without looking back.

Pg.238-239  As the hover craft comes to collect the bodies, Katniss realizes she has no idea where to go. Depression sets in. She continues to wander through the arena and could careless about being on guard. Shortly a care package lands in front of her. It’s a loaf of bread. Katniss recalls Peeta Mellark’s story of district breads.   This bread came from District 11. I cautiously lift the still warm loaf. What must it have cost the people of District 11 who can’t even feed themselves? It had been meant for Rue, surely. But instead of pulling the gift when she died, they’d authorized Haymitch to give it to me. As a thank-you?  I lift my face and step into the last falling rays of sunlight. “My thanks to the people of District Eleven,” I say.

Pg. 240-244 This chapter ends with an extremely depressed Katniss. Katniss wakes the next day in her tree. The depression is so bad, that she has to talk to herself and make herself get up and get the essentials like food and water, as her supplies are running low.  Katniss gets herself together and heads out to hunt. After killing and roasting 3 grooslings, it’s still pretty early and here is where we see just how bad this whole situation has taken its toll on Katniss. It’s still pretty early in the day, but Katniss decides to climb back up in her tree and go to bed. As Katniss settles in, her mind begins to replay all of the recent events, but Rue’s death is the most pressing on her mind. She also realizes the boy from District 11 was her first kill, and then she realizes that maybe he isn’t considering Glimmer and the girl from District 4 also died from the tracker jacker nest. Just as Katniss begins to relax, the trumpets sound and she sits straight up and waits for an announcement.  Claudius Templesmith’s voice booms down from overhead, congratulating the six of us who remain. There has been a rule change in the Games. Under the new rule, both tributes from the same district will be declared winners if they are the last two alive.  Both can live. Both of us can live. Before I can stop myself, I call out Peeta’s name.

*WHOA! Say what now??? What in the world is going on? I mean this is great news for our District 12…IF they both survive! And where on earth is Peeta while all this drama unfolds? I won’t say too much on Rue’s passing, as it’s too emotional for me, I’ll let you all speak on it in the comments.

Part 3 is on Friday!!!

Category: Hunger Games Re-Read