Chapter 16

Katniss decides to use the Career Tribute’s lives of being well-fed against them. She thinks about it through the night and is awoken by the sound of the cannon signalling that another tribute has died. Over breakfast, they form a plan as Rue gives her the details of the Career’s camp. She learns that the food is out in the open with only one boy guarding it, which leads Katniss to think that they have the stash rigged. She finds out more about Rue, including that she loves music more than anything and often spreads songs to the workers in the orchards through the mockingjays.

Katniss decides to use the Career Tribute’s lives of being well-fed against them. She thinks about it through the night and is awoken by the sound of the cannon signalling that another tribute has died. Over breakfast, they form a plan as Rue gives her the details of the Career’s camp. She learns that the food is out in the open with only one boy guarding it, which leads Katniss to think that they have the stash rigged. She finds out more about Rue, including that she loves music more than anything and often spreads songs to the workers in the orchards through the mockingjays.

Katniss waits and tries to figure out what to do when another tribute appears. It is the tribute she refers to as Foxface who runs an intricate path around and up to the pyramid and fills her pack with supplies before running away doing the same odd pattern. Katniss realizes that the ground is full of landmines and has an idea. She spots a bag of apples on the top of the pyramid, and shooting at the bag, she tears it open spilling the apples and detonating the mines. Katniss gets blown back from the force of the explosion.

Notes:
Katniss and Rue decide to use the Career’s advantage against them by blowing up their supplies. They come up with a plan that shows their ability to intelligently strategize, which is one of Katniss’ greatest strengths throughout the game. The Career Tributes show their weaknesses to the readers, including underestimating their opponents and becoming to secure and cocky about their defenses.

Chapter 17

The pile of supplies is blown apart but Katniss is too dizzy to walk. She is also deaf from the explosion, but tries to hide her fear and quickly crawls to a hiding place before the Career’s return. She hides just in time to see Cato become furious with the boy from District 3 who set the traps and snaps his neck. She hides there until nightfall, when the anthem goes off. The Careers realize that whoever blew up their supplies hasn’t died so they go into the woods in search of them.

In the morning she can hear out of her right ear, but her left ear remains deaf. She sees Foxface scavenging the remains of the supplies but something spooks her and she runs away. Katniss heads to the meeting place but Rue isn’t there and her last fire was not lit. She hears a mockingjay singing Rue’s song and follows the trail. She hears a girl scream and runs to find Rue tangled in a net. Just as Rue sees Katniss, she is stabbed with a spear by the District 1 tribute.

Notes:
The readers experience through Katniss’ eyes just how strong and ruthless Cato is when he breaks his ally’s neck simply because he was angry about the supplies. The readers also get a sense of how deeply Katniss cares for Rue as she panics when she finds Rue missing and then tangled in the net.