Bread plays an incredibly symbolic role in The Hunger Games
triology. For instance, the word Panem is Latin for bread, and so we can
already see its importance and its integral role throughout the novel.
Peeta's parents are both bakers, and his name is clearly a
pun on the word 'pita'. Peeta and Katniss' relationship also begins because of
bread. We are told that after Katniss' father dies and she is starving and
trying to find food, she ends up outside Peeta's house after digging through
his trash. It is hinted at that he purposely burns a loaf of bread so he can
give it to her. Katniss may have starved if it wasn't for Peeta, and this role
in her life earns him the nickname of 'The Boy with the Bread'. Food plays an
important role in this book, as it is the thing that establishes a relationship
between our two protagonists. It helps to establish a kind of trust between
them, and it is essential for Katniss to be able to trust him in order to
ensure her survival in the arena.
We see this element of food used to establish trust in Catching
Fire. When Katniss is in the woods she comes across two women in Peacekeeper
outfits. In order to convince her that they are not in fact Peacekeepers, but
rebels from District 8 who are on the run and trying to get to District 13,
they show her a piece of bread with the Mockingjay symbol on it. This enough to
convince Katniss not to shoot them, as the Mockingjay symbol is fairly synonymous
with Katniss at this point in the novel and so she knows that she can trust
them, they are on her side.
Bread with the Mockingjay symbol emblazoned on it.
Bread is often used as a means of communication in the
series. In the first Games, Katniss received a roll of 11’s speciality bread.
She realised it was intended as a thank you for the way she looked after Rue as
she lay dying, and covering her in flowers before she was lifted from the
arena. Sponsorship costs an exorbitant amount of money, especially in the later
stages of the Games, and so Katniss knows that 11 must have pooled all their
money together to send her that gift, and that many people in 11 would have
gone hungry that night. It’s a really touching moment in the book, showing 11’s
true appreciation for Katniss, as it is totally unheard of to send tributes
gifts to those who are not in your district.
District 11's bread. Cresent shaped and sprinkled with seeds.
We see food used as a means of
communication again in the second novel; Katniss’ allies know when to expect a rescue
from the arena, using a bread code. Katniss mentions throughout their time in
the arena that Finnick seems to be almost obssessed by bread, as he compulsively counts
the bread rolls that they received from sponsors. It is only after they are
rescued that Katniss realises that the bread was a code. They received 24 rolls
of District 3’s speciality bread, meaning that they would be rescued in the 24th
hour on the third day they were in the arena.
It is clear how important food, specifically bread in this
instance, is important in these texts. The function of food in these instances
is to establish trust between potential enemies, and be used as a means of
communication from mentors to their tributes so they knew when they could
expect to make their escape from the arena and the total control of the Capitol.
The connections you make between bread as a means of communication and forming friendships is really insightful!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the foodstuff in question is bread is particularly interesting. Bread is fundamental to countless cultures and diets across the globe, usually made with ingredients which normally can be readily sourced. Yet what would normally be considered a ‘staple food’ becomes a scarce delicacy. I think that this subversion is shocking to readers, as the reversal acts as a signifier for both poverty and inequality throughout Panem.
It seems to me the Hunger Games series is in fact driven by bread. Whether it be the bread that District 11 as a community collectively fund and give to Katniss or the bread as Peeta burns and becomes ‘trash’, only for Katniss to feed from. The etymological connections you identify in both the pun of Peeta’s name and the meaning of Panem suggest to me that in the wake of the unsuccessful uprising the nation is in fact starving for both freedom and normality. The seemingly constant references to bread act as a poignant act of defiance from the tyrannical Capitol.