Why were the careers so bad? - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Discussion

[–] bobbiekaye69 8 years ago

In this film, they were going up against other successful killers. Both Finnick and Katniss were their equals, as far as combat, and they were both much younger.

Against young, inexperienced tributes, they'd have been just as deadly as in their original games.

I intend to live forever.
So far, so good.

reply

[–] JdgMoonbox 8 years ago

Here's an answer that works for me, but might not for you: the careers were in on the plot, but felt that joining in was shameful--that they would let themselves be killed rather than actively protect Katniss. At the end of the show, the careers joined in raising their hands just like the plotters.

They all volunteered to be in the Games. I really think that they had accepted their deaths before then. (I don't know if the books say anything about religion in Panem, but a philosophy that life's a game could have been built such that the tributes would accept their fates--this is pure speculation, though.) Also, the winners were probably unprepared for the lives of prostitution that Finnick talks about in his speech in MJ1.

This picture contains no physical depiction of the Godhead.

reply

[–] shieldsdraeger 8 years ago

I can't buy that the careers were part of the plot. Enobaria survives and
votes for the revenge Games, but that doesn't mean she was in on the plot.
The careers volunteered because that was their tradition, but they fought
as hard as the others to get the Quell canceled.
As to the scene referred to by the OP, it seemed like the bloodbath in the
previous Games. Wiress was somewhat separated from the rest and was a target.
And Finnick kills another tribute who is about to kill Katniss. Nobody was
trying to commit suicide.

reply

[–] Jones_RA 8 years ago

I agree, I'd never buy that anyone would tell the careers about the plan. We know that most of the people from district 2 were loyal to the Capitol, so why would Plutarch take the risk of telling them?

reply

[–] JdgMoonbox 8 years ago

I'd never buy that anyone would tell the careers about the plan. We know that most of the people from district 2 were loyal to the Capitol, so why would Plutarch take the risk of telling them?

First, the victors I would accuse of sandbagging the games because they're suicidal are from District 1, not 2. Secondly, the intermediary would be Finnick, not Plutarch. He said that he doesn't deal with money anymore, people "pay for the pleasure of his company" with secrets.

It's quite possible that the brother and sister would have confided their desire to end it to him, and he'd persuade them to volunteer for the Quarter Quell together. As for during the games (another poster asked why they would volunteer together, knowing that they might have to kill one another), they could have intended to go out in a blaze of glory. We can be pretty sure the Morphlings had much the same idea, finding the most glorious moment to die while protecting Katniss and Peeta. The difference, in my theory, is that the Dist. 1 victors would want people to think they were trying to kill K & P without actually aiming at them. It's a bit like Hateful 8 in that some people have accused Samuel L. Jackson's character of provoking others so they'd want to kill him, giving him the excuse that he's acting in self-defense, but this would be the mirror image--they want others to feel threatened so they'd be killed.

This picture contains no physical depiction of the Godhead.

reply

[–] !!!deleted!!! (62046923) 8 years ago

Because techincally all of these tributes were a "career" in a way.

reply

[–] Chelsicle 8 years ago

I always wondered why District 1 had a brother and sister as tributes. It states in the books that the process to choose victors in 1,2 (and 4 I think) could be lengthy because of so many volunteers. I find it hard to believe that they would both volunteer and be picked considering one would have to kill the other. I find it even more unlikely that they both got picked out the draw and nobody volunteered to replace one of them - like stated in the book there was so many volunteers for these districts and they won the most games so would have plenty of existing victors. Just baffles me, I don't remember if the book explains it or not, unless one was trying to protect the other maybe...

reply

[–] BenignPillows 8 years ago

I always wondered why District 1 had a brother and sister as tributes. It states in the books that the process to choose victors in 1,2 (and 4 I think) could be lengthy because of so many volunteers. I find it hard to believe that they would both volunteer and be picked considering one would have to kill the other. I find it even more unlikely that they both got picked out the draw and nobody volunteered to replace one of them - like stated in the book there was so many volunteers for these districts and they won the most games so would have plenty of existing victors. Just baffles me, I don't remember if the book explains it or not, unless one was trying to protect the other maybe...

Originally they won different years, but you're talking about the Quells, right?
One wouldn't have to kill the other unless they were the only two left in the end. Even then the Gamemakers might release Mutts on them or something.
Maybe their plan was to stick together as long as possible, protect each other from third parties until the last minute, and ensure that at least one of them won? Sort of like Katniss and Peeta's plan? If so, it would be better for the one who got picked if the other was there.
The "brother and sister" thing might have also been a viable media strategy, a gimmick that would sell them to the media, get them attention, and, last but not least, get them sponsors. Sponsors would increase their odds. Just like Katniss and Peeta being star crossed lovers was their media strategy.
If they both volunteered, that could have been the reason, and also the reason why nobody wanted to replace them.

These are just theories, and I can see why you question it. I always found the volunteering tradition hard to believe myself - no matter how skilled you were, the odds would be pretty low, since only one could survive. Basically a death sentence. I guess the career tributes were that much out of touch with reality and values. Only thinking about (twisted) honor for their District and media attention. In this case, probably honor for the family as well.

-----------------------
"The best fairytale is one where you believe the people" -Irvin Kershner

reply

[–] CharlesTheBold 8 years ago

None of the victors wanted to be in the Quell, so there were probably few volunteers. After all this wasn't a normal year.

reply

[–] BenignPillows 8 years ago

I do remember Brutus volunteered, but I don't remember if any of the other Careers did. Probably wasn't specified. Enobaria would have been crazy enough, I guess.
Anyway, I agree with the poster I responded to: It's even less likely that Gloss and Cashmere, a pair of sibling Victors in a Career district with a lot of Victors, were both picked at random. A lot of meat for fan fiction right there..

-----------------------
"The best fairytale is one where you believe the people" -Irvin Kershner

reply

[–] TheDuke007-1 8 years ago

My recollection from the books was that the only volunteers were Peeta and Brutus, although I don't recall the exact reason why Brutus volunteered. I think it had something to do with the person who was randomly selected. The brother/sister from District 1 was just random luck.

As for why others didn't volunteer, why would they? People from the "career" districts volunteered in order to escape poverty, become a celebrity, and live in comfort for the rest of their lives. As previous winners, they already had that. Why volunteer for the Quell? Even if they won, they got nothing extra. Second, keep in mind that in a regular Hunger Game, the careers, being trained, saw themselves as having a big advantage over the others. In the Quarter Quell, they would be facing all former winners. That's tough competition. Why risk it when you gained nothing by winning?

reply

[–] TheDuke007-1 7 years ago

Just to correct myself, Mags also volunteered for the Quarter Quell.

reply

[–] alecz-36042 7 years ago

Brutus volunteered for the fun of it, Katniss says "he can't wait to get back in the arena" Really he was the only one out of all the tributes who actually wanted to be part of it. All the other volunteers did so to protect someone. As for Cashmere and Gloss, the brother and sister from D1, my guess is their reaping was rigged to make the Games more interesting. Not even Careers like them wanted to be in it because Cashmere was crying during her interview. Enobaria was "just here for another Games" according to Katniss, but then voted yes for the Capitol Games in Mockingjay, so that means she probably didn't volunteer and was genuinely pissed about being in the Hunger Games again, but played along with it, so the Capitol would leave her alone.

reply

[–] eiy (9) 7 years ago

I don't remember the book talking about whether Gloss and Cashmere volunteered. However, it did say that they were very close. So a more innocent view would be that Cashmere was reaped (since ladies go first), and Gloss volunteered so that he can be her ally (just like Peeta for Katniss).

A more sinister theory would be that their reaping was rigged (as well as Finnick, since you would expect District 4 to have more than 1 male victor), to:
1. Dilute the potential sponsorship that K&P could potentially get
2. Reduce the influence victors have on the general population, including the Capitol

reply