Madge Undersee - Tumblr Posts
Currently rereading Catching Fire, and Katniss was talking to Madge about the mockingjay pin. Madge says that it was her aunt's, but she thinks it's been in the family a long time. This got me thinking. Throughout this book, Katniss is constantly comparing Rue to mockingjays. She says that whenever she sees them, she thinks of Rue. Now, Rue, is a young girl who is almost a sibling to a girl tribute from 12, that we only know for a short time. We know someone else like this. Maude Ivory. What is Madge is a descendant of Maude Ivory, and not Katniss. Maybe Maude Ivory fell in love with a merchant. And maybe when they had the money, she purchased a mockingjay pin in remembrance of Lucy Gray. The closest thing to a sister she had, who disappeared all those years ago. And then she passed it on to her child, who then gave it to her niece, Madge.
Characters and Berries in The Hunger Games
Gale -> Blackberries
He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. “And may the odds —” He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me.
In folklore blackberries are associated with bad omens. They can also symbolize haste and remorse. There’s a 1966 poem Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney about growing up and loss of innocence.
Madge -> Strawberries
When we finish our business at the market, we go to the back door of the mayor’s house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can afford our price. The mayor’s daughter, Madge, opens the door.
Strawberries often symbolize purity, passion (fuel for Gadge and Kadge shippers), and healing (Madge delivers the Morphling after Gale’s whipping).
Rue -> Unfamiliar Berries
I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers. “You sure this is safe?”
“Oh, yes, we have them back home. I’ve been eating them for days,” she says, popping a handful in her mouth. I tentatively bite into one, and it’s as good as our blackberries. Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.
These berries are never identified, so bear with me here…
We know Peeta mistakes nightlock (also not identified) for Rue’s berries, but that nightlock is toxic and Rue’s are edible. We also know Nightlock berries are dark (the dark berries glisten in the sun) and Rue’s berries are round (I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers), so two potential options are Elderberry or Blackcurrant.
In pagan traditions Elderberries are associated with Faerie realms - (fitting for the magical wisp of a girl who wore wings to her interview.) They heal; and are associated with breaking curses (Rue’s death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us.)
Despite health benefits, in the middle ages Elderberries began to be associated with grief and sorrow.
Blackcurrants are often associated with protection (Here it’s safe, here it’s warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm)
They are also associated with gathering courage, specifically before going on a solitary journey.
Blackberries (bad omens) are referenced in the description of the taste of Rue’s berries.
Regardless of the berry, they also reinforce Katniss’s decision to take Rue on as an ally (Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.)
Peeta - Nightlock
My father’s voice comes back to me. “Not these, Katniss. Never these. They’re nightlock. You’ll be dead before they reach your stomach.”
Nightlock is likely based on two real ones: Nightshade and Hemlock.
Unsurprisingly, toxic Hemlock often has negative associations, however it is also associated with Socrates. Socrates was convicted of impiety, but refused to renounce his beliefs; Hemlock was his chosen method of death which could be viewed as either rebellious and/or a noble sacrifice. “Scholars surmise that Socrates conceived of his death as a freedom of his soul from the unreasonableness of humanity and the confines of his body.”
Nightshade has been suggested as the poison used in Romeo and Juliet (fitting for the star-crossed-lovers) and Macbeth (poisoning that lead to a civil war)
Thank you to @wistfulweaverwoman for assistance researching! Other interesting [x][x][x]
Thoughts about fandom culture:
Something really cute that fans do is when they adore the very very minor characters and give them fanart and fanfics and theories and storyline of their own. Sometimes I forget that some characters only had a few scenes because I see so much fan love for them.
A few examples are Brad (and to some degree Morro) from Lego Ninjago, Dex from KotLC, most of Harry Potter's friends, multiple characters in Carmen Sandiego (2020), Madge Undersee from The Hunger Games (although a lot of hunger games fics have friend groups with cato, clove, thresh, rue, etc; despite them not have much actual screen/page time), a fair number of Percy Jackson characters, and some others that I can't think of right now.
Like these characters have very limited screen/page time. And that's not to say they are unimportant or don't have impact on the story or other characters, but they get so little content about them but fandoms absolutely fall in love with these minor characters and its so precious to me
Some more pre-canon doodles!
Alternative title: Katniss and her blondies :)
thg halloween costume inspo ✶⋆.˚
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