By this point, we should all know that Peeta and Gale represent rebirth and destruction at their cores respectively. However, hereβs a reminder that their literal names foreshadow this to readers the very first time you read them. The name βPeetaβ can be interpreted in two ways: a literal play on βpita BREADβ to represent his role as the life-giver in the story or a variation of the name βPeter,β which translates to βrockβ or βfirm foundation.β And wouldnβt you know, he routinely sustains Katnissβs life and cements himself as her strong and steady rock. Then thereβs βGale,β which means βa strong, often times DESTRUCTIVE gust of wind.β So for any person that still likes to claim Suzanne ruined his character on a whim later on, his name alone shows us that his arc was solidified the second she wrote him into existence. There should be no blaming her or us because one didnβt personally pick up on his blatant red flags that fit his name from the beginning.
I have a day dedicated to JUST etymology of the main characters with my students when I am covering The Hunger Games, so this is one of the aspects of the series that I nerd out over most. If we do get a new book like everybody is hoping, I encourage you all to stop whenever a new name appears and see if you can decode their arcs before you even continue with the story. Suzanneβs genius with names is sure to strike again! πͺπΌ
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