The conclusion to The Hunger Games trilogy came out a decade ago, and with its anniversary, fans got a glimpse into what life was like during the 10th Hunger Games in the prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In this new book by Suzanne Collins, we see through the eyes of a 60 year younger President Snow, pre-presidency.
Fans of the dystopian novel and movies are sure to be thrilled to learn all the new details about the universe of The Hunger Games that are unveiled in this novel that's already set to be adapted for film.
Snow Grew Up Poor
You might not know it from his posture and crisp suits but President Snow grew up having to hide his lack of wealth from his classmates. The prequel begins 10 years after the rebellion against the Capitol. Although the Capitol itself is still in bad shape many of the families have recovered financially. But not the Snows. They made the mistake of having most of their money invested in District 13. Fans of the series will know that this means bad news for the snows as District 13 was thought to have been obliterated in the war
President Snow and Tigris Are Cousins
In Katniss and her friends when they get to the Capitol. We learn she used to design clothing for the Hunger Games but was fired by Snow because her image didn't reflect well on the Capital. This act seems even crueler when we learn in the new book that Tigris is actually Snow's cousin. In the prequel, she hasn't started using surgery to alter her face but is known to enjoy raw meat. She helps Coryo (her nickname for him) keep up appearances, transforming his dad's old clothes into something presentable.
Caesar Flickerman's Ancestor Was the First-Ever Hunger Games Host
Caesar Flickerman is the over-the-top host of the Hunger Games. His exaggerated expressions and over the top hosting seems to have been ed down to him, as the first-ever host of the Hunger Games was also a Flickerman. Lucky Flickerman hosts the 10th annual Hunger Games, the first of the games to feature a host.
He is a lot like Caesar but with more magic tricks and less confidence. The book doesn't clue you in to how Lucky is related to Caesar but the similarities are enough to know that Lucky influenced the man Caesar became.
The Tributes Didn't Always Get The Royal Treatment
Believe it or not, the Hunger Games were a lot more brutal before Snow came along. Tributes were literally treated like animals before the games. They did not arrive on a fancy train filled to the brim with fine food and drink, instead arriving on a cargo train only to be immediately dumped into a gorilla enclosure at the zoo on display. They are starved, and many of them would die before the games even got underway due to malnutrition. Snow and his classmates helped the capitol realize this needed to change, leading to the extravagant train ride we see Katniss and Peeta take in the first Hunger Games.
Snow Was Behind Many Ideas That Were Implemented in the Game
The prize and the unending supplies of food aren't Snow's only additions to the games. During his mentorship, Snow was behind a lot of the ideas that came forth and were actually added to the games such as betting on the tributes, sponsors, and the implementation of a scoreboard that tallies the dead. He also had a big hand in the way tributes were treated better before the games and the implementation of a prize for the victor and a food parcel for the winning tributes district. And although Snow is shown to have somewhat of a conscience, most of the motivation for these changes had to do with increasing viewership of the games, the mandatory viewing of them also being his idea.
President Snow Mentored a District Twelve Girl in the 10th Hunger Games
It wasn't until the 10th Hunger Games that the capital implemented a mentoring system. With only 9 victors, they picked the mentors out of the top of the class at the academy, the capitals prestigious high school. Among the 24 academy students is a young Coriolanus Snow, future President of Panem.
He is assigned a small but whimsical girl from, ironically, District 12. Lucy Gray Baird is a lot more of an extrovert than Katniss, but they both use their voice in a powerful way. Snow ends up falling for her and helps her cheat and win the games.
President Snow Served as A Peacekeeper
Snow is sentenced to becoming a Peacekeeper after cheating to help Lucy win the games by giving her food, stopping snakes from attacking her, and giving her a compact that she hides rat poison in. He is lucky enough to get transferred to her district, though, and the two get a chance to know each other before a tragic chain of events leads her to realize his true character. His time as Peacekeeper is short but he learned a lot and it's apparent from his ruling style that he carried his discipline with him from this time
There Once Was A Traveling Group Of Musical Nomads Called The Covey
Before the rebellion, a group called the Covey traveled throughout all the districts freely, performing songs and dance for money. They belonged to no district in particular and lived a gypsy lifestyle. When the rebellion happened and the war followed. The Covey got rounded up and was forced to become citizens of District 12, it is the district they closest to at the time. Lucy Gray is a member of this group and she becomes the District 12 tribute, entangling her life with the young President Snow. It is highly possible that Katniss is descended from the Covey, as she knows many of their songs.
Who Wrote The Songs Katniss Sings
in The Hunger Games, Katniss sings two Snow's end.
The Origin Of Snow's Obsession With Roses
Many may wonder why Snow seems so obsessed with roses, always having one pinned to him, the rooftop garden, and how his breath always seems to smell like it. This is actually explained in the prequel. His mother carried around a compact with rose-scented powder so he associates the smell with his mother, who died during the war. His grandmother raised him as his father also died serving in the war and Snow continues to look lovingly after her rooftop rose garden in her honor. As for the breath, it might have something to do with Lucy Gray as she is known to eat the petals.
