The Hovercraft is used for various purposes from transporting tributes to the launch room in the arena to picking up their bodies after they are dead. These vehicles are also deployed into combat both during the First and Second Rebellions. It is later adopted as a method of travel by the rebels as well.
Characteristics of Hovercrafts
Invisible and Inaudible
Hovercrafts are futuristic aircraft that are probably an upgrade to modern-day aircraft. Panem likely adopted them as their preferred means of transport as they are technologically more advanced than the aircraft of today.
In ‘The Hunger Games’ book, they can render themselves invisible as and when required. This cloaking ability helps with concealment during wartime. The vehicles are also capable of moving extremely silently and one may not notice their arrival until they materialize right in front of them. These features are probably the reason why these vehicles were so popular during the two rebellions. In ‘The Hunger Games’ film, on the other hand, the vehicles are both visible and audible.
Whenever a hovercraft appears in the arena, Katniss Everdeen mentions that the entire arena goes silent and the Mockingjay emits a particularly high-pitched note before the vehicle appears. The Mockingjay is likely capable of picking up the sounds of the transport which is not audible to the human ear.
“Suddenly, the birds fall silent. Then one gives a high-pitched warning call. A single note. Just like the one Gale and I heard when the redheaded Avox girl was caught. High above the dying campfire a hovercraft materializes. A set of large metal teeth drops down. Slowly, gently, the dead tribute girl is lifted into the hovercraft. Then it vanishes. The birds resume their song.”
‘The Hunger Games‘
Hi-tech Equipment
Hovercrafts contain an emergency medical team and an operating room to treat any injuries that the victor of the Hunger Games might endure in the arena. The operating room also comes in handy when the vehicles are deployed to war conflict areas.
They are equipped with a large four-pronged claw that extends out from underneath. The claw is used for picking up dead tributes in the arena and transporting them outside. They also have a ladder that drops down whenever someone wishes to board or deboard. The ladder also features a powerful force field that keeps the person in place as soon as they climb onto the ladder. The ladder then retracts into the hovercraft. Some vehicles also consist of a sucking ability, where the force field is much stronger and is capable of sucking the person directly into the hovercraft from a distance.
Uses in the Hunger Games
Hovercrafts are used to transport the tributes of the Hunger Games from their residence in the Capitol to the Launch Room of the arena. In the film, the tracker device is installed into the tributes’ forearms in the cargo bay of the hovercraft.
In the book, a separate hovercraft is assigned to each tribute, who travels to the Launch Room along with their stylists, while in the film, all of the tributes are transported to the arena in the same hovercraft. The vehicle has food and drink for the tributes and their stylists. Cinna tries to get Katniss to eat some food in ‘Catching Fire’ before the 75th Hunger Games but to no avail. She merely sips on some water before they reach the Launch Room. The vehicles that transport tributes to the arena have all their windows closed so that the tributes are not able to guess where they are headed.
These vehicles are used to drop the parachute that contains sponsor gifts to the tribute in the arena. Because they are invisible and inaudible, there may be any number in the arena circling the tributes waiting for the command from the mentors to drop certain parachutes.
Hovercrafts are used to project the faces of the dead tributes at the end of each day. They are also used to collect the bodies of dead tributes (along with any weapons such as arrows and spears that might be in their bodies) and transport them out of the arena. Finally, they are used to transport the victor of the Hunger Games out of the arena and back to the Training Center.
Defence Arsenal and Means of Transport
Hovercrafts are used as a defense arsenal by the Capitol. They are used to surveil the entire nation and catch and punish any runaways. An example of this is Lavinia, the Avox girl, who is captured in the woods of District 12 as she is trying to flee north. Her companion, a young boy, is speared through the body with a harpoon, while Lavinia is pulled aboard the hovercraft with the help of a net and later turned into an Avox.
“The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere,” I continue to Peeta. “I mean, one moment the sky was empty and the next it was there. It didn’t make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well.”
‘The Hunger Games’
Hovercrafts are manned by Peacekeepers and they are used for the transport of various military officials as well. They are probably used for the transport of government officials, Capitol elites, and wealthy citizens as well. They are also used to carry cargo between the districts as well, although not as much as trains are used.
Hovercrafts in the Rebellion
Hovercrafts were used as a part of the military arsenal of the Capitol during the First and the Second Rebellions. During the First Rebellion, a number of the Capitol’s fleet of hovercrafts were captured by District 13 and used as a nucleus for the fleet in District 13. After the rebellion was over and the treaty was signed, District 13 used the Capitol vehicles to upgrade their hovercrafts and develop their technology to create new models.
“Row after row of different kinds of hovercraft. “Did you inherit these, too?” “Some we manufactured. Some were part of the Capitol’s air force. They’ve been updated, of course,” says Boggs.”
‘Mockingjay‘
These new models are used by District 13 during the Second Rebellion. One such hovercraft is used to rescue Katniss Everdeen, Finnick Odair, and Beetee Latier from the arena of the Third Quarter Quell. The vehicle transports them to District 13 and on the way, treats their injuries with the help of a medical team from District 13. Similar hovercrafts are used to evacuate the people of District 12 to District 13 after the bombing by the Capitol.
Hovercrafts are also used by the rebels to transport rebel soldiers from one place to another. For instance, they are used to transport Katniss and the members of the film crew to various districts to film propos. They are used both by the Capitol and the rebels to drop bombs on several areas.
FAQs
What happens to Katniss in the hovercraft?
At the end of ‘Catching Fire’ by Suzanne Collins, Katniss is rescued from the arena of the 75th Hunger Games by a hovercraft from District 13. Inside, she is treated for her injuries by an emergency medical team and she passes out from the loss of blood from her forearm. When she finally wakes up, she sees Plutarch Heavensbee, Haymitch Abernathy, and Finnick Odair discussing among themselves in a room and they soon explain the situation to her. She is furious at Haymitch for leaving Peeta in the arena and begins attacking him.
How does Katniss react once she’s in the hovercraft?
After Katniss has been rescued from the arena by a hovercraft from District 13, she is highly frantic and disoriented. She believes that the hovercraft belongs to the Capitol and therefore wishes to kill both herself and Peeta to spare them from the gruesome death that she is sure the Capitol has planned for them. She is nearly driven mad by the fear and the only thing that keeps her sane is the fact that she wishes to kill Peeta and give him a peaceful death.
What announces the appearance of a hovercraft in ‘The Hunger Games’?
Before the appearance of a hovercraft in the arena of the Hunger Games, the entire arena goes completely silent, and a Mockingjay emits a small high-pitched note. Katniss speculates that the Mockingjay is imitating the sound of the approaching hovercraft, which is inaudible to the human ear.
