Thread is a strict and cruel Head. He does not hesitate to whip people to death for breaking the rules. Romulus Thread also implements several changes in the district. This makes it extremely difficult for district citizens to rise in rebellion.
Romulus Thread Character Profile
- Name: Romulus Thread
- Age: 40s
- Gender: Male
- Place of origin: Most likely District 2
- Physical appearance: Tall, muscular, gray and close-shaved hair, black eyes, long, straight nose
- Skills: Leadership, skilled as a Peacekeeper
- Strengths: Physical strength
- Weaknesses: Vicious and cruel
- Loyalties: The Capitol
Personality and Physical Description
“Standing behind him is a man I’ve never seen, but I recognize his uniform. It’s the one designated for our Head Peacekeeper. This isn’t old Cray, though. This is a tall, muscular man with sharp creases in his pants.”
‘Catching Fire’
Romulus Thread is a brutal man with a vicious thirst for power and violence. He is extremely strict in upholding the rules set by the Capitol and he does not hesitate in doling out cruel punishments for those who break the rules. He is extremely quick in the actions he takes to subdue the citizens.
Thread is a savage leader, bringing order among the Peacekeepers. He implements several sadistic and ruthless measures to keep the district in line.
Romulus Thread is tall and muscular with powerful arms. His face is hard and lined deeply. He has a cruel mouth. Thread has shaved his gray hair almost fully and he has deep black eyes that look as if they only have pupils and nothing else. Thread also has a long, straight nose. He wears the uniform meant for the Head Peacekeeper in a prim and proper manner, with sharp creases in his clothes.
Romulus Thread replaces Cray
“Gale must’ve gone to Cray’s house, as he’s done a hundred times, knowing Cray always pays well for a wild turkey. Instead he found the new Head Peacekeeper, a man they heard someone call Romulus Thread. No one knows what happened to Cray.”
‘Catching Fire’
Romulus Thread is appointed as the new Head Peacekeeper of District 12, sometime after President Snow threatens Katniss to eliminate her family if she does not convince him that she is in love with Peeta. Thread’s early life is unknown. He may come from District 2 which is where most Peacekeepers are trained.
Thread is far more dangerous than Cray ever was, and he is extremely strict with rules in District 12, unlike Cray.
Romulus Thread and Gale Hawthorne’s Whipping
In ‘Catching Fire,’ Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne go to the woods to talk, and Gale shoots a wild turkey on the way back. He goes looking for the Head Peacekeeper, Cray, to sell him the wild turkey. However, Cray had not been seen since the morning when he was buying white liquor at the Hob. Instead, Cray’s house was occupied by the new Head Peacekeeper, Romulus Thread. Thread immediately places Gale under arrest for illegal poaching.
Gale narrowly escapes death by lying about how he killed the turkey. He claims that he found the turkey wandering around the Seam and that he killed it with a stick. As killing the animal is considered illegal, Thread pulls him to the center of the town square and binds his wrists to a wooden post. He hangs the turkey above Gale, takes off his jacket and shirt, and begins whipping him without mercy.
Thread whips Gale approximately 40 times before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark reach the square. Gale falls unconscious after about 30 lashes, and his back is raw and bloody.
After about 20 whips, Darius, a Peacekeeper in District 12, can no longer turn a blind eye. Darius intervenes with the whipping. However, he is knocked unconscious by Thread and receives a huge purple lump on his forehead by the butt of Thread’s whip.
Romulus Thread and Katniss Everdeen
When she realizes that Gale is being punished by Romulus Thread, Katniss intervenes with the whipping and takes the blow meant for Gale. The whip catches her on her cheek and causes blinding pain, flashes of light in her vision, and a deep welt. However, Thread is unfazed and does not hesitate to raise the whip on Katniss as well. As Katniss braces herself for another blow, Haymitch Abernathy steps in.
Haymitch convinces Thread not to whip Katniss as she is a beloved victor of the Hunger Games. He and Peeta remind Thread of the consequences he would face if Katniss was injured or killed.
A Peacekeeper named Purnia steps in and tells Thread that the required number of whips for a first offense is 40. She convinces Thread that this is the standard protocol in District 12 even though she did not know herself. Thread is finally convinced, and he rolls up his whip and leaves the square, leaving Katniss and her friends to tend to Gale.
Romulus Thread as the New Head Peacekeeper
Romulus Thread employs several changes upon becoming the new Head Peacekeeper of District 12. Although District 12 is caught in the throes of a blizzard, Thread transforms the town square with new changes. He hangs a huge banner with the seal of Panem from the Justice Building.
Several Peacekeepers in pristine uniforms vigilantly march on in the square on the lookout for any wrongdoing from the citizens while more occupy the rooftops with nests of machine guns. The center of the square has a new line of constructions including an official whipping post, a gallows, and various stockades.
After the blizzard blows over, Thread sets fire to the Hob, which is the black market of District 12. He also strengthens the fence around the district, charging it with electricity 24 hours a day. This meant that no one could escape from the district through the woods and Katniss could no longer go hunting. All of his actions are enough to curb the talks of an uprising in District 12.
Romulus Thread also implements changes in the reaping ceremony of the 75th Hunger Games. After Katniss and Peeta are chosen as tributes during the ceremony, they are driven away to the train station without giving them time to say goodbye to their families. Katniss speculates that Thread might be receiving orders directly from President Snow.
FAQS
What happened to Commander Thread in ‘The Hunger Games’?
Commander Romulus Thread is flown out of District 12, along with the other Peacekeepers, before District 12 is bombed by the Capitol. Thread’s fate after this is unknown. He may be captured by the rebels and killed during the Battle of the Capitol. It is also possible that he survived the rebellion. If this is the case then he would have received punishment for his actions before the rebellion.
Who is Thread in ‘The Hunger Games’?
Romulus Thread in ‘The Hunger Games’ is the new Head Peacekeeper of District 12. He is appointed by the Capitol to replace the old Head, Cray, who was quite lenient and friendly with the citizens. Thread is portrayed by actor Patrick St. Esprit in the movie. The Hunger Games movie franchise by Francis Lawrence stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Lynn Cohen, Amanda Plummer, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland.
Why did Gale get whipped in the square?
According to book canon, Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, gets whipped in the town square because of illegal coaching of a wild turkey which is deemed as a floggable offense in District 12. However, according to film canon, Gale gets whipped by Thread for tackling and stopping Thread from attacking an old woman.
