The Justice Building is where official business is conducted. It is famous for conducting the Reaping ceremony as well as the Victory Tour for the annual Hunger Games. This is where Katniss goes to collect tesserae every month and the place where she is reaped for the 74th Hunger Games.
Description and History
District 2
The Justice Building of District 2 is not described in the books. This is the place where Katniss appeals to the people of the districts to join the rebellion during the rebel takeover of the “Nut.”
District 11
The Justice Building of District 11 is a large run-down marble building that was most likely considered a marvel when it was first built. The front doors and stairs are separated by a tiled expanse. The building has a verandah over the stairs, supported by columns. There are many staircases and rooms, the most notable of which is a large marble staircase leading to the main room where business is conducted. This room is heavily decorated and has a twenty-foot-tall ceiling. The building also has a large dome on top, with a dusty ladder leading up to it.
Katniss and Peeta give their Victors’ speech from the Justice Building during their Victors’ Tour. However, the speech stirs up anti-Capitol sentiments amongst the citizens, and an old man is shot by the Peacekeepers for whistling the four-note tune that Katniss and Rue used as a signal in the arena. Later that evening, Katniss and Peeta attend dinner at the District 11 Justice Building.
District 12
The Justice Building of District 12 is the least impressive of all the districts. However, it is still finer than any house in the district. The room that the tributes were taken to after the Reaping had thick carpets on the floors, along with a velvet couch and fine chairs. The building also has a creaky elevator, which Katniss describes as smelling of “sour milk”. Romulus Thread, the new Head Peacekeeper, hung a banner of the seal of Panem from the roof of the building after taking over Peacekeeping duties at District 12.
The Justice Building of District 12 is destroyed during the bombing of the district (during the Second Rebellion). Cressida later attempts to film Katniss in front of the remains for a propo.
District 13
The Justice Building of District 13 was reduced to ruins by the Capitol at the end of the First Rebellion. The ‘smoldering remains’ were shown on television time and time again. However, Bonnie and Twill reveal to Katniss their theory of District 13 being operational after all these years, as the Capitol always uses the same footage of District 13’s Justice Building.
What is The Purpose of The Justice Building?
The Justice Building is the place where all official business is conducted. It is the seat of the regional government and acts as the town hall for each district. It is, therefore, the place where the mayor of the district carries out his/her duties.
The Justice Building is also the site of the Reaping ceremony for the annual Hunger Games. Each Justice Building contains a square in front of it, where eligible children are made to line up according to their age. The chosen tributes are called up to the steps of the building. After the ceremony, the tributes are allowed to meet their families one last time in the Justice Building, where they bid farewell to each other. Katniss tells her goodbyes to her family in the Justice Building after she is reaped for the 74th Hunger Games. This is also when she receives a gold pin from Madge (the Mayor’s daughter) to be worn as a token in the arena, and a gift of cookies from Peeta’s father.
The Justice Building plays an important role during the Victory Tour each year. As the victor visits each district during the tour, he/she addresses the people of the districts from the Justice Building.
Eligible children could sign up for and collect tessera from the Justice Building. When Katniss was 12 years old, she made a trip to the Justice Building and signed up for Tessera. Since then, every month, she would return to collect her monthly quota. Being a site of official business, the Justice Building was also where people registered their marriages to one another. After signing a form, the government assigned a house for the couple to reside in.
New Year’s Day was marked in the districts with a bell being rung in the Justice Building. The Justice Building is also where Katniss and Gale receive medals of valor when their fathers pass away in a mining accident.
FAQs
Who came to visit Katniss in the Justice Building?
After the Reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are escorted into the Justice Building. Here, Katniss is visited by her mother, Mrs. Everdeen, her sister Primrose Everdeen, as well as her friend, Madge Undersee.
What two items do they give Katniss in the Justice Building?
Peeta Mellark’s father, who works as a baker in District 12, gives Katniss some cookies while promising her that her sister, Prim, will not go hungry in Katniss’ absence. Katniss’ friend, Madge Undersee, gives her a Mockingjay pin, which Katniss then carries into the arena as her token.
What is the purpose of the Capitol in The Hunger Games?
The Capitol is the ruling city of Panem and the seat of the government. It, therefore, holds power over the administration and functioning of the 13 Districts of the nation. It also takes care of arranging and preparing for the annual Hunger Games. Life at the Capitol when compared to life in District 12 (the poorest district in the nation), demonstrates the extreme inequality present in Panem.
Why is District 12 nicknamed the Seam?
District 12 is not nicknamed the Seam. The Seam is the area near the border of District 12, right next to the woods. This is the poorest area within the district and the home of Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne. The hob is the black market where Katniss sometimes buys Greasy Sae’s soup, and the Merchant Section is the relatively wealthy region of District 12.
What gifts did Katniss receive?
During the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss receives several gifts from sponsors, including burn medicine for her burns, sleep syrup, lamb stew, soup, and bread (sent by District 11).
What gift does Katniss receive in Chapter 14?
Katniss receives burn medicine as a gift from her sponsors in Chapter 14. This comes after she receives severe burns from the artificial fire created by the Gamemakers (sent to drive her back to the middle of the arena). The medicine is an ointment that speeds up healing and immediately provided Katniss relief upon application.
What is unusual about the gift Katniss receives?
Katniss is most probably the only tribute in the history of the Hunger Games to have received a gift from another district, making her gift highly unusual. Due to the love and care, she provides to Rue (the District 11 female tribute), District 11 sends her a loaf of bread upon Rue’s death.
Who is in the cast of the Hunger Games film productions?
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the protagonists of The Hunger Games, are portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, respectively. Haymitch Abernathy, Johanna Mason, Plutarch Heavensbee, and Effie Trinket are portrayed by famous actors such as Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Elizabeth Banks.
