Writing about Katniss and Finnick a few weeks ago reminded me how much I love Cinna. He’s a relatively small supporting character, but he makes such an impact in his limited page-time, and though there are a lot of people throughout the series who are in Katniss’s corner, he’s one of the first to really get through to her and make her believe it.
The decked is stacked in the stylist’s favor as soon as Katniss meets him in the first book. While she’s just been poked and prodded by her vapid prep team with their outrageous Capitol fashions, Cinna’s style is understated and he treats her like a person rather than a canvas on which to inflict a makeover. (You know he’s a good guy the second he gives her low heels she can walk in and makes sure she can move comfortably in her dress.)
Throughout Katniss’s pre-Games time at the Capitol, I love the thoughtfulness and artistry that Cinna brings to her outfits. He conceives her memorable “Girl on Fire” image with his unique approach to representing the coal-mining of District 12 with beauty, a theme he carries into everything he designs for her. At a time when Katniss thinks she doesn’t stand a chance in the Arena, his bold ideas give her the gift of unforgettableness, and he’s savvy enough to keep her makeup subtle so the audience will still recognize her once the Games start.
It’s so intelligent, so perceptive. It’s clear that he doesn’t just look at the Games as an opportunity for the public to see his work; it’s the chance to help a teenage girl survive, and he takes it seriously. I like that he makes such important contributions to Katniss’s chances in the bloody, brutal Games through a so-called “feminine” interest like fashion. Katniss is so rough-edged and non-girly that it’s cool so see less physical and hunting-based talents playing a significant part. Cinna has found his passion, and he uses it to truly help someone who needs it. (This, by the way, is the reason I was so disappointed with the costumes in the first movie. We learn so much about Cinna’s character through the way he dresses Katniss, and her outfits in the film, ranging from generic to tacky-looking, seem to diminish these great qualities.)
And can I mention how much I love the fact that he’s a badass, subversive stylist? As the story starts to explore the larger backdrop of the corrupt rulers and oppressed districts of Panem, Cinna makes a stand with the clothes he puts on Katniss. He takes dresses and turns them into emblems, symbols of power, rallying points for people who won’t be kept down any longer. It comes back to him using his talents for good. I really like the message that one doesn’t have to shoot arrows or storm a despot’s mansion in order to make a difference. Bows can be weapons, but so can words, paintbrushes, and even jeweled gowns.
Furthermore, he’s a calming presence, someone with whom Katniss can openly discuss her fear and who can give her advice. For the extremely guarded Katniss, that’s huge, and reading their scenes together are like an enormous sigh. There are parts of the series that are more deeply emotional (the song and the flowers, oh my gosh,) but Katniss’s last moments with Cinna before entering the Arena in the first book? They get me every time.
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