The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

by

Suzanne Collins

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes makes teaching easy.

Arachne Crane Character Analysis

Arachne is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and the mentor to Brandy, the girl from District 10. Coriolanus thinks of Arachne as being like a sister, as the two grew up together in the Capitol and have spent a lot of time together over the years. However, this doesn’t mean Coriolanus likes her. Arachne is loud, brash, selfish, and explosive, all qualities Coriolanus detests. She dies before the Hunger Games start when she waves a sandwich at Brandy but refuses to hand the sandwich over. Brandy steals Arachne’s knife and slits Arachne’s throat. Dr. Gaul uses Arachne’s funeral as an opportunity to make a statement about the Capitol’s power: she hangs Brandy’s body from a crane mounted to a truck, and it is part of the funerary procession. Because of their perceived closeness, Coriolanus sings the anthem at her funeral.

Arachne Crane Quotes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes quotes below are all either spoken by Arachne Crane or refer to Arachne Crane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

“Who cares about these kids one way or another?”

“Possibly their families,” said Sejanus.

“You mean a handful of nobodies in the districts. So what?” Arachne boomed. “Why should the rest of us care which one of them wins?”

Livia looked pointedly at Sejanus. “I know I don’t.”

“I get more excited over a dogfight,” admitted Festus. “Especially if I’m betting on it.”

“So you’d like it if we gave odds to the tributes?” Coriolanus joked. “That would make you tune in?”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Sejanus Plinth (speaker), Arachne Crane (speaker), Festus Creed (speaker), Livia Cardew (speaker)
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

It was like the Hunger Games. Only they weren’t district kids. The Capitol was supposed to protect them. He thought of Sejanus telling Dr. Gaul it was the government’s job to protect everybody, even the people in the districts, but he still wasn’t sure how to square that with the fact that they’d been such recent enemies. But certainly the child of a Snow should be a top priority. He could be dead if Clemensia had written the proposal instead of him. He buried his head in his hands, confused, angry, and most of all afraid. Afraid of Dr. Gaul. Afraid of the Capitol. Afraid of everything. If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive? Not by trusting them, that’s for sure.

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow, Sejanus Plinth, Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Clemensia Dovecote, Arachne Crane
Related Symbols: Snakes
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“My condolences on the loss of your friend,” the dean said.

“And on your student. It’s a difficult day for all of us. But the procession was very moving,” Coriolanus replied.

“Did you think so? I found it excessive and in poor taste,” said Dean Highbottom. Taken by surprise, Coriolanus let out a short laugh before he recovered and tried to look shocked. The dean dropped his gaze to Coriolanus’s blue rosebud. “It’s amazing, how little things change. After all the killing. After all the agonized promises to remember the cost. After all of that, I can’t distinguish the bud from the blossom.”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Dean Casca Highbottom (speaker), Arachne Crane, Brandy
Related Symbols: Roses
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes PDF

Arachne Crane Quotes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes quotes below are all either spoken by Arachne Crane or refer to Arachne Crane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

“Who cares about these kids one way or another?”

“Possibly their families,” said Sejanus.

“You mean a handful of nobodies in the districts. So what?” Arachne boomed. “Why should the rest of us care which one of them wins?”

Livia looked pointedly at Sejanus. “I know I don’t.”

“I get more excited over a dogfight,” admitted Festus. “Especially if I’m betting on it.”

“So you’d like it if we gave odds to the tributes?” Coriolanus joked. “That would make you tune in?”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Sejanus Plinth (speaker), Arachne Crane (speaker), Festus Creed (speaker), Livia Cardew (speaker)
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

It was like the Hunger Games. Only they weren’t district kids. The Capitol was supposed to protect them. He thought of Sejanus telling Dr. Gaul it was the government’s job to protect everybody, even the people in the districts, but he still wasn’t sure how to square that with the fact that they’d been such recent enemies. But certainly the child of a Snow should be a top priority. He could be dead if Clemensia had written the proposal instead of him. He buried his head in his hands, confused, angry, and most of all afraid. Afraid of Dr. Gaul. Afraid of the Capitol. Afraid of everything. If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive? Not by trusting them, that’s for sure.

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow, Sejanus Plinth, Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Clemensia Dovecote, Arachne Crane
Related Symbols: Snakes
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“My condolences on the loss of your friend,” the dean said.

“And on your student. It’s a difficult day for all of us. But the procession was very moving,” Coriolanus replied.

“Did you think so? I found it excessive and in poor taste,” said Dean Highbottom. Taken by surprise, Coriolanus let out a short laugh before he recovered and tried to look shocked. The dean dropped his gaze to Coriolanus’s blue rosebud. “It’s amazing, how little things change. After all the killing. After all the agonized promises to remember the cost. After all of that, I can’t distinguish the bud from the blossom.”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Dean Casca Highbottom (speaker), Arachne Crane, Brandy
Related Symbols: Roses
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis: