- "Did you love Annie right away, Finnick?"
"No. ...She crept up on me." - —Finnick Odair answering Katniss Everdeen's question about Annie[src]
Annie Cresta is a Career victor from District 4 known for winning the 70th Hunger Games. She is the widow of Finnick Odair and the mother of their son.
Quick Answers
How did Annie Cresta manage to win the 70th Hunger Games?
What traumatic event led to Annie Cresta's isolation during the Hunger Games?
How did Annie's upbringing in District 4 contribute to her survival in the Hunger Games?
Who is the son of Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair?
How did Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair meet?
Biography
Early life
Annie was born in District 4 in 52 ADD. Living in a Career district[3], Annie presumably enrolled in the district's Hunger Games training program at a young age. Throughout her late-childhood and teenage years, she was prepared for the rigors of the Arena by being trained in weapons skills, survival, and combat under the supervision of instructors and past District 4 victors such as Mags Flanagan and Finnick Odair. At the age of 18, Annie, as typical for Careers, likely volunteered during the reaping for the 70th Hunger Games. During her training in the Capitol in the lead up to the Games, Annie probably allied alongside her district partner with the tributes from Districts 1 and 2 as was common for Careers.
During the 70th Hunger Games, Annie witnessed her district partner, the District 4 male, be beheaded. The event severely traumatized her, resulting in her isolating herself from her allies and other tributes for most of the Games. This presumably worked for her up until the Gamemakers triggered an earthquake that broke a dam, flooding the arena. Having grown up in District 4, Annie survived by being the best swimmer and was eventually declared victor after outlasting her competition.[4]
Following her victory, Annie suffered from mental instability and PTSD from the trauma she experienced in her Games. She often closed her eyes and covered her ears, laughed at unusual times, and fell into a daze.[5] Despite this, she received help from Finnick Odair, a fellow District 4 victor of the 65th Hunger Games. Being the only person who could calm her, the two grew close, and eventually became secret lovers.[6] As was the duty of victors following their Games, Annie participated in the 70th Victory Tour alongside her mentors six months after her victory.
Since Katniss Everdeen could not recall who Annie was though she won the Games only a few years prior to her own victory, it's possible that Annie was not celebrated as much as other Career victors such as Gloss or Enobaria by the Capitol. Her mental state after her victory is also indicative she was probably a recluse, as Katniss did not remember Annie being present among other victors in previous Games and only remembered her as the "one who went a little [crazy]". It can thus be inferred that Annie was neither an active participant in her district's Career program nor a mentor for District 4's tributes between the 71st and 74th Hunger Games.
Due to her mental instability, Annie was not made privy to the conspiracy involving prominent Capitol officials, District 13, and several Hunger Games victors, including Mags and Finnick. This was likely done due to her perceived unreliability and by Finnick, who neither wanted her involved and in order to protect her.
Catching Fire
Mags volunteering for Annie in the District 4 reapings for the 75th Hunger Games
With the announcement of the rule change for the Third Quarter Quell, Annie was once again eligible to be reaped, only 5 years after her victory. She was present alongside District 4's other victors during the reaping for the 75th Hunger Games, where she was selected as 4's female tribute. Annie's selection sent her into hysterics onstage, leading Mags, an older victor, to volunteer to enter the Games in her place. Afterwards, Annie stayed in 4, likely at Finnick's urging. During the Games, her voice and screams were mimicked by jabberjays to torture Finnick. During the attack, Finnick stated to Katniss his belief the Capitol tortured Annie to allow the jabberjays to mimic her voice. Following the attack, Peeta told Katniss about Annie and her relationship to Finnick.[4]
Mockingjay
Following Katniss' destruction of the arena and the outbreak of the Second Rebellion, Annie was arrested by the Capitol and tortured, alongside Enobaria, Johanna, and Peeta. Finnick explained to Katniss that he believed they didn't take her as a hostage for information about the rebels. Instead, the Capitol perceived that Finnick would never endanger Annie by telling her anything, and took her simply as a weapon to use against him, just as they were using Peeta against Katniss. After Finnick suffered a mental breakdown over Annie's predicament,[7] Alma Coin, the president of District 13, launched a clandestine mission to extract the imprisoned victors from the Capitol. The mission was a success, and Annie, alongside Peeta and Johanna, were safely returned to District 13. Upon her arrival, Annie was reunited with Finnick and the two embraced.[8]
Finnick and Annie getting married in District 13
Annie on her wedding day
Sometime later, in District 13, she and Finnick were married in the traditional District 4 style, their wedding cake being decorated with waves and dolphins by Peeta. Annie wore the dress Katniss had worn in District 5 on her Victory Tour. Katniss noticed that, since their marriage, Finnick did not let go of Annie's hand and that Annie seemed "lost in some daze of happiness."[5] Later on, Annie and Finnick met Katniss, Gale, Johanna, Beetee, Delly, and later a rehabilitating Peeta at lunch. When Johanna told Peeta that they were familiar with each other's screams, Annie covered her ears. Through their lunch conversation, Katniss figured that Annie was not all that bad, though a little mentally unstable. Peeta jokingly told Finnick to take care of Annie, or he would take her away from him.[6]
Later on, Finnick suggested that Peeta ask about what was real or not real, stating that Annie did the same thing when she tried to remain sane.[9]
Sometime prior to the Battle of the Capitol, Finnick and Annie conceived a child and she became pregnant.
During the Battle of the Capitol, whilst on a mission to infiltrate President Snow's mansion, Finnick was decapitated by lizard mutts. Katniss described how she watched his life flash by as if she were Finnick, which included seeing Annie in her wedding dress.[10]
Before President Snow's planned execution, President Coin gathered the seven known surviving victors. She asked if they would like one final Hunger Games using children of the most powerful people in the Capitol in retribution for oppressing the districts and the Games themselves. Annie, along with Peeta and Beetee, voted no, with Annie commenting that Finnick would have voted alongside her. Enobaria, Johanna, Katniss, and Haymitch, however, voted yes. At President Snow's execution, Annie was present alongside the other victors and watched Katniss kill President Coin when she was supposed to kill President Snow.[11]
Following the war and Panem's transition to democracy, Annie returned to her home in District 4, where she gave birth to Finnick's son. She sent Katniss a photo of him to be put into her memory book.[12]
Personality and traits
Being a Career, Annie was likely raised glorifying the Games and presumably, through her Career training, became ruthless in her preparations for the Games. Nevertheless, the trauma she experienced in her Games, left her mentally unstable and withdrawn. While Katniss described her as "strange," she felt that Annie was not "mad" as others believed, but simply "unstable".[5] Annie would occasionally withdraw into herself, staring off into space with a blank smile on her face until she was brought back to reality. She sometimes laughed at odd points in conversation or dropped out entirely, and when she was triggered, she was known to close her eyes and cover her ears with her hands.[5] When she was reaped for the 75th Hunger Games, Annie was described as being "hysterical" before Mags volunteered in her place.[2]
Despite this, post-Games Annie was a very kind-hearted and forgiving young woman, capturing the heart of fellow victor Finnick Odair,[4] and later voting against President Coin's proposed 76th Hunger Games using Capitol children.[11]
Physical description
Annie is a young adult woman with flowing brown hair[2] and sea-green eyes. After being imprisoned in the Capitol, her hair appeared dark and tangled, "lovely if somewhat bedraggled".[13]
In the movies, Annie has red hair and blue eyes.
Family
Annie was married to[5] and widowed by[10] Finnick Odair, the victor of the 65th Hunger Games. They had a son together following the end of the Second Rebellion.[12]
Relationships
Finnick Odair
The two had a deep love for each other where Finnick mentored Annie, and most likely did everything to keep her alive. During the interview with Caesar Flickerman, Finnick recited a poem for Annie ("his one true love" as stated), though many female admirers in the Capitol thought the poem was aimed towards them.[14] During the third Quarter Quell, Finnick heard Annie's screams during the jabberjay attack because she was who he cared about above all others. He was worried that the Capitol had hurt Annie.[4]
In Mockingjay, Finnick constantly worried about Annie and could not concentrate on anything else but her. He was out of his mind because Annie had been captured by the Capitol so they could torture her for information about the rebels. To set his mind straight, he tied different knots with a foot of rope and brought it everywhere with him, hoping to regain sanity and distract himself. He broke down when he couldn't handle it anymore, and soon after his breakdown, the rebels rescued those captured by the Capitol, which included Annie.[7] Finnick and Annie were finally able to reunite in District 13.[8] The two would later marry and conceive a son.[12] Finnick was killed before Annie gave birth to their son.[10] Due to their strong relationship, it can be assumed that Annie greatly mourned his death.
Katniss Everdeen
Although Katniss regarded her as mentally unstable, she recognized that Annie was not truly "mad" and treated her with kindness. When Annie got married to Finnick, Katniss went with her to District 12 and lent her one of her Victory Tour dresses to wear. They seemed to be on good terms, since they kept in touch after the war was over.
Etymology
Annie is a diminutive version of a number of different names. Her surname, Cresta, seems to be derived from the word "crest", as in the crest of a wave.
Trivia
- Annie and Haymitch Abernathy were the only known victors still alive after Mockingjay who did not participate in the 75th Hunger Games. However, they were both reaped and volunteered for.
- This makes Annie the only surviving victor to have never participated in a Quarter Quell, despite being reaped for the 75th Hunger Games.
- Annie's symptoms resemble those of someone suffering from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).
- Annie supposedly went mad after seeing the male tribute from her district get decapitated. When her husband, Finnick, dies, he is also decapitated.
References
- ↑ The Hunger Games: The Exhibition - see image
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Catching Fire, Chapter 14
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 7
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Catching Fire, Chapter 24
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Mockingjay, Chapter 16
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 17
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 11
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 13
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 19
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mockingjay, Chapter 22
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 26
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Mockingjay, Chapter 27
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 12
- ↑ Catching Fire, Chapter 17
