- "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 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
During the 70th Hunger Games, Annie witnessed her district partner, the District 4 male, getting beheaded. She was traumatized by the event and isolated herself for most of the Games. This presumably worked for her up until an earthquake broke a dam, flooding the arena. Having grown up in District 4, Annie survived by being the best swimmer.[2] Since District 4 was a Career district,[3] it's possible that Annie had trained and possibly even volunteered to participate in the Games.
Since then, she suffered from mental instability: she often closed her eyes and covered her ears, laughed at unusual times, and fell into a daze.[4] It seemed that the only person who could calm her was Finnick Odair, her husband and the victor of the 65th Hunger Games.[5]
Since Katniss Everdeen could not recall who Annie was though she won only a few years prior, it's possible that she was not celebrated as much as other victors such as Gloss or Enobaria by The Capitol, 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]".
Catching Fire
Annie was reaped to participate in the 75th Hunger Games, but Mags, an older victor who mentored Finnick Odair and Annie during their Hunger Games, volunteered to enter the Games in her place. After the jabberjay attack in the arena, Peeta told Katniss Everdeen about Annie.[2]
Mockingjay
Annie was arrested by the Capitol and supposedly tortured. Finnick Odair explains to Katniss Everdeen that they didn't take her as a hostage because she did not have any 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. After Finnick suffered a mental breakdown,[6] a group of rebels broke into the Capitol and got her out, taking her safely into District 13. Upon her arrival, Annie was reunited with Finnick and the two embraced.[7]
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 Mellark. 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."[4] 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.[5]
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.[8]
On a mission to infiltrate President Snow's mansion, Finnick was decapitated by lizard mutts. Katniss described how she watches his life flash by as if she were Finnick, which included seeing Annie in her wedding dress.[9]
Before President Snow's planned execution, President Coin gathered the seven 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. Annie, along with Peeta and Beetee, voted no, with Annie commenting that Finnick would have voted alongside her. Enobaria, Katniss, Haymitch, and Johanna, however, voted yes. At President Snow's execution, Annie watched Katniss kill President Coin when she was supposed to kill President Snow.[10]
Annie returns 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.[11]
Personality and traits
Annie was a very kind-hearted and forgiving young woman, capturing the heart of fellow victor Finnick Odair,[2] and later voting against President Coin's proposed 76th Hunger Games using Capitol children.[10]
Mental state
While Katniss described her as "strange," she felt that Annie was not "mad" as others believed, but simply "unstable".[4] 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.[4] When she was reaped for the 75th Hunger Games, Annie was described as being "hysterical" before Mags volunteered in her place.[12]
Physical description
Annie is a young woman with flowing brown hair[12] 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[4] and widowed by[9] Finnick Odair, the victor of the 65th Hunger Games. They had a son together.[11]
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.[2]
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.[6] Finnick and Annie were finally able to reunite in District 13.[7] The two would later marry and conceive a son.[11] Finnick was killed before Annie gave birth to their son.[9] Due to their strong relationship, it can be assumed that Annie greatly mourned his death.
Mags Flanagan
It is safe to assume Annie and Mags knew each other well, and that Mags was likely her mentor alongside Finnick. Both were described to be Finnick's family, so they may have been close, as Mags volunteered as tribute to save Annie and clearly knew she would never survive.[12]
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).
References
- ↑ It is stated in The Hunger Games Exhibition that Annie is 23 years old, which would make her 18 at the time of her victory.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Catching Fire, Chapter 24
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 7
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mockingjay, Chapter 16
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 17
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 11
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 13
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 19
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Mockingjay, Chapter 22
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Mockingjay, Chapter 26
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Mockingjay, Chapter 27
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Catching Fire, Chapter 14
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 12
- ↑ Catching Fire, Chapter 17