Effie Trinket

"*We're a team, aren't we? And I'm so proud of my victors. You both deserved so much better, I'm truly sorry...*"
―Effie Trinket to Katniss and Peeta[src]
**Effie Trinket** is the escort of the District 12 tributes, including Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, being an advisor to the pair. By the end of *Mockingjay*, she is the only Escort from the 74th and 75th Hunger Games alive after the Second Rebellion.

She is first introduced in the first book and film and appears to be very posh like many other Capitol residents. However, throughout the series she grows more emotionally attached to the people of the rebellion, and realizes the Capitol's mistakes.

## Biography

Effie works as the escort and advisor for District 12, particularly to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in *The Hunger Games* trilogy. Her responsibilities include drawing the Hunger Games tributes' names every year at reapings and subsequently escorting them to the Capitol via a train which she says travels at a speed of 250 mph. She is very well-known for her Capitol accent, upbeat attitude for the Games, and the Capitol phrase, "May the odds be *ever* in your favor!"

Effie tries to encourage tributes to be happy about their upcoming participation in the Games, though her efforts are mostly in vain. When Katniss volunteered to take her twelve year old sister's place when her name was pulled during the 74th Hunger Games reaping, the audience remained silent and Effie was left on stage clapping by herself in an effort to lighten the atmosphere.

Effie lives in the Capitol, and remains there for most of the year. The only reason she travels to District 12 or any of the other districts is because of the Games or the Victory Tour.

During the events of the Second Rebellion, Effie was said to be taken by rebels, and Katniss later finds out after the Capitol is defeated that Effie is still alive.

### *The Hunger Games*

At one point in the reaping, a drunk Haymitch Abernathy stumbles onstage and hugs Effie without her consent, causing her wig to become crooked, then promptly falls face-first off the stage and lies on the floor, unconscious. Effie attempts to shake this off, although her wig remains askew, and continues the reaping ceremony. She then concludes the reaping with her famous line, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be *ever* in your favor!"

Effie takes the tributes on the Train to transport them to the Capitol. She tells them about the pre-Games routine on the train and her plans. Effie eats dinner with Katniss and Peeta and is relieved when she saw that Katniss and Peeta had manners unlike the last pair of tributes. To toy with Effie, Katniss begins to eat like an animal by wiping her fingers with the tablecloth, upsetting Effie. Afterwards, she sits with Katniss and Peeta and watches the recap of the reapings in the other districts. Katniss and Peeta play and joke about Haymitch during the reaping which annoys Effie and she yells at them saying he is their lifeline; just after this statement Haymitch enters the room and vomits all over the floor. Effie is obviously disgusted and tells them "So laugh away!" before leaving the room.

Effie eats breakfast with them and retires to her room to make arrangements for their arrival at the Capitol. Effie contributes to the positive preceedings. She is filled with joy and celebrates after their amazing performance in the parade through the Capitol. Effie helps prepare them for the training sessions with Haymitch, hoping they'll achieve high scores in order to attract more sponsors. She is shocked and surprised when Katniss tells them about her seemingly disastrous private session. She can't believe she shot an arrow at the Gamemakers. She attempts to comfort Katniss due to her fear that they'll attack her family. Effie states that it serves them right and that it's not nice to ignore Katniss even if she is from District 12. Effie is overflowing with joy and excitement when Katniss and Peeta both manage a high score from the Gamemakers.

Effie tries but fails to help Katniss with her Interview with Caesar Flickerman. She attempts to teach her how to sit, smile and talk like a lady, but only gets frustrated with this. After the interview and Peeta's astonishing declaration of love, Katniss fights with Peeta, pushing him and causing him to trip into an urn. Effie breaks up the fight and cools her down while Haymitch tells her about the logistics of his and Peeta's plan.

The night before the Games begin, she wishes them good luck and is heartbroken because she has grown to like them and leaves the room before she could become more upset. She assists Haymitch in lining up sponsors for Katniss and Peeta and helps them throughout the Games. After Katniss and Peeta's victory, Effie gloats about winning them sponsors by comparing them to coal, explaining that when you put enough pressure on coal they become pearls. Effie helps them get ready for their final interview with Caesar. After their respective interviews, she says goodbye to them before they head back to District 12.

### *Catching Fire*

Effie comes back during Katniss and Peeta's Victory Tour. She tells them they have to start off with District 11. On the way there, the train makes an unplanned stop which angers Effie because it changes her schedule. This also irritates Katniss, causing her to yell at Effie and tells her that no one cares, which in turn hurts Effie's feelings. When Katniss comes back she apologizes to Effie who graciously accepts. When they arrive to District 11 she is displeased with the way they are being treated. Later, Effie ensures that everything is prepared for the victory speech Katniss and Peeta must give to Rue and Thresh's family. After the elderly man is killed for whistling Rue's tune, which signaled the end of a working day, the Peacekeepers force them all to leave quickly, which annoys Effie due to their lack of manners. She noted that the Peacekeepers were very strict when she was looking around District 11's justice building. She said they ordered her to get back to her quarters and one even poked her with her gun. After the Victory Tour was complete, she went to the final dinner for Katniss and Peeta in District 12 and was touched when Peeta proposed to Katniss.

Effie leaves to go back to the Capitol and soon comes back to District 12 at Katniss' house for the wedding photoshoot, using her manipulative nature to order the crew about, and watching to make everything go perfectly like her plan. Effie is unaware of the rebellion, President Snow's threats, or of the tension between Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch. When the third Quarter Quell is revealed and is announced to be reaping the victors, Effie had to draw the lots out of the same spherical glass bowl, in the same way as before in the 74th Hunger Games. Effie started much like the 74th Hunger Games, deciding to reap the female tribute first, and calls Katniss' name since she is the only living female victor of District 12, thus being the only eligible girl. Effie then calls Haymitch's name but soon after Peeta volunteers for Haymitch in order to protect Katniss. Effie once again escorts Katniss and Peeta to the train that takes them to the Capitol, where she begins planning.

Effie and the others arrive to the Capitol on time, something which pleases her, because she loves being on time and orderly. She is joyful when Cinna makes Katniss and Peeta unforgettable again with his choice of costume, causing great discord and awe to ripple among the other tributes. Effie celebrates just like last year when the parade goes according to plan. She agrees to let Katniss and Peeta go to the training session alone, but, to satisfy herself, she takes them to the elevator herself and leads them to the door. Effie is even more shocked than last year about their private training sessions with the Gamemakers when it transpires that they deliberately sabotage them to protest the brutality of the Games. She is on the verge of tears when Katniss and Peeta tell her and the others about this and retires to her room until it is time for Katniss and Peeta to receive their training scores. Katniss notes that Effie's eyes are red and puffy from crying. After they get their training scores of 12, she becomes distressed because they were only presented to them so they would be seen as obvious targets in the Games, as explained by Haymitch. She decides to allow them to spend the entire day to themselves before the next day, which is their interview with Caesar Flickerman. After the interview, Effie is asked to leave them and she wasn't able to say goodbye to them.

After Katniss destroys the arena and escapes with the other rebels, Effie is arrested along with Katniss and Peeta's prep teams.

### *Mockingjay*

It isn't known where Effie was taken after she was kidnapped by the rebels. After President Snow is found guilty and is about to be executed, Effie is released from prison and goes back to Katniss to get her ready for Snow's trial. Katniss notes that Effie has a vacant look in her eyes. Katniss makes a mental note to put her on the list of people to be granted immunity since she doesn't want Effie to be killed by President Coin. Effie gets Katniss dressed in her mockingjay uniform and sets everything up to schedule, as usual. Effie watches as Katniss was about to kill Snow but instead sees her kill Coin. Later after Katniss's trial, Effie goes back home to the Capitol.

#### Movie Portrayal: *Mockingjay Part 1*

Effie's role in the *The Hunger Games: Mockingjay* movies is expanded from the books, as she essentially takes on the role of Fulvia Cardew. In *Mockingjay Part 1*, she has come to District 13 alongside Haymitch and Plutarch out of sympathy for Katniss. She is initially unhappy about being in 13, despite her loyalties now being with the rebels, mostly because the strict rules in 13 make it impossible for her to dress fashionably, wear makeup, or put on wigs. She assists Plutarch and Haymitch in coming up with ideas for propos and gives Katniss the designs for the Mockingjay suit that Cinna drew. She provides comic relief in the movie, as her exuberant personality clashes with the sober style of District 13. She doesn't seem to be treated with distrust and hostility, as President Coin personally welcomes her.

#### Movie Portrayal: *Mockingjay Part 2*

The character of Effie is reduced to somewhat of a background character in the film. She is seen at Finnick's and Annie's wedding wearing the dress she was last wearing when forcibly taken as a refugee at the end of *Catching Fire*. Being distinctive in appearance, she joyfully takes part in the festivities.

Effie is once again seen near the end of the film escorting Katniss from the hospital to Snow's mansion, recalling the first time she had brought Katniss there. Despite having a team of stylists prepping Katniss for Snow's execution in the novel, Effie is the sole stylist who is shown to be doing some last minute tidying up before letting Katniss go on to attend the execution. At the execution, Effie takes the stage behind President Alma Coin, the newly self-appointed and alleged temporary President of Panem alongside Coin's high ranking officials. Effie stands nervously in the background; whether this was the result of having to watch Snow be executed or because of a personal distrust of President Coin is unknown. Immediately after Coin was shot and killed by Katniss, those who were standing nearby behind Coin rushed to her aid; whether Effie was among those trying to help is unknown as well. She witnessed Katniss being taken into custody for murder.

After Katniss is released from custody and shortly before she and Haymitch return to District 12, Effie makes her farewell with the two a very emotional one, telling Katniss to promise her (Effie) that she would find "the life of a victor", which possibly implied that she wanted Katniss to go on in life with the strength that helped her win the Games twice. Haymitch tells Effie not "to be a stranger" and gives her a kiss on the lips. As Katniss and Haymitch walked toward the gates of the mansion, Effie began to cry and quickly composed herself for aesthetic reasons.

## Physical description

"*Effie Trinket, District 12's escort, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin, pinkish hair and spring green suit.*"
―Katniss, on Effie[src]
Being an eccentric Capitol citizen, Effie has a unique and flamboyant interest in fashion, and is constantly seen throughout the series wearing colorful stylized outfits and wigs. She is regarded as a fashion icon among the people of the Capitol, proceeding Katniss Everdeen's successful appearance in the 74th Hunger Games, and eventual victory.

In *The Hunger Games*, Effie Trinket has pink hair, speculated to be a wig, and during the reaping wears a spring-green suit. As she gives speeches, she constantly adjusts her attire.

In *Catching Fire*, Effie is adorned with brilliant pumpkin colored locks, just as stunningly vibrant as the beautiful pink. She later changes her hair to a golden color in order to match Katniss' mockingjay pin.

In Mockingjay, Effie continues to wear her resplendent golden wig.

It is also mentioned in Mockingjay that she has "a vacant look in her eyes."

Effie is presumably fairly young as she makes multiple references to wanting to get promoted to a better district, indicating that she is in the beginning of her career when the books take place. She is noted throughout the entire series for her distinct Capitol accent.

In the first film, during the reaping, Effie is wearing a purple dress with puffed sleeves and high heel purple shoes, with black socks. On board the train, she sports an aqua colored dress with a blonde wig and darker aqua skirt. Later while in the Capitol she wears a heavily Chinese influenced pink and purple mini dress with a puffed skirt and golden yellow trimmings. She also has a pink wig with a golden flower ornament.

In the second film in promotional posters while modeling for Capitol Couture, she is seen with another blonde and pink wig, with silver cylindrical earrings. She wears a ruffled furry red dress with matching feathered shoes and pink and purple unique gloves, with silver finger ornaments.

During the 74th Victory Tour, she wears a blondish orange wig, with dark navy feathered sleeves and a fitted blue bodice with golden trims and a matching belt.

While escorting Peeta and Katniss to President Snow's ball, she is seen wearing a blue bun styled wig, with a large blue feathered collar, and matching feathered mini-dress. On her wrists, she is wearing thick pink bracelets and pink ruffled high heels.

## Personality

"*At least you two have decent manners. The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion.*"
―Effie Trinket, on Peeta and Katniss' manners.[src]
Effie can be described as oblivious to the sorrows and misfortunes that fall upon District 12. As the quote above states, she is very strict about manners and being "proper", as that is the Capitol's way. She is not in very good terms with Haymitch at times because he is always drunk and a complete mess, and due to their conflicting personalities. She always tells Katniss and Peeta "You have no manners!" This angers Katniss, due to the fact that she comes from a poorer district, where most people face starvation. Effie is a classic Capitol resident with impeccable manners, although in *Mockingjay* it is revealed she rebelled against the Capitol.

Effie is a perfectionist and extremely punctual, complaining about how a five minute train delay would hugely affect her tightly packed schedule. However, she is known for being bright and bubbly at times when she is not being publicly humiliated or in the presence of undesirable manners.

Effie, like most Capitol citizens, sees the Hunger Games as just fun entertainment as shown by her extreme happiness at the reaping regarding tributes being chosen.

However, Effie is also described as having a "keen instinct" by Katniss, and seems to be at least partially aware of the political uproar caused by Katniss and Peeta's attempted suicide. In the Reaping for the 75th Hunger Games, she is noticeably less excitable than previous years, presumably having grown fond of the two younger Victors. She appears to lose some of her shallow nature as the series progresses, eventually defecting from the Capitol during the Rebellion.

## Relationships

### Katniss Everdeen

"*Let's go show them, what real beauty looks like.*"
―Effie, to Katniss, regarding her wedding dress.[src]
Effie annoyed Katniss greatly due to her manners and appearance. Katniss hated this and often bothered Effie by purposely using poor manners. Effie was upset when Katniss and Peeta joked about Haymitch being drunk during the reaping and making a fool of himself on national television. Effie attempted to teach Katniss manners but she continued to struggle with this as well as personality during her preparation for the interviews with Caesar Flickerman.

Effie did her best to help Katniss and Peeta. Effie could not bear to say goodbye to Katniss during the 74th Hunger Games since she did care for her. Effie annoyed her during the Victory Tour by flipping out about the sudden stop during the train ride to District 11, which caused Katniss to lose it and yell at Effie. She later apologized to Effie when she cooled down. Effie assisted Katniss again during the third Quarter Quell. Effie let her make more choices during the preparation for the Games. Effie was taken away the night before the third Quarter Quell, which Katniss felt bad about because this could be the last time she saw her and she wasn't able to say goodbye to her in person. However, she told Haymitch to say goodbye for her and to make it extra special since it was Effie. Katniss was surprised when Effie came back to her before Snow's trial and that she was on the rebellion side instead of the Capitol. Katniss made a mental note to give Effie immunity from being killed by Coin, because she liked Effie.

### Peeta Mellark

Peeta seemed to get along well with Effie, never giving her much trouble. Peeta did anger her when he and Katniss joked around about Haymitch being drunk during the reaping and making a fool of himself on national television. Effie yells at them telling them he is their only source of real help when it comes to surviving. Peeta is kind to her and always follows her plans. Effie tried to do her best for him and Katniss during the Games. Effie was sad the night before the 74th Hunger Games and couldn't bear say her goodbyes because she truly does love him. When he goes back to the training center he hugs her and they greet each other. Peeta tolerated her nagging during the Victory Tour and was a bit disgusted when Katniss yelled at her. Peeta is a slightly annoyed when Effie nags or goes crazy about her plans. When Effie is taken away by the Capitol, Peeta feels bad because it would be the last time he would see her and he didn't say goodbye. Ultimately, Peeta and Effie do care about each other.

### Haymitch Abernathy

"*Loosen your corset, have a drink.*"
―Haymitch, to Effie[src]Effie annoys Haymitch greatly with her prim Capitol ways. Since Haymitch isn't familiar to Effie's points of behaviour like manners, deadlines and appearance, he becomes frustrated when she nags him about this. He annoys Effie as well by being at his worst and demonstrating a horrible appearance and manners, such as when he eats with his hands like an animal.

They first encounter each other when Haymitch shows up drunk and in poor conditions at the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. He hugs her which messes up her pink wig. He reappears again when he throws up on the train, which only makes Effie more enraged. Haymitch and Effie work together to help Katniss and Peeta, and she helps him line up sponsors. Haymitch and Effie are shown to be the same during the Victory Tour as he shows poor manners and Effie annoys him with her nagging about his overall demeanor. The two seem to let Katniss and Peeta make their own decisions during preparations for the third Quarter Quell.

At the end of *Mockingjay*, it is hinted that the two do in fact share a friendship, as it is revealed by Katniss' prep team that Haymitch and Plutarch Heavensbee had to "fight to keep her alive" during the rebellion.

In the end of *Mockingjay part 2*, the two shared a kiss.

### Cecelia

Cecelia was a victor from District 8.
When she was reaped as the female tribute for District 8 in the third Quarter Quell, her three children clung to her, refusing to let her go.
Effie expressed dismay and commented "Oh no, not Cecelia" when she learned Cecelia was chosen, possibly indicating that Effie feels sympathy towards Cecelia.

## Etymology

The name "Effie" is a shorter form of the Greek name Euphemia, which means "well-spoken". This may reference to Effie's career in elocution and public speaking in the districts.

The name "Trinket" refers to a small ornament or item of jewellery that is of little value. This is very fitting for Effie, and the rest of the Capitol citizens, as they prize meaningless possessions that though may have cost a lot, have no real purpose and are just for show. This helps to emphasise the poverty and starvation in the Districts, where people can not even afford to eat, let alone waste money on flashy objects and clothing.

## Trivia

* Capitol Couture, a website made to promote *The Hunger Games* film, wrote an article on Effie about her eccentric clothes, shoes, and wigs. Effie was also a model for Capitol Couture.
* The name Effie is an Anglicisation of the Greek name Euphemia which means "All-Praised". This ties in to the many Greco-Roman references and allusions of the trilogy.
* Aside from all the unnamed tributes, Effie was the only other character whose name was not said in the The Hunger Games film, even though she is a constant through the movie and her name is mentioned multiple times in the book.
* Elizabeth Banks, who portrays Effie in the film, has stated that her performance was inspired by actress, Rosalind Russell for her role in the 1958 classical film, *Auntie Mame*.
* Effie is the only known named tribute escort in the Hunger Games series.
* In an interview with the makers of The HUnger Games:MOckingjay, it was revealed that Effie would have much more prominence in the movie than she does in the book, more-or-less replacing Fulvia Cardew. It's stated that, unlike Fulvia, Effie does not want to be part of the rebellion, but stays for more personal reasons, not political reasons.

1. ↑ What We Learned from the ‘Mockingjay’ Filmmaker Roundtable – Part 1.