The arena is designed like a clock and operates with military precision. Every hour, on the hour, some new horror strikes. When that hour's over, the horror is replaced by another incredible trial. It's mechanical. It's false. It's orchestrated. The question is, does that make it just like all the other wars on the planet, or completely unlike them?

This is some of the most honest admiration we hear in <em>Catching Fire</em>. Usually the masses admire characters like Katniss and Peeta because of what they're posing as: the "star-crossed lovers" who've been made up and groomed by expert media teams. In the arena, though, people's true colors come out. Finnick's popular persona is admired, but Katniss admires his real self even more.

Outside the arena Finnick is defined by his extreme, almost unearthly beauty. He's a great-looking guy, but he isn't just that. In this moment, when Katniss thinks he "looks hideous," he still has his sense of humor, even though he's also shaken by the fact that he doesn't look his best.