Dr. Gaul feeding her rabbits carrots
This is something I noticed when reading TBoSaS. Dr. Gaul feeds her rabbits carrots. This stood out to me because despite common belief (thanks to Bugs Bunny), carrots are not part of a rabbit's natural diet. They *can* eat them, but it's more like candy for them rather than a meal because of their high sugar content. So I wondered: was this a mistake on Suzanne Collins' part or intentional? But we all know the brilliance of Collins by now! Of course it was intentional.
I think it serves not only as symbolism for how the Capitol treats the districts- sort of like "let them eat cake!" vibes- because she's keeping the rabbits on edge by only giving them junk food. But also it just goes to show how cruel and crazy she is.
And she's using a "treat" or a reward to incite violent, competitive behavior as we see the rabbits become more aggressive over them. Hmm, sounds like with the Hunger Games.
I just thought this was brilliant writing and subtle symbolism on Collins' part.