hunger games review essay

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Like many science-fiction stories, “The Hunger Games” portrays a future that we're invited to read as a parable for the present. After the existing nations of North America are destroyed by catastrophe, a civilization named Panem rises from the ruins. It's ruled by a vast, wealthy Capitol inspired by the covers of countless sci-fi magazines and surrounded by 12 “districts” that are powerless satellites.

As the story opens, the annual ritual of the Hunger Games is beginning; each district must supply a “tribute” of a young woman and man, and these 24 finalists must fight to the death in a forested “arena” where hidden cameras capture every move.

This results in a television production that apparently holds the nation spellbound and keeps the citizens content. Mrs. Link, my high school Latin teacher, will be proud that I recall one of her daily phrases, “panem et circenses,” which summarized the Roman formula for creating a docile population: Give them bread and circuses. A vision of present-day America is summoned up, its citizenry glutted with fast food and distracted by reality TV. How is the population expected to accept the violent sacrifice of 24 young lives a year? How many have died in our recent wars?

The story centers on the two tributes from the dirt-poor District 12: Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ) and Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ). The 16-year-old girl hunts deer with bow and arrow to feed her family; he may be hunkier but seems no match in survival skills. They're both clean-cut, All-Panem types, and although one or both are eventually required to be dead, romance is a possibility.

In contrast with these healthy young people, the ruling class in the Capitol are effete decadents. Effie Trinket ( Elizabeth Banks ), bedecked in gaudy costumery and laden with garish cosmetics, emcees the annual drawing for tributes, and the nation gets to know the finalists on a talk show hosted by Caesar Flickerman ( Stanley Tucci ), who suggests what Donald Trump might do with his hair if he had enough of it.  

The executive in charge is the gamemaker, Seneca ( Wes Bentley ), who has a beard so bizarrely designed that Satan would be envious. At the top of the society is the president ( Donald Sutherland ), a sagacious graybeard who harbors deep thoughts. In interviews, Sutherland has equated the younger generation with leftists and Occupiers. The old folks in the Capitol are no doubt a right-wing oligarchy. My conservative friends, however, equate the young with the Tea Party and the old with decadent Elitists. “The Hunger Games,” like many parables, will show you exactly what you seek in it.

The scenes set in the Capitol and dealing with its peculiar characters have a completely different tone than the scenes of conflict in the Arena. The ruling class is painted in broad satire and bright colors. Katniss and the other tributes are seen in earth-toned realism; this character could be another manifestation, indeed, of Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-nominated character Ree in “ Winter's Bone .” The plot even explains why she's adept at bow and arrow. 

One thing I missed, however, was more self-awareness on the part of the tributes. As their names are being drawn from a fish bowl (!) at the Reaping, the reactions of the chosen seem rather subdued, considering the odds are 23-to-1 that they'll end up dead. Katniss volunteers to take the place of her 12-year-old kid sister, Prim (Willow Shields), but no one explicitly discusses the fairness of deadly combat between girl children and 18-year-old men. Apparently the jaded TV audiences of Panem have developed an appetite for barbarity. Nor do Katniss and Peeta reveal much thoughtfulness about their own peculiar position.

“The Hunger Games” is an effective entertainment, and Jennifer Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role. But the film leapfrogs obvious questions in its path, and avoids the opportunities sci-fi provides for social criticism; compare its world with the dystopias in “ Gattaca ” or “ The Truman Show .”  Director Gary Ross and his writers (including the series' author, Suzanne Collins ) obviously think their audience wants to see lots of hunting-and-survival scenes, and has no interest in people talking about how a cruel class system is using them. Well, maybe they're right. But I found the movie too long and deliberate as it negotiated the outskirts of its moral issues.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Hunger Games (2012)

Rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images — all involving teens

142 minutes

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Wes Bentley as Seneca

Elizabeth Banks as Effie

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch

Liam Hemsworth as Gale

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss

Directed by

• Suzanne Collins

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Themes and Analysis

The hunger games, by suzanne collins.

As a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, 'The Hunger Games' captures several intriguing themes including oppression and societal inequality.

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has risen in popularity ever since its release in 2008. Part of the reason for its fame is the riveting themes that it captures, all of which are central to the post-apocalyptic and dystopian nature of the novel. Some of the themes that can be gleaned from the novel include the theme of oppression, inequality, appearances, celebrity culture, as well as violence.

The Hunger Games Themes

Oppression and inequality.

The authorities in the Capitol maintain their positions of power through wealth, fear, and rivalry. All districts in the totalitarian nation of Panem are kept under varying degrees of poverty and are routinely pitted against each other in the form of the Hunger Games. The wealthier districts have a distinct advantage over the poorer ones in the Games. For instance, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 make it their mission to train specifically for the Games – and are even known as “ Career tributes .”

The status quo is maintained by “Peacemakers,” who, hypocritically, ensure that the control remains in the hands of the capital by any means necessary, including violence. Those who rebel are either obliterated or silenced to become Avox , i.e., people who have had their tongues cut off and are now acting as servants at the Capitol .

The censorship of the media is another way to maintain control. The districts are not allowed to contact one another, and they have no access to information other than what is provided to them by the authorities. 

Appearances and Celebrity Culture

Appearances are extremely important in Panem. Those who live at the Capitol show off their wealth and power through their appearances. They wear gaudy clothes, ostentatious accessories, and bright colors to demonstrate their money, power, and influence at the Capitol.

Appearances are vital in the Hunger Games. To gain sponsors for life-saving gifts during the Games, each tribute must make himself/herself appealing to the public. Thus, the tributes are all provided with a bevy of stylists and advisors who dress them up in fashionable costumes and teach them the ways of the wealthy. The better the appearances of the tribute, the larger the chances of sponsors. This is similar to celebrity culture in real life – who need to keep up appearances for the sake of lucrative deals and sponsors. 

Katniss understands the importance of appearances and decides to play the part of a star-crossed lover for the cameras. Peeta complies, having always been perceptive about the significance of appearances and making lasting impressions. Although Peeta genuinely harbored feelings for Katniss, he decides to reveal his feelings at a strategic moment – only to gain sympathy and affection from the public.

Violence 

Violence is a recurring theme in The Hunger Games . The authorities of the Capitol are not averse to using violence to maintain the illusion of “peace” in the nation. The Peacemakers routinely punish those who rebel and do not hesitate to exert their power over the people from the 12 districts.

Moreover, the very notion of the Hunger Games is violent. Children are dehumanized from an extremely young age – and are taught to maim and kill other children to survive.

Analysis of Key Moments in The Hunger Games

• Katniss’s sister, Primrose Everdeen is picked as the female tribute from District 12 for the Hunger Games. 
• Katniss volunteers herself instead and is joined by the male tribute, Peeta Mellark as they head to the Capitol.
• Katniss and Peeta convince their drunk mentor , Haymitch Abernathy , to take his duties seriously.
• The duo wins the affections of the public during the opening ceremony, with the help of the flaming costumes designed by Cinna .
• Peeta reveals that he is in love with Katniss during the pre-Games interview.
• The Games begin, and Katniss flees the Cornucopia . She finds out that Peeta has teamed up with the “Career” tributes.
• An artificial fire is created to push Katniss towards the Careers. She hides from them in a tree.
• Katniss and Rue drop a nest of tracker jackers to escape from the Careers. Peeta comes back to help Katniss escape.
• Katniss and Rue blow up the supplies of the Career tributes. Rue is killed by another tribute.
• A rule change is announced, allowing two tributes from the same district to emerge as victors . Katniss and Peeta team up.
• The duo becomes romantically attached, and emerge as the two remaining survivors.
• Another rule change is announced, stating that there can only be one victor for the Games.
• Katniss and Peeta decide to kill themselves together when the Games are hurriedly ended and they both emerge victorious.
• Katniss recuperates for days at the Training Centre, after which she is informed by Haymitch that she’s in danger for her acts of rebellion.

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style employed by the author is simple and precise – easy for young adults to comprehend. The tone is blunt, dark, and often horrifying, reflecting the seriousness of the novel. The novel is written from the point of view of the heroine, Katniss Everdeen , who acts as an unreliable narrator.

I can’t win. Prim must know that in her heart. The competition will be far beyond my abilities. Kids from wealthier districts, where winning is a huge honor, who’ve been trained their whole lives for this.

Symbols, Motifs, and Allegory

Families are given tesserae (food rations) each year by the Capitol. This is one of the most important ways in which the Capitol maintains control over the districts. Families are also given extra tesserae for entering the names of their children more than once in the annual reaping for the Hunger Games – an act that increases their chances of being picked for the Hunger Games.

The Mockingjay Pin

The Mockingjay Pin symbolizes Katniss’s individuality and free spirit. The pin captures the Mockingjay bird, i.e., a hybrid between a Jabberjay (a bird that was genetically modified to act as spies for the government) and a Mockingbird. The symbol of the Mockingjay is used to represent rebellion and assertion of identity by several people, including Katniss, Madge, and Rue.

Entertainment and Reality Television

The novel showcases an extremely twisted form of mass entertainment – which comes in the form of suffering. Parallels can be drawn to the reality television of this world, where people are pitted against each other for the entertainment of viewers. Just like the people in reality television are required to appeal to the public to gain votes, the tributes in the Hunger Games are also required to appeal to gain sponsors. 

This kind of entertainment is voyeuristic, and the people from the Capitol revel in the violent nature of the Games. It is highly sadistic, and it does not matter whether the suffering is physical or psychological. For instance, there is a huge fascination behind the romance between Katniss and Peeta. The main appeal for this romance is the fact that it is doomed no matter what, because of the tragic ending that awaits the lovers.

The Hunger Games also resembles reality television in the fact that it is widely televised and constantly talked about in the media at Panem. It objectifies the tributes much like reality television objectifies contestants. 

Is rebellion a theme in The Hunger Games ?

Yes, rebellion is a theme in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. There are several instances in the novel when Katniss, and sometimes even Peeta, rebel against the oppressive Capitol. However, this theme is not as prevalent in the first novel as it is in the next two novels in the trilogy, Catching Fire and Mockingjay .

What skill is Gale better at than Katniss?

Gale and Katniss are both highly skilled at survival. While Katniss is exceptionally skilled with a bow and arrow (routinely using it for hunting and killing animals), Gale is better at setting snares for prey.

How is Katniss a rebel?

Katniss’s rebellion starts from the very beginning when she volunteers herself as a tribute in the Hunger Games. Instead of willingly going through every oppressive act that the capital makes her do, she defies the authorities and rebels whenever she can. Her ultimate act of rebellion, however, is seen at the end of the novel when she decides to poison herself along with Peeta – to leave the Games without a victor.

What is Katniss’s sister’s full name?

Katniss’s sister’s full name in The Hunger Games is Primrose Everdeen. Her name is often shortened to Prim. She is a 12-year-old girl whose name is drawn at the reaping of the 74th edition of the Hunger Games. However, she is saved from participating in the game by her sister Katniss, who volunteers herself instead.

The Hunger Games Quiz

Summon your survival instincts and strategy—our ' The Hunger Games ' Trivia Quiz awaits! Do you have the wit and knowledge to navigate the perilous arenas and intricate politics of Panem? Take the challenge now and prove your mastery over the gripping world of The Hunger Games!

1) Who saves Katniss from an attack by another tribute early in the Games?

2) What does Peeta reveal during his interview that shocks everyone?

3) Who is selected as the male tribute from District 12 along with Katniss?

4) What injury does Peeta sustain during the Games?

5) What is the name of the annual event where tributes are selected to fight in the arena?

6) What plant does Katniss recognize as edible, helping her and Peeta survive?

7) Who becomes Katniss’s close friend and ally during the Games?

8) Who is the author of ' The Hunger Games '?

9) What is the primary purpose of the Hunger Games according to the Capitol?

10) Who is the last tribute to die in the Games?

11) Who is Katniss’s mentor during the Games?

12) What skill is Katniss best known for?

13) How does Katniss become a tribute in the Hunger Games?

14) What is the main industry of District 12?

15) What does Katniss fear the most when entering the Hunger Games arena?

16) How do Katniss and Peeta both survive the Hunger Games?

17) In which district does Katniss Everdeen live?

18) What creature attacks the remaining tributes at the end of the Games?

19) What is the name of the stylist assigned to Katniss?

20) Which District is known for producing Career Tributes?

21) What is the name of Katniss’s younger sister?

22) Who gives Katniss the mockingjay pin?

23) What strategy do Katniss and Peeta use to gain favor with the audience?

24) What tactic does Katniss use to destroy the Career Tributes' supplies?

25) What kind of weapon does Rue use in the Games?

26) What token does Katniss wear during the Games?

27) What symbolic act does Katniss perform during her first public appearance that captures the audience's attention?

28) How does Katniss injure herself while trying to get water during the Games?

29) What is the signal that Katniss uses to communicate with Rue during the Games?

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About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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The Hunger Games by Gary Ross – Film Study Essay

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• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
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The Hunger Games is a fictional movie produced in the year 2012. The movie’s plot is based on a novel written by Suzanne Collins in the year 2008. The movie features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games) . The story occurs in a post-apocalyptic age in the country named Panem. In the country, children between the ages of twelve and eighteen years are required to participate in The Hunger Games.

The games are carried out yearly and are televised (The Hunger Games) . The events require the contestants to wrestle to the death until one competitor becomes a winner. The remaining contestant is then celebrated in a large ceremony. In the movie, Katniss agrees to take her sister’s positions in the events. Together with her friend Peeta, Katniss takes a trip to the city to prepare for the coming events under the supervision of past winner Haymitch (The Hunger Games) . In the article, the above movie is reviewed through the lens of conflict analysis and resolution.

Based on the movie, Panem is led by an affluent Capitol (The Hunger Games) . The Capitol oversees 12 shoddier districts. For the last few years, conflicts have been witnessed between the Capitol and the smaller districts. The conflicts have led to successive rebellions. Owing to the increase in rebellions and social unrests, the president requires each district to offer two teenagers to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The teenagers must be a boy and a girl aged between twelve and eighteen years. The two teenagers are selected through a lottery. The winner of the events is rewarded with a distinction and riches.

In one of the districts, Katniss’ sister is chosen to represent the region in the annual events (The Hunger Games) . In a bid to save her younger sibling, Katniss volunteers to take her position in the games. Thereafter, Katniss together with her friends leaves the rural community and sets off for the city to prepare for the fight. Those who accompany her are Peeta and Haymitch. Peeta is Katniss’ age mate and comes from the same neighborhood.

On the other hand, Haymitch is a past champion of the event who currently suffers from severe alcoholisms. On their way, Haymitch informs them about the significance of having promoters. Haymitch believes that promoters have the ability to offer gifts and necessities required during the games. The above illustrations portray the conflict of men verses the society (Chigas 27). The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, Peeta and Katniss are expected to uphold the dignity of their district by winning the games (The Hunger Games) .

When the three teenagers arrive in the city, they have a number of interviews with the media personnel (The Hunger Games) . During some of the interviews, Peeta claims that he is in love with Katniss. Katniss confirms the claims with the aim of attracting sponsors’ favor. In this episode, Katniss and Peeta have to tackle with the conflict in romance (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54).

For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she has to decide whom she actually loves. By confirming that the two are in love, the contestants depict the theme of resolution. With regard to the game’s rules, the two contestants are required to fight one another to death until one contestant is left.

However, Katniss and Peeta resolve to work together with the aim of attracting more promoters. Later, during one of their training sessions Katniss learns about Marvel, Glimmer, Cato, and Clove. The four individuals are representatives of District 1 and District 2. Katniss notes that the four individuals have been unlawfully working out in the training arena from their younger ages.

Another conflict depicted the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54). Before the start of the games, Haymitch advises Katniss about the rules of the game. During the advising session, Haymitch informs her that she should not try to acquire materials from the centre of the arena. When the games start, Katniss does not obey the rule. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.

Thereafter, she tries to stay away from the centre of the arena as far as possible where most of the contestants are situated. In a bid to keep away from the other contestants, the event director uses other contestants to trigger events that force her to be exposed to other participants. Owing to this, Katniss runs into other contestants who are siding with her friend Peeta. In the crowd, she is forced to run up a tree. On the top of the tree, she meets another contestant from District 11 who is trying to hide from other contestants.

Later, the two work together in fighting against other contestants. With their courage, they kill a number of contestants and force others to flee. District 11’s contestant aids Katniss in treating her wounds. Because of this, they develop a mutual friendship. They later come up with a plan to secretly demolish a store of supplies relied on by their competitors.

The initiative forces their competitors to doubt each other. A contestant named Marvel later identifies their plan. The friendship between Katniss and her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. By doing so, the two managed to achieve a lot of success that they could not achieve without their union.

Later, Marvel murders Katniss’ friend (The Hunger Games) .In revenge, Katniss murders Marvel using an arrow. Katniss spends several days mourning for the loss of her friend. Her moments of sorrow are captured by the media personnel and broadcast them to the public. On receiving the information about how dangerous the game was, the members of the public engage in riots in a bid to force the government to end the games.

The public initiative to condemn the games is a sign of resolution. The media show them the harmful effects of the game. In return, the public wants the government to move with haste and end the events. To control the conflicts, the president summons the games’ coordinator and tells him that the turn of proceedings does not augur well for the games.

After the games’ coordinator returns from the summons, Haymitch convinces him to alter the rules of the game so that two survivors would be left as the winners. The sports coordinator agrees to the suggestion. When the changes are made public, Katniss seeks out for Peeta. She finds Peeta injured after fleeing from the other contestants. She moves him to a safer place and goes to get medication from the centre of the arena where Clove tries to kill her. She escapes from being killed after District 11’s contestant kills her enemy.

She returns and gives Peeta the medicine. Thereafter, the two prepare for the final session of the game. As the two are training, the games coordinator sends out wild animals that kill District 11’s contestant. Owing to this, Cato, Katniss, and Peeta are left as the only contestants. Later, Katniss and Peeta move to the centre of the arena where Cato is positioned. Cato tries to kill them before the wild animals arrive at the arena. Cato’s plans are thwarted by the arrival of the wild animals that eat him up.

After Cato’s demise, Katniss and Peeta wait to be announced as the winners of the competition the following day (The Hunger Games) . As the two await for their distinction, the game’s coordinator attempts to invalidate the new rule in order to recognize one winner only. When Katniss and Peeta learn about the plan, they threaten to ingest some lethal fruits forcing the coordinator to uphold the new rule.

The following morning, the two champions are crowned victors. With their victory, resolution occurs because the two contestants have outsmarted the game. Thereafter, they return to their homeland. On their way, Haymitch informs Katniss that she has attracted a number of rivals ever since she joined the game. Finally, the president kills the games’ coordinator for failing to advance the games.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the chief conflict affecting the characters in the above film is the conflict between men and the society. The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, people from the district where Peeta and Katniss come from expect them to win the games not to disgrace their home place.

Another conflict in the film is the conflict between men and feelings. For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she is obliged to choose that person she is really in love with. Another conflict in the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants. When the game starts, Katniss does not want to follow the rules set. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.

Resolutions are depicted when Katniss and her friends come up with drastic measures that allow them to proceed with the game. For instance, Peeta and Katniss inform the media that they are in love to win sponsors. Equally, the friendship between Katniss and some of her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. Eventually, their victory symbolizes resolution because with the help of it the two contestants outsmarted the game.

Works Cited

Chigas, Diana. “24 common sources of community conflict.” Communities Journal 128.1 (2005): 25-35. Print.

Gwartney, Patricia, Lynne Fessenden, and Gayle Landt. “Measuring the Long-Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: A Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents.” Negotiation Journal 18.1 (2002): 51-74. Print.

The Hunger Games . Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2012. HD-DVD.

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• NESA HSC English Syllabus This site includes past HSC exam papers, the subject syllabus and notes from the marking centre.

• Bloom's literature : Suzanne Collins The biographic entry for Suzanne Collins from the Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction. more... less... TAFE NSW username and password required
• Love Among the Ruins : How our awful future became the next big thing. By Lev Grossman. Time, 3/12/2012
• Dystopian novels : have you read one lately? Library Media Connection, Aug/Sep 2012
• Wikipedia : The Hunger Games A short summary of the books in The Hunger Games trilogy.
• The Hunger Games : Wikia A fan created community wiki site devoted to books and film adaptions of The Hunger Games trilogy. It includes sections on characters and plot.
• Cliff notes : The Hunger Games With sections on characters, chapter summaries and analysis, this site provides a useful overview of the novel.
• Time : PANEM's rebel : The star of the 74th annual Hunger Games A mock propaganda issue of Time Magazine promoting the 74th Hunger Games. It usefully demonstrates the manipulation of image and information in the world of Panem.
• The New York Times : Scary new world (book review). By John Green. 7/11/2008 A review of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
• The Artifice: The political message of The Hunger Games This article examines the political, social, cultural, and environmental messages contained in The Hunger Games.
• Revisiting Dystopia: the Reality Show Biopolitics of "The Hunger Games" (Academic article) This paper explores the dystopian imaginaries of the trilogy The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its film adaptations. It places the narrative into a genealogy of dystopian fiction concerned with the historical nation-state totalitarianism.
• The Hunger Games: An ecocritical reading (Academic article) This academic paper argues The Hunger Games "Recognises that the degradation of non-human nature through human action" as a major theme. It suggests a deep reading of this multilayered text "can broaden as well as change perspectives and trigger engaged debate". The paper also covers the critical issues of "consumer manipulation, media and celebrity culture".
• “In hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge”: Belly, bellum and rebellion in Coriolanus and The Hunger Games trilogy (Academic article). By Sara Soncini. Essays No. 15 05/2015 This article examines the link between Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and the shortage of food as ferment for rebellion in the districts of Panem.

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The Hunger Games

Suzanne collins, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Hunger Games: Introduction

The hunger games: plot summary, the hunger games: detailed summary & analysis, the hunger games: themes, the hunger games: quotes, the hunger games: characters, the hunger games: symbols, the hunger games: theme wheel, brief biography of suzanne collins.

Historical Context of The Hunger Games

Other books related to the hunger games.

• Full Title: The Hunger Games
• When Written: mid-to-late 2000s
• Where Written: Connecticut, United States
• When Published: September 2008
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Dystopian fiction; Young Adult fiction
• Setting: Fictional dystopia known as Panem, created after the governments of North America collapsed
• Climax: When Peeta and Katniss threaten to eat the poisoned berries rather than kill one another to win the Hunger Games
• Antagonist: President Snow, the Peacekeepers, those who watch the Hunger Games in the Capitol
• Point of View: First person, Katniss’s perspective

Extra Credit for The Hunger Games

Breaking Records. Shortly after publication, The Hunger Games appeared on both The New York Times Best Seller list and USA Today ’s best-sellers list, where it remained for over a hundred weeks. In 2012, Amazon also announced that Suzanne Collins had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time.

Parental Guidance Suggested. The American Library Association listed The Hunger Games as the third most challenged book of 2010, citing excessive violence and sexual content unsuited to the age group.

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The Hunger Games Theme: Social Injustice and Survival

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Published: Sep 7, 2023

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Table of contents

Social injustice and inequality, the brutality of entertainment, survival and resilience, rebellion and revolution, the consequences of power and control, conclusion: a thought-provoking reflection of society.

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The Hunger Games

By suzanne collins.

• The Hunger Games Summary

The Hunger Games details the adventure of Katniss Everdeen , who is forced to engage in a fight-to-the-death tournament against other children. The novel takes place in Panem, a dystopic country built on what was once North America. In a world of limited resources, the despotic government run by the Capitol keeps its citizens in line by separating them into Districts and reinforcing severe class separations. But their strongest tool to promote disunion and to discourage rebellion is the Hunger Games: a yearly event where two tributes from each district are pitted against each other for the country to watch on television.

Katniss lives with her mother and younger sister Prim in District 12, the poorest of the districts. Ever since her father's death, she has been the family provider, hunting illegally in the woods outside the district with her friend Gale. The novel begins on the day of the "reaping," when each District must select two tributes, one male and one female, to represent them in the Hunger Games. When Prim is selected as the female tribute, Katniss offers herself as volunteer and is allowed to serve as tribute alongside Peeta, a middle class boy from the district.

The remainder of Part One of the novel follows the children as they are both trained for the brutal games and groomed to portray a certain image for the audience. She forces herself into a stoic determination to win, a philosophy made difficult by the kindly Peeta. The relationship is made even more fraught when Peeta confesses during a live interview that he has a crush on Katniss. Though she fears making emotional connections that could compromise her desire to win, she agrees to portray the image of a unified front, an idea proposed by their sponsor Haymitch.

The Games are held in an arena in a forested area. When they begin, Katniss rushes away from the excitement of the initial bloodbath and uses her hunting/survival skills to develop a strategy. She sleeps in trees and hunts game. Each night, faces of the dead are broadcast into the sky. As she stays hidden, she learns that Peeta has allied himself with the "Career Tributes," those tributes from the richer districts who train their entire lives for the Games.

Meanwhile, the Gamemakers , those who design the Games, continue to manipulate the surroundings in order to keep the Games entertaining. After a severe burn following a firestorm, Katniss is trapped in a tree above the Careers. That night, she makes contact with Rue , the youngest tribute, who Katniss associates with Prim. Rue is up a nearby tree and suggests she defeat the Careers by dropping a wasp nest on them. She does so, in the process getting stung herself but also scattering the Careers and gaining for herself a bow, her strongest weapon. The wasp stings produce hallucinations, which slow her down and almost cost her her life, until Peeta helps her to escape. She is understandably confused.

Katniss and Rue form an alliance and make a plan to destroy the supplies that are keeping the Careers powerful. Rue sets fires to distract them while Katniss pieces together that they are protecting their supplies with landmines reappropriated from a Gamemaker design. When she uses the mines to explode the supplies, she is blown backwards and knocked out of commission for a few days. She returns just in time to see Rue killed by another tribute, who then quickly becomes Katniss's first kill. As a small act of rebellion against the Capitol, which expects the tributes to dehumanize one another, Katniss sings to Rue and decorates her corpse with flowers before the body is fetched by the Capitol.

The Gamemakers announce that the rules have changed, and that the two tributes from a district can serve as co-victors. She then finds Peeta, who was cut badly after helping Katniss escape the Careers. She does her best to help him recover, but it isn't until Haymitch sends her a gift following a kiss she shares with him that she understands that playing up the romance angle could pay off.

They spend days growing closer in a cave, but Katniss lacks the skill to cure Peeta's wound. When the Gamemakers announce that a "feast" will be held to draw the tributes together for crucial supplies, she tricks Peeta and heads to the feast. In trying to get her gift, which she assumes is anti-infection medicine for Peeta, she is almost killed by a Career, but saved by the other tribute from Rue's district. Having heard of Katniss's kindness towards Rue, the tribute lets her live.

The medicine cures Peeta, and they spend more time growing closer in the cave. Once the Gamemakers dry up their water supplies, they prepare themselves and head out to face Cato , the only other surviving tribute. But their main challenge turns out not to be Cato, but several wolf-man creatures unleashed by the Gamemakers, creatures reanimated from the corpses of dead tributes. Katniss and Peeta escape by climbing to higher ground, while the other tribute falls and is tortured by the creatures. Finally, Katniss kills the tribute with her arrow out of mercy.

They have won the Games, but the Gamemakers rescind the rule about dual victors. Peeta and Katniss threaten to commit dual suicide, which would ruin the Games, and they are hence awarded a dual victory.

They are fetched by the Capitol representatives, and separated for a long period of recovery. When they are brought out to the audience again, Haymitch warns Katniss that she needs to overplay the lovers angle as a defense for her threat to commit suicide, which the Capitol considers an act of rebellion. Over the period of fanfare that follows, she takes his advice, which makes Peeta, who actually does love her, very happy.

When all is done, they head back to District 12, and Katniss lets slip along the way that her affection was always for the cameras. Though not the entire truth, she is torn between her old identity as a poor hunter, and the more complex one she shaped through the Games. Peeta is heartbroken, but understands they must maintain an image as they prepare to present themselves to their district.

The Hunger Games Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Hunger Games is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

In The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, was Lucy Gray Baird the one who came up with The Hanging Tree?

I believe so. Coriolanus Snow thought that the song was written for Billy Taupe, her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with the Mayor's daughter but he realized that the song was written for him.

Katniss' father I believe told her the song but...

Chapter 24: What similarity does Katniss recognize between herself and Cato?

She thinks that they both can lack control over their temper. She also thinks that, like her, Cato has a keen intelligence for this game.

In what ways does “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” explore themes of morality, manipulation and survival?

The novel explores the hollowness of ambition and the desire for power, as well as the moral conflict and internal conflict that the Hunger Games provoke. The story also delves into the complexity of human nature and he choices individuals make...

Study Guide for The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games study guide contains a biography of Suzanne Collins, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Hunger Games
• Character List

Essays for The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

• The Danger of Ritual and Tradition in "The Hunger Games" and “The Lottery”
• Feminist Studies of Experience in The Hunger Games
• Defining and Defying Female Stereotypes: A Comparison of Charlotte Temple and Katniss Everdeen
• New Social Order
• Trust in the Hunger Games

Lesson Plan for The Hunger Games

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Hunger Games
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Hunger Games Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Hunger Games

• Introduction

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