...Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy that explores a future dystopian society. The story is set in "a country that rose up out of the ashes" of North America, after survivors of droughts, storms, fires, floods, hurricanes, and wars fought for their lives. This post-apocalyptic world is run by Panem, an all-powerful central government that controls the people and resources of twelve districts. Each district produces different products that are taken to the Capitol, the headquarters of Panem, where they are used as luxury items. Meanwhile, the twelve districts struggle to survive, often under the heavy and oppressive hands of armed guards. Security fences prevent escape, and brutal tactics keep the people under control. One such tactic is the staging of the annual Hunger Games, where, in a lottery, two children are chosen from each district to fight to the death in an arena while the entire country watches on television. The Hunger Games are a punishment for a time in the past when the twelve districts rose in rebellion against the Capitol and were defeated; a thirteenth district was even completely destroyed. Panem has staged the Hunger Games ever since to chasten the people, remind them of their uprising, and warn them that if they rebel again, they will all be destroyed. Once in the Hunger Games arena, the children (called "tributes") fight until only one child is left; the remaining tribute and his or her family are awarded lives of ease, along...
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...The Hunger Games Setting The Hunger Games is this first novel in a series of three written by Suzanne Collins in 2008. Katniss Everdeen, one of the stories main characters, lives in the country of Panem. Throughout the course of novel Katniss is in different places such as District 12 and the Capitol. Panem is the country where Katniss lives with her family. This country is split into thirteen different districts. Katniss and eight thousand others call District 12 their home. District 12 is a very poor coal mining district. Katniss referred to District 12 as “where you can starve to death in safety.” This lets us know that it is a very poor area to live in considered the residents are struggling to put food on the table. It was extremely hard to find food in there, and many families lived in poverty. The part of District 12 that Katniss lives in is known as the Seam, which is where the coal-miners live and work. The Seam is located on the border of District 12 next to a forest. District 12 is enclosed by a high chain-link fence topped with barbwire. The electric fence is used a deterrent to predators that live in the woods. The merchant area in District 12 is a step up from the Seam. The mayor and his daughter, along with other families such as Peeta Mellark's, lived in the merchant area and are well-off for District 12. It was mentioned by Katniss that the merchants "lived above their businesses," suggesting that the merchants' homes doubled as their shops as well. The...
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...Pwint Professor Prescott English 3 03 05 2013 The Capitalist Capitol versus Desolate District 12 Suzanne Collins’ 2008 book The Hunger Games is about a fictional country that has a reality entertainment show in which boys and girls, two from each of twelve districts, are forced to murder each other until only one is left. In 2012, director Gary Ross adapted Collins’ book into a film. On the surface, both the book and the film version of The Hunger Games seem to be just a form of entertainment. However, if one interprets the two analytically, they are criticizing the inequalities and power abuse in our own capitalist society. Capitalism creates wealth and power inequalities, often leading to the rich abusing the poor. In The Hunger Games, the rich entertain themselves with the blood battle of the poor. Though Ross conveys the inequalities and power abuse mentioned in the book, he also adapts some scenes to make this message easier for the audience to understand. While Collins heavily relies on detailed descriptions and Katniss’ narration to give the message that capitalism forms inequalities and power abuse, Ross uses more visual contrasts to make the film more appealing while portraying the same message. Inequalities in Panem can be vividly seen in the differences in food, clothing and housing between the rich Capitol and the desolate District 12 in both the book and the film. Collins use clear descriptions to portray these discrepancies in capitalism while Ross exposes...
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...What’s a world without love? Love is around us all day; love is the reason why 1most of us were born. Name one person who doesn’t love another, it is not possible. In the novel, The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta survived off love while sent to the hunger games arena to fight for their lives .Also, in another novel, Anthem by Any Rand Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 lived in a dystopian society where love was forbidden where they lived. In the novels The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Anthem by Ayn Rand readers will see the main characters differences and similarities of how love bought them together. Have you ever heard the saying “love will make you do crazy things?” In both novels Katniss and Equality 7-2521 love made them do crazy things. “And you find yourself rooting for lovers who literally kill themselves to stay alive” Katniss and Peeta fought against twelve other districts just to stay alive. Katniss and Peeta were both from the same district, but was love enough to keep them both alive? Equality was born in a dystopian society everything was meant to be “perfect” so apart of their perfect life love wasn’t in it. Equality 7-2521 was a different boy. He was always smarter than the others but since everyone was the same he hid his advance knowledge that he had. “We wish to write this name. We wish to break but we dare not speak it above whisper.” For men is forbidden to take notice in woman.” This is the type of world characters from Anthem lived in. “I...
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...“The Hunger Games” Film Review New York Times, John Green- “Brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced” Film Name: The Hunger Games Genre: Dystopian Fiction Director’s Name: Gary Ross Adapted From The Novel and Author: “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins Plot Summary The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic North America, known as the new country of “Panem”, with a government known as, “The Capitol”- a metropolis, that exercises political control over its society. The Capitol has an annual event, “The Hunger Games” to remind the citizens of Panem of the “Dark Days”, and to ensure that they never return. The story begins in a poor, coal-mining district, following a young 16-year old girl, Katniss Everdeen and her fellow tribute, Peetah Mellark. Critical Review In “The Hunger Games”, “Katniss Everdeen”, who was played by Jennifer Lawrence, was portrayed exceptional well. Not only does Jennifer’s appearance resemble all of those of Katniss, her attitude does as well. Instantly, you find yourself attached to Katniss and her family, as you feel sympathetic towards their poverty and situation. After you see Katniss volunteer as tribute for her sister at “The Reaping”, you automatically set your hopes high for her to win the games. Throughout the film, you feel all of the same emotions as Katniss, her fear at the beginning of the games, her miss-trust in everyone around her, and her relief when finally winning the games. “Peetah Mellark”, played by Josh Hutcherson...
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...3/27/12 English 90 The hunger games In the book by Suzanne Collins “The Hunger Games”, Katniss goes on to achieve atonement because she was “at-one” with her new self and life. In her journey Rue, one of the tributes that became Katniss’ ally, was killed. Katniss had to absorb the changes caused by the journey and she was fully reborn, after Rue’s death. This made Katniss balance herself by understanding, accepting, and realizing what she had to do. I believe this made katniss a hero because of the atonement. First of all, Katniss starts to understand what Haymitch wanted all along. In this quote, “one kiss equals one pot of broth.”(p.261) Katniss realizes that Haymitch wanted her to give the audience more. She had to show romance between herself and Peeta. This made her more powerful in a way because she just had to kiss Peeta and show romance. Then she would receive a gift. Katniss understood what Haymitch wanted her to do. Second of all, Katniss starts to trust and she starts to accept Peeta. In this quote “This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest” (p.298) and she realizes that she wants another kiss. This means that she is starting to accept Peeta in a romantic way. In this other quote, “No one has held me like this in such a long time.” (p.299) she feels like she is beginning to trust him because no one had ever held her like that in a...
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...What’s a world without love? Love is around us all day; love is the reason why 1most of us were born. Name one person who doesn’t love another, it is not possible. In the novel, The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta survived off love while sent to the hunger games arena to fight for their lives .Also, in another novel, Anthem by Any Rand Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 lived in a dystopian society where love was forbidden where they lived. In the novels The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Anthem by Ayn Rand readers will see the main characters differences and similarities of how love bought them together. Have you ever heard the saying “love will make you do crazy things?” In both novels Katniss and Equality 7-2521 love made them do crazy things. “And you find yourself rooting for lovers who literally kill themselves to stay alive” Katniss and Peeta fought against twelve other districts just to stay alive. Katniss and Peeta were both from the same district, but was love enough to keep them both alive? Equality was born in a dystopian society everything was meant to be “perfect” so apart of their perfect life love wasn’t in it. Equality 7-2521 was a different boy. He was always smarter than the others but since everyone was the same he hid his advance knowledge that he had. “We wish to write this name. We wish to break but we dare not speak it above whisper.” For men is forbidden to take notice in woman.” This is the type of world characters from Anthem lived in. “I...
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...The Hunger Games begins on the day of the reaping in District 12. Katniss Everdeen, the story's 16-year-old narrator, sets out to meet her friend Gale so they can do some hunting and gathering before the reaping that afternoon. As Katniss makes her way from her home to the Meadow and, finally, to the woods, where people of the district are forbidden to go, we learn about Katniss' life in the impoverished part of her district, the Seam, and her family. She thinks about her sister Prim, who is 4 years younger, and her mother, both of whom have depended upon Katniss for survival ever since Katniss' father died in a mine explosion when she was 11. The reaping is a nerve-wracking time because it determines which boy and girl, ages 12 to 18, will serve as the district's tributes in the Hunger Games. Two tributes are drawn in each of the 12 districts, and those tributes are sent to an arena where they fight until only one tribute remains alive. The victor gets to return home, and the victor's district is showered with gifts — namely food. The Games, put on by the Capitol, are meant to punish the 12 districts of Panem as well as to remind them of the Dark Days and how the 13th district was obliterated for its uprising against the tyrannical and cruel Capitol. Against all odds, Prim's name is selected at the reaping. Katniss volunteers to take the place of her younger sister and becomes District 12's girl tribute for the 74th Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark, a boy Katniss' age and the...
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... For Katniss and Peeta, it’s real. For them, these are the Hunger Games. Only three rules: Don’t step off your plate before the gong rings, don’t insult the Capitol, and don’t get killed. With twenty-three other teenagers out to kill you, you can’t afford to trust anyone. Or can you? That’s what sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen thinks when she volunteers for her twelve-year-old sister, Prim. Trust no one. Come back alive. Those are her only priorities. When Katniss enters the arena, her original plan is to run, run, run as fast as she possibly can away from the Cornucopia-- A giant, gleaming dome filled with weapons, food, water, and other supplies. She doesn’t want to enter the bloodbath-- The beginning of the Games so nicknamed because of brutal battles that take place over the supplies the Cornucopia holds. One item changes everything, though: A gleaming bow. Her ideal weapon. The bow... It could buy her food and defense. It could be the very key to her survival. And, after all, how hard can it be to get one bow? Apparently, very. After all is said and done, Katniss ends up in a tree for the night, exhausted and weaponless. She was only able to acquire a backpack containing a sleeping bag, a bit of food, and an empty water canteen. After hardships such as tracker jackers (deadly insects similar to hornets or wasps), a forest fire, and her only ally dying, the Game-makers make an announcement: If two tributes are from the same District...
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...YA Dystopia's Teach Children To Submit to the Free Market The main argument I see from this article is, as the title says, teaching children to conform to the right wing mindset that adults already have, in a way, programmed into their minds as a way they've grown up with. The way they describe The Hunger Games is a liberal set world that has gone wrong and plays into the minds that a laissez-faire existence would leave society with a better standing. From my understanding of the Hunger Games franchise, I would argue that the author is completely correct in their speculations. The novels are left up to each reader's decision and in my humble opinion, I would come to conclusions from the book that it's focal points leave readers with the message...
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...Thesis Statement In the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, prejudice/prejudgment is used in many different ways. It’s used against the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, and used by her as well. The Hunger Games is about a girl named Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers for her sister, Prim, a fight in a televised death match and Katniss’s struggle to stay alive. Katniss is very strong willed and independent which helps her survive in the Games and out. The Capitol, who started the Games, thinks the people in the Districts are like pawns in a game of chess. Katniss, being from District Twelve, is thought of as a poor, helpless girl like the rest of her District. I would say this book gives many statements about people, even if it does take place in the future. The Capitol and higher Districts think that since they are wealthy, they have power over all the other Districts, especially the Capitol. Katniss's poverty proves both useful and weakening to her. Because of her lack of privilege, she has been forced to learn several skills that prove useful in the arena. In addition to her hunting and gathering capabilities, she comments several times on how she knows how to acquire and her body is able to manage hunger better than those who are used to be luxurious. I would say a very accurate statement about The Hunger Games is that money doesn’t give power, it gives the idea of power. The author states this topic all throughout the book and gives the reader a lot...
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...presented to readers in Suzanne Collins thrilling trilogy: The Hunger Games. Ruling over its inhabitants with an iron fist, the oppressive nation of Panem will use any means necessary to remain in control of its citizens and districts. Panem and its rulers in the capitol have no quarrel with using even the most extreme of measures including, one of the major plot devices of the trilogy, forcing children to fight to the death in what is known as The Hunger Games. The capital believes their cruelty...
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...After reading the book Hunger Games, I learned agriculture themes in the book very from district to district. I will be honest as I had not read the book nor seen the movie before this class assignment. After reading the book and learning the history to the story and how the Capitol used control over the Districts and didn’t allow them to profit, benefit or prosper from their own natural resources – then tying all that to Agriculture was at first a challenge. Learning that many of the districts had no control over food and many people didn’t have enough to eat. District 9's industry was grain, lots of farmland for grain. District 10's industry was livestock. District 11's industry was agriculture - orchards and fields of grain and cotton surround the district. Most everything grown is shipped directly to the Capitol. Residents generally being malnourished and underfed despite its focus on agriculture. District 12's industry was coal. It is one of the poorest districts, in all of Panem. Before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the 74th Hunger Games, the district had not had a winner of the Hunger Games for twenty-four years since Haymitch Abernathy. The basic facts of tributes and how their names were put into a lottery, then not fed nor trained equally prove that there was unfairness for food distribution, it wasn’t because district residents all didn’t know how to grow or raise food, they simply didn’t have the means, nor were they allowed to keep the food for...
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...The Hunger Games, the award-winning book by Suzanne Collins, takes place in Panem more than one hundred years in the future. Panem is the country created after the fall of the North American government. The setting plays a major role in the plot of The Hunger Games. Because it is set in a dystopian future, the hunger games are acceptable even though it is murder. If it was set in present time, the games would be seen as something awful. The setting allows such things to happen without much protest. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist, is a 16-year-old girl who lives in district 12 of Panem. She has black hair, which is usually braided, olive skin, and gray eyes. Although she is thin and not very tall, Katniss is considerably strong. As well...
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...Symbolism in The Hunger Games In many works of literature, there are certain people, places, and objects that represent a certain concept or anything that’s abstract. For example, a bird can symbolize something such as freedom. In the movie, The Hunger Games, there are many instances of symbolism. Three examples of symbols that are shown in The Hunger Games include the thirteen districts, Katniss’ dresses, and the mockingjay. The first example of symbolism in The Hunger Games is the fact that Panem consists of thirteen districts. The country of Panem is located in what was once North America, and these districts symbolize the thirteen colonies that were created when people began to come to America from Great Britain and the struggles they endured. Just as in early history, the thirteen districts are ruled by a harsh and distant power. The Capitol, as the British monarchy did, placed sanctions, punishments, and unfair restrictions on the people of Panem. These strict rules fuel the rebellion that occurs later on within the districts. The next instance of symbolism occurs in Katniss’ dresses that her designer, Cinna, makes for her. The first dress that Cinna designs represents District 12, the coal-mining district. He has the dress light up in synthetic flames giving Katniss the name, “the girl on fire.” As the series progresses, the flames start to not only represent her image but also her spirit. Throughout The Hunger Games series, it is evident that Katniss has an inner...
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