Plot SummaryThe Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is a story about a futuristic society in which a governmental force, known as the Capitol, has supreme control. Every year, one boy and one girl are chosen from each of twelve districts to participate in the Hunger Games. These games are set up by the Capitol in order to punish people for a rebellion that occurred long ago. Their purpose is to show all of the people that the Capitol has absolute power and should never be challenged. Everyone who is selected to participate, called tributes, must fight in an outdoor arena under constant surveillance by the Capitol’s cameras for everyone back home to watch. Only one tribute may survive, and the winner’s district is awarded with lots of food. The Capitol is able to manipulate the games in order to make them more exciting. It tries to make the games more entertaining by encouraging the tributes to gain sympathy from the audience. More sympathy means more money for helpful gifts from supporters, such as weapons or other supplies, which gives the participant a better chance for survival.Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12; the coal-mining district. When her younger sister, Primrose, gets chosen to participate in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers as tribute in place of her. Katniss is taken to the Capitol and is treated almost as if she is a celebrity; she is given food and a make-over and is interviewed on television. All of this seems superficial to her because all of the tributes are preparing to fight each other to the death. During the games, Katniss is pushed to her limits not only physically, but mentallyand emotionally as well. The main source of her strength throughout the games is the fact that she promised her little sister that she would not give up; Katniss’s sister means everything to her.
Theme: TrustThe central theme of The Hunger Games is trust. Throughout the story, Katniss finds that it is difficult to figure out what to believe and who to trust. Back home in District 12, she knew that she could trust her sister, mother, and Gale. As soon as she gets to the Capitol, however, Katniss begins to notice that everything is staged. The literary element that is critical in developing this theme is characterization. Katniss is an incredibly intelligent girl. She has to be aware of her every move, and she is extremely talented at thinking on her feet. She has to decide whether or not to show emotion during the games because everyone is watching her. She knows that if she shows fear or sadness, she will be labeled as weak, which will make her a more susceptible target for the other tributes.
During the games, the story focuses around Katniss’ emotions and her relationship with Peeta. She doesn’t know whether or not she can trust Peeta Mellark, the male competitor from her district. On one of the televised interviews, Peeta confesses that he is in love with Katniss. She does not know whether this is true or if it is just an attempt to gain sympathy from the audience; she has difficulty trusting him or believing what he says. During the games, Katniss sees Peeta teaming up with tributes from other districts, which makes her question his character. She wants to trust him, but she knows that if they are the last two remaining competitors, one will have to kill the other. Therefore, there is an internal conflict that she faces constantly; she wants to become friends with Peeta but knows that it is dangerous. If she becomes too attached to him, it will be difficult for her to kill him. However, the decision to spend time with Peeta is out of Katniss’s control; the pair is encouraged to act lovingly toward one another in order to entertain the viewers. While acting like a couple, Peeta and Katniss gradually become closer and genuinely being to enjoy spending time together. Their personalities and characteristics allow Katniss and Peeta to completely trust each other, despite the risks that the games create. At the end of the games, they prove their trustworthiness when they both decide that they would rather commit suicide together instead of one being required to kill the other. Not only was this the ultimate display of their trust of each other, but it was also a way for Peeta and Katniss to stand up to the Capitol and illustrate their individuality.
During the games, the story focuses around Katniss’ emotions and her relationship with Peeta. She doesn’t know whether or not she can trust Peeta Mellark, the male competitor from her district. On one of the televised interviews, Peeta confesses that he is in love with Katniss. She does not know whether this is true or if it is just an attempt to gain sympathy from the audience; she has difficulty trusting him or believing what he says. During the games, Katniss sees Peeta teaming up with tributes from other districts, which makes her question his character. She wants to trust him, but she knows that if they are the last two remaining competitors, one will have to kill the other. Therefore, there is an internal conflict that she faces constantly; she wants to become friends with Peeta but knows that it is dangerous. If she becomes too attached to him, it will be difficult for her to kill him. However, the decision to spend time with Peeta is out of Katniss’s control; the pair is encouraged to act lovingly toward one another in order to entertain the viewers. While acting like a couple, Peeta and Katniss gradually become closer and genuinely being to enjoy spending time together. Their personalities and characteristics allow Katniss and Peeta to completely trust each other, despite the risks that the games create. At the end of the games, they prove their trustworthiness when they both decide that they would rather commit suicide together instead of one being required to kill the other. Not only was this the ultimate display of their trust of each other, but it was also a way for Peeta and Katniss to stand up to the Capitol and illustrate their individuality.
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Critique
In my opinion, one of Suzanne Collins’ greatest strengths as a writer is her ability to keep the reader interested throughout the entire story. I never lost interest in the plot because there were always unanswered questions twists in the plot that continuously grabbed my attention. The relationship between Katniss and Peeta was also intriguing. The book’s main weakness was that it didn’t focus enough about Peeta’s point of view. It would have been interesting to show his thoughts as well as Katniss’s.
My only complaint about this book is that it ended as a cliff-hanger, even though it served the purpose of leading into the second book of the trilogy. I hated reading the last page and still having so many unanswered questions. One of my favorite parts about reading a book is the sense of accomplishment after I finish it. I did not feel this way after finishing The Hunger Games because the story was unfinished.
Overall, I think that this book was fantastic. It was interesting, entertaining, and made me want to keep reading. It only took me a couple of days to finish. I would recommend this book to any young adult, even if they don’t like to read very much. This is the first book that I have enjoyed reading in a long time. I thought that I hated reading, but this book showed me that I actually love it when the book is really good. In other words, not only was this book entertaining, but it encouraged me to be more open about reading other books for fun. I no longer view reading as a boring chore; I now think that it is a good way to pass the time.
In my opinion, one of Suzanne Collins’ greatest strengths as a writer is her ability to keep the reader interested throughout the entire story. I never lost interest in the plot because there were always unanswered questions twists in the plot that continuously grabbed my attention. The relationship between Katniss and Peeta was also intriguing. The book’s main weakness was that it didn’t focus enough about Peeta’s point of view. It would have been interesting to show his thoughts as well as Katniss’s.
My only complaint about this book is that it ended as a cliff-hanger, even though it served the purpose of leading into the second book of the trilogy. I hated reading the last page and still having so many unanswered questions. One of my favorite parts about reading a book is the sense of accomplishment after I finish it. I did not feel this way after finishing The Hunger Games because the story was unfinished.
Overall, I think that this book was fantastic. It was interesting, entertaining, and made me want to keep reading. It only took me a couple of days to finish. I would recommend this book to any young adult, even if they don’t like to read very much. This is the first book that I have enjoyed reading in a long time. I thought that I hated reading, but this book showed me that I actually love it when the book is really good. In other words, not only was this book entertaining, but it encouraged me to be more open about reading other books for fun. I no longer view reading as a boring chore; I now think that it is a good way to pass the time.
