Imagery And Symbolism In The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

There are many great examples of symbolism in the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The mockingjay, bread, capitol clothing, and the arena are great examples of symbols. These different symbols enhance the reader's understanding of the themes and messages presented throughout the book.

The mockingjay is a crucial symbol in the novel. It represents hope and rebellion, as it is a result of the Capitol’s attempt to control nature. As stated on page (72-73), ““During the rebellion, the Capitol bred a series of genetically altered animals as weapons. The common term for them was muttations, or sometimes mutts for short. One was a special bird called a jabberjay that had the ability to memorize and repeat whole human conversations After the birds gathered words, they’d fly back to centers to be recorded. The rebels fed the Capitol endless lies, and the joke was on it. So the centers were shut down and the birds were abandoned to die off in the wild. Only they

And they could re-create songs. Not just a few notes, but whole songs with multiple verses, if you had the patience to sing them and if they liked your voice.” The creation of the mockingjay, then, symbolizes

“There are drawers filled with fine clothes, and Effie Trinket tells me to do anything I want, wear anything I want, everything is at my disposal. (Pg.71-72). The Capitol’s extravagant clothing represents excess and wealth, while the Districts’ plain clothes represent poverty and lack of resources. This symbolism reinforces the idea that the Capitol is exploiting the Districts for their own benefit, as the people of the Capitol use their wealth to flaunt their power and gawk at the less fortunate, poor people in the