The Hunger Games Hero's Journey

Mythologist, college professor, and author Joseph Campbell came up with the idea of the Hero’s Journey, which had a big impact of literature, and still does today. The Hero’s Journey consists of four main parts, with more ideas under each part. These four parts are Departure, Testing, Fulfillment, and Return. Each part is a key aspect of the Hero’s Journey. In The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen goes through this journey. Katniss goes through each and every part, becoming a hero without even knowing it.

The first part of the Hero’s Journey is Departure, which is when the hero starts their journey. Katniss gets her Call to Adventure at the Selection Ceremony, for the annual Hunger Games. Her sister Prim gets chosen,

This is when the hero faces lots of challenges, and go through a road of trials. According to Campbell, these tests get harder as the hero succeeds. Katniss faces many tests on her journey. Some of her earliest tests start before she been enters the arena. In order to have a chance at succeeding in the arena and coming out alive, Katniss needs to get sponsors. These sponsors will send her things that help her along the way. She needs to gain attention, make herself worthy of being sponsored. She faces many more challenges before the games, especially in training. She doesn't get along with many of the other tributes, but makes a friend in a little girl Rue. Katniss starts to realize that the Careers are enemies. The Careers have trained their entire life for this event, and for them it is an honor to compete. Katniss also faces challenges with the Gamemakers. They are the ones who control the games, and are the ones who will give Katniss the majority of her tests. In the arena, it is brutal. Test after test, Katniss is still alive. She survived the mutant wasps and fire courtesy of the Gamemakers, and managed to win some fights with other tributes as well. All of these tests are leading her up to “The Big One.” This is the biggest test in a hero’s journey, what makes or breaks the person. All of the other tests were just preparing her to make sure that she is ready for this test. Katniss’s “Big One” happens when the only tributes left are her, Peeta, and Cato. The Gamemakers release mutts into the arena. Cato ends up getting eaten by the brutal mutts after Katniss shot him. This final test is sometimes called “slaying the dragon”, or in this case Cato. Even though Katniss won her “Big One”, her time in the arena is not over