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Themes In The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

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Have you ever laughed at a fail compilation? Have you ever worried about your appearance and how you present yourself? Have you ever broken a rule or disagreed with a person in power? Chances are you have. In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss and Peeta live in a dystopian society where teens are put into an arena to fight to the death. Throughout the novel we learn about Katniss’ district which is extremely poor, we learn about the lavish Capitol who enjoys watching the games for entertainment, and we learn about Katniss navigating her appearance and how she should present herself. In The Hunger Games,the main themes are rebellion, suffering for entertainment, and the challenges of appearance and presentation. The first popular …show more content…

That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I” (Collins, 224). This quote shows Katniss’ first outright act of rebellion towards the Capitol in the games. She openly shows the Capitol that the games will not change her or how much she cares for Rue. She wants the people of Panem to see what the Capitol has done to someone so small and youthful. This is her way of getting justice for Rue. One may believe that covering Rue in flowers is letting her have a proper death and show that she is not just another just another numbered tribute. She doesnt let the games change who she is as a person or turn her into a savage who just wants to win. “Funny, in the arena, when I poured out those berries, I was only thinking of outsmarting the Gamemakers, not how my actions would reflect on the Capitol. But the Hunger Games are their weapon and you are not supposed to be able to defeat it” (Collins, 342). This is another example of Katniss’ acts of rebellion, intentional or not. One may believe that this is the greatest act of rebellion in the novel. She has the idea for her and Peeta to eat the berries and commit a double suicide so there will be no victor. It …show more content…

“ ‘Well you’re not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get a hold of you, you’ll be attractive enough’ ” (Collins, 54). Throughout the games, including preparation for the games and after game interviews, we see how important appearance is. Katniss is constantly being dressed up to impress the Capitol. Her appearance is so important for the Capitols’ entertainment and for getting sponsors. Cinna is concerned about how Katniss looks but also how the Capitol perceives her. At the start of the book, before the games, Cinna dresses her in bold and fierce outfits. Katniss’ outfits and appearance are constantly being used to portray a message or a persona. She is dressed in memorable outfits that symbolize her fiery personality and unforgettable skill, the “girl on fire”. Then after the berry incident in the arena, she is dressed in a childlike yellow dress and soft makeup for the post game interview. She portrays an innocent and love sick teenager. They once again use her appearance to send a message, but not a message of a fiery strong girl but as a harmless girl deeply in love. They use this look to portray her innocence and that she did not defy the Capitol; she was just crazy in love. “ ‘...the Gamemakers wanted to alter you surgically…’ ” (Collins, 339). The Capitol is constantly pushing Katniss into the “perfect” girl mould. Her appearance is constantly

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Katniss now understands what Peeta meant when he said that he wanted to think of a way to show the Capital that they don’t own him, that he isn’t just somebody they can use. Katniss wants to do something that will show the Capitol that there is a part of her that they don’t own, “That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I”(237). Katniss goes out and picks flowers to decorate Rue’s dead body with, and then she puts her fingers to her lips and holds them out in a gesture of respect used in District Twelve. She knows that they will have to show it eventually.

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Katniss feels as if her freedom is being taken away and her ego is not important. She will do whatever it takes to bring back that feeling of self

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Human nature seems to be totally different in the next novel. In The Hunger Games, a male and female are selected out of twelve districts every year to participate in the games. The point of the game is to be placed in an inescapable battlefield and fight to the death. If a character wins the games you receive money, food, a house, and prestige. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are a part of the annual game.

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By Katniss wanting the audience and the capital to see what she did to Rue’s body, she is seen as rebelling against the capital because the point of the games is to see people’s true

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As Katniss is an important character she has learned how to survive and how to hunt since she had to cope with the loss of her father in a coal mining accident. She has survived so much just for her family, without hunting her family would have been in a huge starvation problem. "I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute!". She knew that as soon as Prim's name was called out she knew that she wouldn't last in the arena.

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An unknown person once said, “When we read books, we don’t fall in love with the character’s appearances. We fall in love with their thoughts, their words, and their actions. We fall in love with their souls.” In the dystopian novel, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, this is exactly what happens, Katniss moves the readers by having such characteristic and skills to be able to survive. Katniss’s characteristics, of being caring, having a determined personality, and her intelligence in survival skills, all help support the theme of Katniss being able to survive.

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When she goes back to the Capitol with Peeta Mellark, the fellow tribute from District 12, she discovers President Snow is viewing her as rebellious and her only defense, as stated on page 351, is that she was madly in love. When Haymitch tells her this Katniss must convert herself from someone who just won the Games to someone who is the star-struck lover of Peeta Another character, Rue from District 11, has also adapted to Games Arena. On page 205, the text states, “I think of how cold the nights have been. ‘You can share my sleeping bag

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How important is appearance in everyday life? At work? Or even at school? Although appearances do not affect one’s chance at survival in ordinary life, they undoubtedly are very important in The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. As time goes by, Katniss and Peeta have to be more careful as to how they look and act when around the Capitol, or in front of the camera.

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The Hunger Games is a way the government enforces its power and demonstrates its ability to hold off rebellion and punish those against the Capital. Katniss is a direct threat once she realizes that both she and Peeta, her male counterpart from District 12, can survive the war that they involuntarily became a part of. The Capital disguises the games by dressing them up in a way that makes it seem like this will prevent another rebellion and is best for society in a long run. The Hunger Games demonstrates the importance of the government to oppress the citizens of the districts and force them into compliance. By giving those chosen the idea that all contestants are given the same opportunities and are rewarded for their sacrifice if they win, the Capital keeps its power by keeping the citizens in line creating a utopian

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Through everything the ruthless government throws at her, she fights off because through her actions she has proven to be the face of hope for all to look up to. Katniss has embodied the role of a leader for a long time . "Her grit, roughness and decency, serve as a rebuke to the Capitol... Katniss personalizes -- humanizes -- the fight. That humanity is crucial to her evolution as a classic charismatic revolutionary hero.

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" This quote shows Katniss's perseverance. Prim has motivated her to reach the goal of winning the Games. This characteristic of Katniss's helps convey the theme of survival because without her perseverance, she would not have been able to survive and make it home to her sister. Her perseverance kept her going even when the times in the Games got tough. Katniss and Peeta have been through a great quantity of situations in the Games.

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Theme # 1- No matter what tyrannical environment you live in, your identity can never be changed The Hunger Games focuses on the theme of identity and how it is immutable in any tyrannical environment. This tells the audience that no one can take away your identity and it can only be controlled by you. In the movie, 24 tributes are forced to enter a game where they kill each other in order to survive which led them to losing their identity and becoming pawns to entertain the people of the Capitol.

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“I volunteer as tribute!” When Katniss realized that it was Prim that was called she immediately said that. Katniss loves Prim so much that she put herself in danger just to save her. At that point in the book, Katniss would rather die than to watch Prim have to go into the Hunger Games. In many of the chapters of The Hunger Games people say, “ May the odds be ever in your favor.”

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Dystopian novels and movies always have “identity” as one of their central themes and plays a pivotal role in the characters story. In Suzanne Collins’, The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen’s identity is profoundly transformed by her experience in the Games. Firstly, she deals with her identity as a human being under the control of the Capitol. Secondly, she struggles with a conflicting identity. Finally, she shows difficulty with coming to terms with the person she will inevitably become if she wins the Games.

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Katniss learns how to be more selfless and not let coming from district 12 define who she is and what she can do. Katniss is a strong, force,and selfless charter who the readers can see a little bit of themselves in her as she develops through the story. The readers also strive to be a little bit more like Katniss everyday because she has the strength and willpower to complete any task that she puts her mind too. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is an amazing book for readers of all

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