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The Hunger Games eNotes Response Journal
Why does it upset Katniss when Peeta Mellark is chosen as the male tribute from District 12? Why do you think she hates “owing people”? How do you think her feelings on this subject will complicate her choices in the Hunger Games? Katniss is unsure about the motives behind Peeta’s friendly behavior. Do you think he is a genuinely good person, or do you think he is merely performing for the cameras in order to give himself an edge in the Hunger Games? Use evidence from the story to back up your answer. The Hunger Games are designed as a source of entertainment for the people of the Capitol. What parts of the experience seem like a game to you? As you read, do you ever forget that lives are at stake? Why or why not? Katniss thinks often of Prim, who will be forced to watch highlights from the Hunger Games during breaks at school. Why do you think the government makes the people from the districts watch the Games? How does Rue’s death change Katniss’s attitude toward the Capitol? What does Katniss do to protest the death? How do her actions show that Rue is “more than a piece in their Games”? Katniss and Peeta guess that Haymitch won his Hunger Games by outsmarting the other opponents. Do you think intelligence makes that big of a difference in the Games? Use evidence from the story to support your answer.
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The Hunger Games eNotes Lesson Plan
The Hunger Games, a young adult book published in 2008, focuses on the experiences of 16-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen as she faces death in a gladiatorial arena in the futuristic country of Panem. Many of the dystopian novel’s central themes revolve around the conflict between survival and humanity and reveal how freedom of choice offers the possibility of defiance within a cruel and totalitarian regime. Of particular note is the way the author, Suzanne Collins, gives razor-sharp focus to the invasive and corrupting qualities of reality television and technology. Although it is a work of fiction, the novel mirrors our own society in a way that is fascinating and disturbing. The Hunger Games is the first book in Collins’s trilogy that follows Everdeen in her struggles to fight for freedom in a country ruled by a tyrannical government. (2009’s Catching Fire and 2010’s Mockingjay complete the triology.) Panem has arisen from the ashes of a post-apocalyptic North America destroyed by floods and other natural disasters. The country is divided into poor districts that serve and are tightly controlled by a totalitarian government seated in the wealthy, technology-centered Capitol. The Hunger Games, deadly gladiatorial contests, are mandated by the government as a means of oppressing the residents of the districts: Each year, two children from each district are selected as tributes to enter an arena and fight to the death, reminding the districts of the Capitol’s power and control over their lives. Collins has said that the book was partly inspired by channel surfing on television. While flipping between a program with footage from the invasion of Iraq and a program depicting contestants in a TV reality show, she found the two concepts begin to “blur in this very unsettling way.” Other touchstones Collins relied upon in creating the book include the Greek myth of Theseus, a story that informs Katniss’s character, and the Roman gladiatorial games, which clearly provided a foundation for the novel’s Hunger Games. Written in a simple style that employs strong, visceral language and nearly constant suspense, The Hunger Games has become immensely popular. The film version of the novel, which was released in 2011, was also a huge success and only increased the book’s visibility and notoriety. Many critics point out that the novel’s popularity results in part from the themes Collins develops, themes that resonate with modern teenagers, including the idea of the “pack mentality” with the strong preying upon the weak and the notion that style and appearance can trump substance. Also, despite the futuristic setting, the struggles of the teenage characters are depicted realistically. Many of the decisions they must make are morally complex, requiring the ability to perceive how forces beyond themselves attempt to manipulate them. Although this dystopian novel is filled with dark passages and scenes of terrible violence, ultimately it offers a message of hope through its strong themes of friendship, compassion, and unity. The Hunger Games is a compelling and thought-provoking introduction to the genre of dystopian novels for young adult readers.
