Student Question
In The Hunger Games, why does Peeta choose to hunt with the Careers?
Quick answer:
Peeta allies with the Careers because he lacks survival skills and believes joining them increases his chances of protecting Katniss. By infiltrating their group, he can subtly influence their actions, reducing the threat to Katniss. His suggestion to wait out Katniss when she's trapped in a tree exemplifies his strategic interference. This alliance involves a moral compromise, as Peeta condones the Careers' actions to ensure Katniss's survival.
Peeta does not excel at training, and knows that he has little chance of surviving on his own; if he strikes out as a loner, he is likely to be caught and killed quickly, making it impossible for him to protect Katniss. By allying with the Careers, Peeta is able to keep himself alive and influence their actions and decisions; they are less likely to find and kill Katniss with his hidden interference. When they tree Katniss, he is also the one who suggests that they wait her out instead of trying to kill her outright; this gives her the chance to form a plan for escape. In choosing to hunt with the Careers, Peeta makes a difficult moral choice to condone the systematic murder of other Tributes in order to have the best chance at keeping Katniss alive.
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