FICTION ANALYSIS
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.). Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
- In a dystopian style future, a girl Katniss Everdeen who lives in an outlying district of a futuristic colonial society, becomes a player in the Hunger Games, a sport much like gladitorials in which random people fight to the death. She is pitted against other "tributes" and male from her District; Peeta Malark, who is seen as an enemy until she realizes he's helping her. They work together to survive the games, making an example of n iron fisted Capitol that treats the districts like slaves.
The story tells of an obvious conflict between the rulers and the ruled, that unfair treatment is upsetting and immoral. Besides the obvious, we discover that Katniss, the main protagonist, has issues trusting people, but mainly subconsciously only looks to serve herself in her actions and choices. We learn this by the way she detests being in-debt to people.
- In a dystopian style future, a girl Katniss Everdeen who lives in an outlying district of a futuristic colonial society, becomes a player in the Hunger Games, a sport much like gladitorials in which random people fight to the death. She is pitted against other "tributes" and male from her District; Peeta Malark, who is seen as an enemy until she realizes he's helping her. They work together to survive the games, making an example of n iron fisted Capitol that treats the districts like slaves.
The story tells of an obvious conflict between the rulers and the ruled, that unfair treatment is upsetting and immoral. Besides the obvious, we discover that Katniss, the main protagonist, has issues trusting people, but mainly subconsciously only looks to serve herself in her actions and choices. We learn this by the way she detests being in-debt to people.
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
- Some themes are; suffering provides entertainment, inequality between people, and the importance of appearances. The first one, is the main event of the book. Even the story builds it up and exemplifies it as the most important part. The displays of humanity at war are disturbing, but the citizens are inducted to agree. Second, the rich and poor people are separated, hundreds of miles apart. Divided, they work to provide for the Capitol, receiving meager supplies and being abused. Third, people are put on pedestals for insignificant, or even untrue, things. They are waved around as a sort of item or perfection.
- Some themes are; suffering provides entertainment, inequality between people, and the importance of appearances. The first one, is the main event of the book. Even the story builds it up and exemplifies it as the most important part. The displays of humanity at war are disturbing, but the citizens are inducted to agree. Second, the rich and poor people are separated, hundreds of miles apart. Divided, they work to provide for the Capitol, receiving meager supplies and being abused. Third, people are put on pedestals for insignificant, or even untrue, things. They are waved around as a sort of item or perfection.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
- The author looks to illustrate a path that democracies could head down, given that wealth inequality is one of the greatest dividers. It creates further division and tension between the haves and have-nots. This is not an impossible future. It is even set in the once United States. "In school, they tell us the Capitol was built in a place called the Rockies. District 12 was in a region known as Appalachia." The idea that this could happen in time sets a tension that needs no explanation. It signals the spiral of society into one of domination and slavery. It is designed to scare people into picturing them as the ones on the outside, the ones in the dirt. "Besides basic reading and math most of our instruction is coal-related. Except for the weekly lecture on the history of Panem. It's mostly a lot of blather about what we owe the Capitol." It's created to make you disdain the Capitol, it's residents, and it's control. It sets the tone for most of the actions.
- The author looks to illustrate a path that democracies could head down, given that wealth inequality is one of the greatest dividers. It creates further division and tension between the haves and have-nots. This is not an impossible future. It is even set in the once United States. "In school, they tell us the Capitol was built in a place called the Rockies. District 12 was in a region known as Appalachia." The idea that this could happen in time sets a tension that needs no explanation. It signals the spiral of society into one of domination and slavery. It is designed to scare people into picturing them as the ones on the outside, the ones in the dirt. "Besides basic reading and math most of our instruction is coal-related. Except for the weekly lecture on the history of Panem. It's mostly a lot of blather about what we owe the Capitol." It's created to make you disdain the Capitol, it's residents, and it's control. It sets the tone for most of the actions.
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
- Pg 150 - "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I'm not." This is foreshadowing to later on in the story, where Peeta becomes a different person, not by his own hand, but by his captors'.
- Pg 151 - "Give my best to my mother when you make it back, will you?" Peeta remarks that he isn't strong enough to make it through the games, that he will fail. He remarks Katniss' abilities while still hoping for any positive outcome.
- Pg 156 (and others) - "Cornucopia" It's an average word. It means a plentiful and varied assortment of things, usually food. In thins, it refers to a large, often metal, cornucopia where, during the games, large amounts of supplies are stored for tributes to use. It represents bounty while also representing the death that may await you as you try and use it's advantage.
- Pg 162 - "Maybe it's better, if he's gone already." Katniss ponders whether it's better if Peeta dies at the hand of another, or herself. It shows that, while she cares some for others, she mostly cares about her own survival.
- Pg 193 - "All my bravado is gone." Katniss has been temporarily put in an awkward position and must take on mounting odds to live. She once had the upper hand, but now, she's been reduced and must re-muster her courage.
- Pg 194 - "For a while we hold each other's gaze...points to something above my head." Rue and Katniss exchange a mutual feeling of helplessness as they've both been running from their stronger enemies. Rue decides to help Katniss even though they have never really met. It shows that in desperate times, allies are indispensable.
- Pg 205 - "I think, at last, this is over, but it isn't." She realizes that, no matter how bad things get, they can always get worse. That there is no limit to pain and suffering.
- Pg 207 - "...Because for some reason Gale and Peeta do not coexist well together in my thoughts." WE see that Katniss has several internal conflicts that aren't even full understood yet. These two mean very different to her, they exist differently, they serve different purposes. They exemplify her fears in some ways; people in her life.
- Pg 207 - "I find I'm actually anticipating the moment with pleasure." Katniss gets a hold of a weapon, a weapon she's incredibly skilled with, putting her into an offensive position. This changes the rest of her time in the game.
- Pg 211- "She reminds me of Prim" Her sister. Rue's place in the games, being that she is small yet fast, makes her an excellent runner, an outlast-er, that she'll adapt. She reminds Katniss that these are still children, and that they can't always defend themselves.
- Pg 150 - "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I'm not." This is foreshadowing to later on in the story, where Peeta becomes a different person, not by his own hand, but by his captors'.
- Pg 151 - "Give my best to my mother when you make it back, will you?" Peeta remarks that he isn't strong enough to make it through the games, that he will fail. He remarks Katniss' abilities while still hoping for any positive outcome.
- Pg 156 (and others) - "Cornucopia" It's an average word. It means a plentiful and varied assortment of things, usually food. In thins, it refers to a large, often metal, cornucopia where, during the games, large amounts of supplies are stored for tributes to use. It represents bounty while also representing the death that may await you as you try and use it's advantage.
- Pg 162 - "Maybe it's better, if he's gone already." Katniss ponders whether it's better if Peeta dies at the hand of another, or herself. It shows that, while she cares some for others, she mostly cares about her own survival.
- Pg 193 - "All my bravado is gone." Katniss has been temporarily put in an awkward position and must take on mounting odds to live. She once had the upper hand, but now, she's been reduced and must re-muster her courage.
- Pg 194 - "For a while we hold each other's gaze...points to something above my head." Rue and Katniss exchange a mutual feeling of helplessness as they've both been running from their stronger enemies. Rue decides to help Katniss even though they have never really met. It shows that in desperate times, allies are indispensable.
- Pg 205 - "I think, at last, this is over, but it isn't." She realizes that, no matter how bad things get, they can always get worse. That there is no limit to pain and suffering.
- Pg 207 - "...Because for some reason Gale and Peeta do not coexist well together in my thoughts." WE see that Katniss has several internal conflicts that aren't even full understood yet. These two mean very different to her, they exist differently, they serve different purposes. They exemplify her fears in some ways; people in her life.
- Pg 207 - "I find I'm actually anticipating the moment with pleasure." Katniss gets a hold of a weapon, a weapon she's incredibly skilled with, putting her into an offensive position. This changes the rest of her time in the game.
- Pg 211- "She reminds me of Prim" Her sister. Rue's place in the games, being that she is small yet fast, makes her an excellent runner, an outlast-er, that she'll adapt. She reminds Katniss that these are still children, and that they can't always defend themselves.
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
- (D) Katniss can very often be blunt about a situation and not try to lie or hide at all. She has little fear when it comes to human emotional interaction. This is throughout the book.
- (D) Peeta is also up front but doesn't take people for granted. He protects those he means to without hesitation and without second thoughts or ulterior motives.
- (I) Katniss has problems communicating, probaly due to a lack of healthy relationships with family and due to their either leaving or their misuse of her trust. She disdains unnecessarily conversation as well as others' topics.
- (I) Peeta is a good person. He doesn't say it, nor does anyone else, but a few know it. Katniss realizes that Peeta has been her best ally the whole time, even though she mistreats him and put him down. She uses him throught the book, but Peeta stays by her to protect the one he wants most to.
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
- (D) Katniss can very often be blunt about a situation and not try to lie or hide at all. She has little fear when it comes to human emotional interaction. This is throughout the book.
- (D) Peeta is also up front but doesn't take people for granted. He protects those he means to without hesitation and without second thoughts or ulterior motives.
- (I) Katniss has problems communicating, probaly due to a lack of healthy relationships with family and due to their either leaving or their misuse of her trust. She disdains unnecessarily conversation as well as others' topics.
- (I) Peeta is a good person. He doesn't say it, nor does anyone else, but a few know it. Katniss realizes that Peeta has been her best ally the whole time, even though she mistreats him and put him down. She uses him throught the book, but Peeta stays by her to protect the one he wants most to.
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
- There's not much character switching, if any at all. The story is told though the mind of Katnisss, and what she sees, we see. She explains things in great detail, removing most other character thought explanation.
- There's not much character switching, if any at all. The story is told though the mind of Katnisss, and what she sees, we see. She explains things in great detail, removing most other character thought explanation.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
- I think Katniss is incredibly static. She begins the story in one fashion, and ends it in the exact same one. She doesn't grow as a character, she doesn't learn anything, but most importantly, we realize that she disregards other's for her own gain, basically destroying any hope for any character changes through forced partnership.
- I think Katniss is incredibly static. She begins the story in one fashion, and ends it in the exact same one. She doesn't grow as a character, she doesn't learn anything, but most importantly, we realize that she disregards other's for her own gain, basically destroying any hope for any character changes through forced partnership.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
- I feel like I know Katniss decently well, but from what I've read, I wouldn't much like to meet her. She does what she wants and will probably ignore any useful additions to an already light group of contacts. "Were they dealing with me because I was my father's daughter, or because of my ability to bring trade to the table. I always thought of them as my own, but I was never sure and it didn't matter." It may be sad to some, but she chooses to work the way she does, for better or worse. So far, it worked out, but in the Games, she had to enlist unlikely, and unwelcome, assistance for survival.
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