SACRIFICE IN THE HUNGER GAMES
“I’m turning to fire again when the second knife catches me in the forehead. It slices above my right eyebrow, opening a gash that sends a gush running down my face, blinding my eye, filling my mouth with the sharp, metallic taste of my blood” (Collins,284). In The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, Panem is seen to be North America’s dystopia. It has the powerful Capital surrounded by twelve districts. The Capital rules all districts and keeps them at their mercy by forcing them to send one boy and one girl, ages twelve to eighteen to take place in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen gives the ultimate sacrifice when she volunteers to take her twelve year old
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As she stands alongside the other dredging victims awaiting to hear what name will be called, she thinks of Gale. Her hunting partner from the district. She thinks of his forty-two names in the drawing, but then suddenly she hears the name called of the first tribute! Katniss screams to herself, “There must have been some mistake. This can’t be happening. Prim was one slip of paper in thousands! Her chances of being chosen so remote that I’d not even bothered to worry about her. Hadn’t I done everything? One slip. One Slip in thousands. The odds had been in her favor. But it hadn’t mattered” (Collins, 21). In other words, Katniss’ shocked by hearing Prim’s names called for tribute leads her to the impulsive act of volunteering as tribute. Being Prim’s protector after their father’s death, Katniss only concern at this point is who will watch over her family, who will feed them? Not at all thinking how will I survive? As Gale pulls away Prim and Katniss approaches the stage, she doesn’t even have time to wish for the safety of Gale before the next name is called. “Peeta Mellark!” ‘Peeta Mellark! Oh no, not him. Because I recognized this name, although I have never spoken directly to its owner. Peeta Mellark. No, the odds are not in my favor today’ (Collins, 25). In other words, Katniss still in shock of everything …show more content…
Katniss is a girl whose actions speaks louder than her words. “Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send in straight at the Gamemakers’ table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. The arrow skewers the apple in the pig’s mouth and pins it to the wall behind. Everyone stares at me in disbelief. ‘Thank you for your consideration’ [Katniss says]. Then [gives] a bow and [walks] straight [towards] the exit without being dismissed” (Collins, 102). As you can see Katniss had little respect for those who didn’t respect her. Politics were not something she cared about. But now being the Seventy-four victor, politics must be an area she speaks on. To do so, Katniss returns to the Capital for an interview along with Peeta. Every question feels like a blow to the stomach for Katniss. Katniss knows she’s in trouble with the Capital and thinks to herself during the interview, “This is the crucial moment where I either challenged the Capital or went so crazy at the idea of losing Peeta that I can’t be held responsible for my actions” (Collins, 369). In other words, Katniss is now being scripted to survive the fury of the Capital. Having to go along with what they want to hear and sacrificing her own thoughts and
The book The Hunger Games is full of critical scenes. A critical scene is a type of scene that is necessary for the book to have a story. One very important critical scene is when Prim was chosen at the reaping. When she was chosen Katniss decided to take her place as a tribute. Why did Katniss take her place? What could have happened if she didn't take her place?
This produced the mockingjay, and as Katniss states, they were ‘something of a slap in the face to the Capitol’ (The Hunger Games, pg. 43 ) All of the mockingjays’ appearances in the story have had great meaning or importance. They were first mentioned as a reminder of Katniss’s father; the days they would go hunting and he would sing to the mocking jays. This is an important part of Katniss’s past and has shaped who she is now.
The Hunger Games are basically the embodiment of society's off sense of entertainment. It combines the oddities that are violence and reality TV. However, what is it that insinuates the tones for this type of movie? Initially, there's a scene that addresses the fact that the society of this movie is conducting the games as though it was a standardized athletic tournament. In the movie, Haymitch Abernathy brings up how there are sponsors who deliver supplies to the “contestants”. Basically, sponsors influence the who will live or die, incidentally affecting the course of the games. During this scene, he claims, “And to get sponsors, you have to make people like you.” This scene mentions the thought on how people living in societies today work
Yamato, Jen. Burning Questions.“The Hunger Games and Real World Parallels: “Can kids all become Katniss Everdeen”. Movie Line. March 13, 2012. Web. May 04, 2012
... but there are some who love it like a girl on fire. They are the hope of Panem and the hope of our world as well. They are the ones who stand firm with Peeta, saying, “I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.” They are the ones who share Katniss’s recognition that no one benefits from living in a world where evil rules. In some ways, her story is like that of the philosopher Socrates (469–399 BCE), who embodied a view of wisdom and virtue that defied the powerful overseers of cultural capital in his city of Athens. To his followers, he was a wise teacher; to the Athenian leadership, he was a heretic. Because those with economic, social, and cultural capital in Athens had the power to define what was socially acceptable, they charged Socrates with corrupting the youth and imposed a death sentence on the face of death.
In a not-too-distant, some 74 years, into the future the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games; these children are referred to as tributes (Collins, 2008). The Games are meant to be viewed as entertainment, but every citizen knows their purpose, as brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts. The televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eradicate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. The main character throughout the series is a 16-year-old girl from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen.
The Hunger Games- “a futuristic dystopian society [Panem] where an overpowering government controls the lives and resources in twelve different districts” (The Hunger Games). The overpowering government lives in the Capitol of Panem and from there controls the citizens of the twelve districts through propaganda and other means. The Capitol has all of the economic and political power in Panem; they have complete control. The leader of the capitol is the harsh, dictator-like figure, President Snow. President Snow’s methods for keeping order in the districts are through Peacekeepers and the annual Hunger Games. The Peacekeepers are an army that monitors each district. Any sign of rebellion, and the Peacekeepers take care of it, usually by killing the rebel in some way. The annual Hunger Games are used to remind all of the citizens of Panem about the uprising in the now obliterated District 13. The Hunger Games, in a way, brainwashes all of the citizens, but a select few such as Katniss Everdeen, to believe that an uprising would be horrible and is not necessary and that the Capitol does what is best for all of the citizens. In
The Hunger Games do not provide a realistic glimpse into the lives of the tributes. The Capitol takes great pride with appearances and fashion, and this is reflected through the tributes. Every year the tributes are groomed and pampered by the Capitol’s chosen stylists for the Games in order for the tributes to be admired by the people of Panem before entering the arena. Katniss acknowledges this when she says, “What do these people do all day, these people in the Capitol, besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to row in and die for entertainment” (Collins, Hunger 65). The Games show a glamorized type of reality in order to entertain Panem. The tributes cannot win on strength and brutality alone; they must win the hearts of sponsors and citizens of the Capitol. The tributes transform in to celebrities to win the hearts of citizens before being killed on live television. Mary Matos in her article “Media in the Hunger Games”, she states that throughout the Hunger Games trilogy Katniss alternates between that awareness, understanding, and manipulation of the media (Matos 4). While Katniss is alternating between all of these she will never out of the media itself. Being a tribute she will always be juggling herself between these three
The movie The Hunger Games, originally based on a book by Suzanne Collins, is about a place called Panem, which is ruled by the Capitol and has 12 districts within it. These 12 districts are separated founded on their economic statuses, meaning the higher the district, the more impoverished the residents are. There are 2 tributes that are chosen to participate, forcibly, in The Hunger Games each year. Each competitor is instructed to eliminate one another in order to survive and come out on top. There is only one tribute allowed to come out of the arena alive. Katniss lives in District 12, which is the most impoverished district of them all, and she volunteers as tribute in “the Reaping” when her sister is chosen to participate. She and the other tribute from her district, Peeta, make it into the arena with the hopes that one of them comes out the winner and above all else, alive (Ross, 2012). I will refrain from going any further just in case you have not read the book or have not seen the movie. In terms of soci...
The movie “The Hunger Games” has many similarities and relations to World Mythology. While it may not seem like this movie is as myth related as others, such as Troy and Thor, many of the themes and situations in the movie were inspired by the stories of the great myths and epics. The overall theme of the movie is courage, strength, and destiny.
Ever since her act of defiance in her first games, the leaders in The Capitol have been outraged with her. She made the conscious decision to disobey the rules. Her and Peeta would have rather killed themselves than be forced to kill one another like the game’s rules were set up, so the head game maker let them both live. The Capitol, and many people in the districts saw this act as defiance, which no one in Panem is allowed to do. But for Katniss, it was the most moral action in a world where morality is questionable. If she decides to play the game how she is supposed to, then she knows she has to die in the arena. At first, Katniss accepts this fate, as long as Peeta is the one to survive. She also knows that if she does not follow through with this plan, her family, friends, and everyone she cares about could potentially be murdered as a result of her actions. If she decides to play the game how it is supposed to go, Katniss can make The Capitol happy and end any potential threats that can lead to an uprising. She knows that his option is probably her best choice because she can protect the ones she loves. She would rather sacrifice herself for the lives of many other people than save herself. In this option, Katniss is choosing the most Utilitarian action to take. With her death, she thinks that peace will be the outcome, and
When Gary Ross’ 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ famous novel ‘The Hunger Games’ exploded on screens, it was received as an action-packed, thrilling story of survival, determination and over-coming corruption. Audience’s watched in equal parts awe and horror as Katniss was thrust into Panem’s battle arena and fought for justice, family and friendship. However, if we as an audience think more critically about the film; if we think beyond the wild costumes, gripping action and skilful performances, we can see that the story explores complex philosophical ideas that strongly relate to the experiences of humanity in the real world.
Katniss is a good person at heart. Katniss may have hunter’s instinct; kill anything or anyone who tries to harm the people she cares about. Katniss would risk her life for them. Even in the games, Katniss would not kill the one person who stood in her way of winning. Katniss shows what matters compassion and her humanity. Katniss shows she is more than apiece in their games (232). Katniss remembers what Peeta said on the Roof. Peeta said,” I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not” (141). Katniss does not want to lose herself, which she never does. Katniss shows she is a good person by forming alliances and taking care of other tributes. Katniss does not think she is good but she really is even if she cannot see it.
“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor” (Collins 19). Those were some of the last words Katniss heard before her sister’s name was called out for the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. Without thinking about anyone else, Katniss bravely accepted her sister’s spot in the games, a basic suicide mission. Katniss Everdeen had a vibrant personality, she was bold, intelligent, and a loving person. Her country, Panem, was controlled by President Snow, who let his country suffer in poverty. The capital was harsh and forces every district to send one boy and one girl to take part in the yearly Hunger Games. While a Disney Princess would yell for her
The main character, Katniss, volunteers as tribute for her district to save her sister from having to be tribute. Upon arriving in the Capitol for the games, she sees just how vast the gap between the Capitol and districts are. To fight against this class struggle, she begins to revolt. At first this comes in the form of small things, like shooting an arrow at a pig feast of Capitol higher-ups and refusing to kill her friend in the games, resulting in the first ever co-victors of the Hunger Games. Katniss’ actions soon lead to full blown rebellion in the districts, starting a revolutionary war between them and the Capitol. At one point Katniss remarks: “My ongoing struggle against the Capitol, which has so often felt like a solitary journey, has not been undertaken alone. I have had thousands upon thousands of people from the districts at my side.” (Catching Fire 90). In true Marxist fashion the working class needed to use a violent revolution to confront the class struggle against the ruling