an essay on the hunger games

Themes and Analysis

The hunger games, by suzanne collins.

As a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, 'The Hunger Games' captures several intriguing themes including oppression and societal inequality.

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has risen in popularity ever since its release in 2008. Part of the reason for its fame is the riveting themes that it captures, all of which are central to the post-apocalyptic and dystopian nature of the novel. Some of the themes that can be gleaned from the novel include the theme of oppression, inequality, appearances, celebrity culture, as well as violence.

The Hunger Games Themes

Oppression and inequality.

The authorities in the Capitol maintain their positions of power through wealth, fear, and rivalry. All districts in the totalitarian nation of Panem are kept under varying degrees of poverty and are routinely pitted against each other in the form of the Hunger Games. The wealthier districts have a distinct advantage over the poorer ones in the Games. For instance, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 make it their mission to train specifically for the Games – and are even known as “ Career tributes .”

The status quo is maintained by “Peacemakers,” who, hypocritically, ensure that the control remains in the hands of the capital by any means necessary, including violence. Those who rebel are either obliterated or silenced to become Avox , i.e., people who have had their tongues cut off and are now acting as servants at the Capitol .

The censorship of the media is another way to maintain control. The districts are not allowed to contact one another, and they have no access to information other than what is provided to them by the authorities. 

Appearances and Celebrity Culture

Appearances are extremely important in Panem. Those who live at the Capitol show off their wealth and power through their appearances. They wear gaudy clothes, ostentatious accessories, and bright colors to demonstrate their money, power, and influence at the Capitol.

Appearances are vital in the Hunger Games. To gain sponsors for life-saving gifts during the Games, each tribute must make himself/herself appealing to the public. Thus, the tributes are all provided with a bevy of stylists and advisors who dress them up in fashionable costumes and teach them the ways of the wealthy. The better the appearances of the tribute, the larger the chances of sponsors. This is similar to celebrity culture in real life – who need to keep up appearances for the sake of lucrative deals and sponsors. 

Katniss understands the importance of appearances and decides to play the part of a star-crossed lover for the cameras. Peeta complies, having always been perceptive about the significance of appearances and making lasting impressions. Although Peeta genuinely harbored feelings for Katniss, he decides to reveal his feelings at a strategic moment – only to gain sympathy and affection from the public.

Violence 

Violence is a recurring theme in The Hunger Games . The authorities of the Capitol are not averse to using violence to maintain the illusion of “peace” in the nation. The Peacemakers routinely punish those who rebel and do not hesitate to exert their power over the people from the 12 districts.

Moreover, the very notion of the Hunger Games is violent. Children are dehumanized from an extremely young age – and are taught to maim and kill other children to survive.

Analysis of Key Moments in The Hunger Games

• Katniss’s sister, Primrose Everdeen is picked as the female tribute from District 12 for the Hunger Games. 
• Katniss volunteers herself instead and is joined by the male tribute, Peeta Mellark as they head to the Capitol.
• Katniss and Peeta convince their drunk mentor , Haymitch Abernathy , to take his duties seriously.
• The duo wins the affections of the public during the opening ceremony, with the help of the flaming costumes designed by Cinna .
• Peeta reveals that he is in love with Katniss during the pre-Games interview.
• The Games begin, and Katniss flees the Cornucopia . She finds out that Peeta has teamed up with the “Career” tributes.
• An artificial fire is created to push Katniss towards the Careers. She hides from them in a tree.
• Katniss and Rue drop a nest of tracker jackers to escape from the Careers. Peeta comes back to help Katniss escape.
• Katniss and Rue blow up the supplies of the Career tributes. Rue is killed by another tribute.
• A rule change is announced, allowing two tributes from the same district to emerge as victors . Katniss and Peeta team up.
• The duo becomes romantically attached, and emerge as the two remaining survivors.
• Another rule change is announced, stating that there can only be one victor for the Games.
• Katniss and Peeta decide to kill themselves together when the Games are hurriedly ended and they both emerge victorious.
• Katniss recuperates for days at the Training Centre, after which she is informed by Haymitch that she’s in danger for her acts of rebellion.

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style employed by the author is simple and precise – easy for young adults to comprehend. The tone is blunt, dark, and often horrifying, reflecting the seriousness of the novel. The novel is written from the point of view of the heroine, Katniss Everdeen , who acts as an unreliable narrator.

I can’t win. Prim must know that in her heart. The competition will be far beyond my abilities. Kids from wealthier districts, where winning is a huge honor, who’ve been trained their whole lives for this.

Symbols, Motifs, and Allegory

Families are given tesserae (food rations) each year by the Capitol. This is one of the most important ways in which the Capitol maintains control over the districts. Families are also given extra tesserae for entering the names of their children more than once in the annual reaping for the Hunger Games – an act that increases their chances of being picked for the Hunger Games.

The Mockingjay Pin

The Mockingjay Pin symbolizes Katniss’s individuality and free spirit. The pin captures the Mockingjay bird, i.e., a hybrid between a Jabberjay (a bird that was genetically modified to act as spies for the government) and a Mockingbird. The symbol of the Mockingjay is used to represent rebellion and assertion of identity by several people, including Katniss, Madge, and Rue.

Entertainment and Reality Television

The novel showcases an extremely twisted form of mass entertainment – which comes in the form of suffering. Parallels can be drawn to the reality television of this world, where people are pitted against each other for the entertainment of viewers. Just like the people in reality television are required to appeal to the public to gain votes, the tributes in the Hunger Games are also required to appeal to gain sponsors. 

This kind of entertainment is voyeuristic, and the people from the Capitol revel in the violent nature of the Games. It is highly sadistic, and it does not matter whether the suffering is physical or psychological. For instance, there is a huge fascination behind the romance between Katniss and Peeta. The main appeal for this romance is the fact that it is doomed no matter what, because of the tragic ending that awaits the lovers.

The Hunger Games also resembles reality television in the fact that it is widely televised and constantly talked about in the media at Panem. It objectifies the tributes much like reality television objectifies contestants. 

Is rebellion a theme in The Hunger Games ?

Yes, rebellion is a theme in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. There are several instances in the novel when Katniss, and sometimes even Peeta, rebel against the oppressive Capitol. However, this theme is not as prevalent in the first novel as it is in the next two novels in the trilogy, Catching Fire and Mockingjay .

What skill is Gale better at than Katniss?

Gale and Katniss are both highly skilled at survival. While Katniss is exceptionally skilled with a bow and arrow (routinely using it for hunting and killing animals), Gale is better at setting snares for prey.

How is Katniss a rebel?

Katniss’s rebellion starts from the very beginning when she volunteers herself as a tribute in the Hunger Games. Instead of willingly going through every oppressive act that the capital makes her do, she defies the authorities and rebels whenever she can. Her ultimate act of rebellion, however, is seen at the end of the novel when she decides to poison herself along with Peeta – to leave the Games without a victor.

What is Katniss’s sister’s full name?

Katniss’s sister’s full name in The Hunger Games is Primrose Everdeen. Her name is often shortened to Prim. She is a 12-year-old girl whose name is drawn at the reaping of the 74th edition of the Hunger Games. However, she is saved from participating in the game by her sister Katniss, who volunteers herself instead.

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About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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• Bradfield Senior College Library
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:Text and analysis

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• NESA HSC English Syllabus This site includes past HSC exam papers, the subject syllabus and notes from the marking centre.

• Bloom's literature : Suzanne Collins The biographic entry for Suzanne Collins from the Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction. more... less... TAFE NSW username and password required
• Love Among the Ruins : How our awful future became the next big thing. By Lev Grossman. Time, 3/12/2012
• Dystopian novels : have you read one lately? Library Media Connection, Aug/Sep 2012
• Wikipedia : The Hunger Games A short summary of the books in The Hunger Games trilogy.
• The Hunger Games : Wikia A fan created community wiki site devoted to books and film adaptions of The Hunger Games trilogy. It includes sections on characters and plot.
• Cliff notes : The Hunger Games With sections on characters, chapter summaries and analysis, this site provides a useful overview of the novel.
• Time : PANEM's rebel : The star of the 74th annual Hunger Games A mock propaganda issue of Time Magazine promoting the 74th Hunger Games. It usefully demonstrates the manipulation of image and information in the world of Panem.
• The New York Times : Scary new world (book review). By John Green. 7/11/2008 A review of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
• The Artifice: The political message of The Hunger Games This article examines the political, social, cultural, and environmental messages contained in The Hunger Games.
• Revisiting Dystopia: the Reality Show Biopolitics of "The Hunger Games" (Academic article) This paper explores the dystopian imaginaries of the trilogy The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its film adaptations. It places the narrative into a genealogy of dystopian fiction concerned with the historical nation-state totalitarianism.
• The Hunger Games: An ecocritical reading (Academic article) This academic paper argues The Hunger Games "Recognises that the degradation of non-human nature through human action" as a major theme. It suggests a deep reading of this multilayered text "can broaden as well as change perspectives and trigger engaged debate". The paper also covers the critical issues of "consumer manipulation, media and celebrity culture".
• “In hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge”: Belly, bellum and rebellion in Coriolanus and The Hunger Games trilogy (Academic article). By Sara Soncini. Essays No. 15 05/2015 This article examines the link between Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and the shortage of food as ferment for rebellion in the districts of Panem.

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The Hunger Games Character Analysis

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The Hunger Games

Suzanne collins, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Division and Control

Panem is a dictatorship ruled by President Snow and predicated on authoritarian control. President Snow maintains his control by sowing division among Panem’s people—divvying up the country into twelve districts—and ensuring their dependence upon the government. Each of the districts specializes in producing particular goods—and only those goods—and therefore relies on centralized distribution in order to survive, and this dependence is further enforced through rules like the one against poaching, which prevents residents from augmenting…

Love, Loyalty, and Compassion

In the harsh environment of the Hunger Games, it is normal for tributes to form temporary “alliances” for strategic purposes, only to eventually kill their allies when the time comes. Yet though the Games turn tributes into brutal competitors who know only that they must kill or be killed, Katniss forms not alliances but relationships . First, she volunteers for the Games in place of her little sister, Prim . Because District 12 has a…

Societal Inequality

In The Hunger Games , social inequality occurs at all levels: throughout the nation of Panem, among the twelve districts, and among the inhabitants of any given district. It is this inequity that breeds strife and creates the main conflicts of the book. In Panem, for example, wealth is heavily concentrated in the hands of those living in the Capitol, and the result is that they can’t even comprehend the lives of the poor. The…

Appearances

The Hunger Games are set up as entertainment for the citizens of the Capitol and are essentially a very extreme reality television show. As with American reality TV, appearances matter a lot in the Hunger Games, and they don’t always depict reality. The tributes need to learn how to appeal to their viewers in the Capitol so that they can gather support from sponsors. In Katniss’s case, she pretends to be in love with Peeta …

By celebrating and watching the Hunger Games, the citizens of the Capitol suggest that the tributes, drawn from the districts of Panem, don’t deserve the same security and respect that the people of the Capitol do. They suggest that the tributes are beneath them. However, during the course of the Games, many of the competitors prove that they’re more capable of feeling genuine emotion—and acting on it—than the citizens of the Capitol who watch the…

Suzanne Collins: Inequality and Meritocracy in “The Hunger Games” Essay

Introduction, works cited.

The hunger games was a book written by Suzanne Collins and has been acknowledged and criticized. The play is based on the period when North America government was reduced to Panem country. The disintegration resulted to twelve districts which were controlled by Capitol.

The hunger games were held in Capitol annually. Two tributes from both genders were drawn from the twelve districts and engaged in a fight to death. The essay will focus in answering questions that arise in an attempt to review the book. Themes of poverty, social inequality and love are well featured in the book. Further, the essay will relate some of occurrences to the situation in United States.

Theme of inequality runs throughout the book. Capitol controls twelve districts and influences their lives. Katniss lives in a place nicknamed Seam because it harbors poor coal miners. The twelve districts must comply by selecting two tributes to participate in the game. Once a tribute is chosen he or she must go to Capitol. Career tributes come from the rich families and are favored. Career tributes are trained intensively since they come from rich families.

Career tributes compete with other tributes from poor families who are not trained. The uncompromised fight to death shows inequality between the authority and subjects. Capitol manipulates wasps and wolves mutants as a way of frustrating tributes from poor families. The change of rules during game shows how Capitol can influence the outcome (Collins 79).

Panem is a meritocratic system where success is based on ability and performance. The career tributes yearn for the hunger games since they will be rewarded for their skills. The intense training depicts the importance of reward to the tributes. Katniss and Peeta tell Haymitch to be dedicated in his work so as to ensure they get rewards and sponsorship at the end of the game.

Further, tributes are dedicated in killing each other so as to emerge as winners. After Peeta and Katniss are declared winners they are overjoyed because of the rewards. Further, when Peeta and Katniss return home, their people are happy and they pose for cameras (Collins 154).

Media influences the social structure of Panem to a great extent. As a result, the citizens are more cohesive and learn to appreciate each other. Before the games begin all tributes are interviewed by a television host. The society gets to know how prepared their tributes are for the hunger games.

Peeta gets to inform the rest of the society including Katniss of his true feelings for her. After Peeta and Katniss return home victorious media aspect is involved (Collins 165). The two victors pose for cameras as they unite with their people. Tributes get to know each other better via media. Further, the society is in touch with the preparedness of their tributes via media.

Media influence in social aspect is similar to the situation in United States. Media plays a crucial role in promoting social cohesion among the citizens of the United States. For example, during the political campaigns the rivals get to know each other’s strategies via media. The supporters gauge the success chances of their political representative via media.

The cohesion in the society is promoted as people are united by media. People from different sides are featured equally thus enhancing social equality. The social relation between politicians and their supporters is enhanced by media. Political parties accept defeat and success of the rival due to trust and reliability that is associated with media in United States.

According to Allan Johnson, social structure is prone to many forces. Many factors are considered in establishment of social structure. Social structure varies with the change in attitude, norms and beliefs. Path of least resistance is interpreted as the common expectations by a specific social structure. Path of least resistance is associated with acceptance while the opposite leads to rejection and punishment.

In Panem, path of least resistance is well laid by the Capitol. All districts present two tributes from both sexes during the hunger games as spelt by the government.

Katniss volunteers in place of her sister to ensure that her family do not defy with the set orders. Haymitch trains Katniss skillfully so as to ensure that she will be successful by doing what is required. For example, the tactic of running from her rivals increases her chances of being victorious (Collins 179). Katniss teams up with Rue since she knows that they are more likely to win by forming a bond.

There is one instance when Katniss and Peeta fail to follow the path of low resistance. When the second announcement during the game demands that they should kill each other, they opt to commit suicide. Peeta and Katniss attempt to eat the poisonous berries and defy the orders of Capitol. Despite their disobedience, they are both proclaimed winners. However, Haymitch advices Katniss to tell the authority that she was in love with Peeta and could not be able to kill him so as to show that she was not being disobedient (Collins 180).

The hunger Games is a book that highlights significant issues in sociology arena. Social structure is one of the aspects featured in the book. Gender equity is well pronounced when the districts are supposed to produce tributes from both genders (Collins 212). Further, all districts take part in the games which shows social cohesion.

Power distance model involving the relationship between the authority and subjects is well featured. The social activities involved in the livelihood of the people of Panem promote cultural knowledge and acceptance. The book highlights instances of inequity and relates them with negative effects. Equity is associated with positive impacts to the society. The book discourages inequity and advocates for social cohesion.

The hunger games take place in a place that is not well known by the tributes. The hardships and the different situations are meant to make tributes adjust and survive all conditions. The hunger games involve participation of all districts which promotes cohesion (Collins 260).

The rich compete with the poor at a place where they are exposed to similar conditions. However, Collins successfully highlights some of the benefits accorded to the rich tributes. The nature of meritocracy ensures that the tributes of high merit are accorded great rewards. The book bridges the gap between the rich and the poor by negating the benefits accorded to rich and boosting the ability of the poor tributes.

Miner’s story on Nacirema attempts to bridge the gaps existing between different cultures. There are cultures that are considered being superior to others. The attempt of Miner is to reduce the intensity of culture disregard and promote acceptance. Miner features Nacirema people who thought that their bodies were vulnerable to diseases and sought for magic to heal them.

Miner talks of the shrine in which every Nacirema was supposed to pray and drink substances given by medicine men. Miner compares the culture of Nacirema with that of Americans. He refers to the shrine as being a bathroom according to Americans. Their belief in magic is associated with cosmetics and makeup used by Americans. The magical drinks are interpreted as medicine given by doctors in America.

The hunger games features Panem society that can be compared with American society. The games could be interpreted as political campaigns where the victorious politician is accorded reward. The participation of all districts in the games can be interpreted as equality exercised when supporters vote (Collins 289).

Consequently, inequality can be associated with the discrimination accorded to people of lower status in America. The book is well suited for youths since entertainment and theme of love is well featured. The protagonist is outstanding especially with her ace of hunting. Romance is the only excuse for not following the path with least resistance.

The Hunger Games is a very entertaining book that has been successful in highlighting aspects of social structure. The book contributes significantly to sociology literature as it identifies issues associated with negative as well as positive impacts in the society. Easy manipulation by Capitol shows influence and power distance involved in governance of Panem society.

Meritocracy system is adopted by the government of Panem. Meritocracy ensures rewards are given to people who deserve them thus ensuring fairness and justice. Further, the issues of a fight to death and the uncompromised participation depict severe control on the citizens. However the mutant wolves and availability of treatment for Peeta should have been more twisted

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games, New York: Scholastic publishers. 2008. Print.

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The Hunger Games

By suzanne collins.

• The Hunger Games Summary

The Hunger Games details the adventure of Katniss Everdeen , who is forced to engage in a fight-to-the-death tournament against other children. The novel takes place in Panem, a dystopic country built on what was once North America. In a world of limited resources, the despotic government run by the Capitol keeps its citizens in line by separating them into Districts and reinforcing severe class separations. But their strongest tool to promote disunion and to discourage rebellion is the Hunger Games: a yearly event where two tributes from each district are pitted against each other for the country to watch on television.

Katniss lives with her mother and younger sister Prim in District 12, the poorest of the districts. Ever since her father's death, she has been the family provider, hunting illegally in the woods outside the district with her friend Gale. The novel begins on the day of the "reaping," when each District must select two tributes, one male and one female, to represent them in the Hunger Games. When Prim is selected as the female tribute, Katniss offers herself as volunteer and is allowed to serve as tribute alongside Peeta, a middle class boy from the district.

The remainder of Part One of the novel follows the children as they are both trained for the brutal games and groomed to portray a certain image for the audience. She forces herself into a stoic determination to win, a philosophy made difficult by the kindly Peeta. The relationship is made even more fraught when Peeta confesses during a live interview that he has a crush on Katniss. Though she fears making emotional connections that could compromise her desire to win, she agrees to portray the image of a unified front, an idea proposed by their sponsor Haymitch.

The Games are held in an arena in a forested area. When they begin, Katniss rushes away from the excitement of the initial bloodbath and uses her hunting/survival skills to develop a strategy. She sleeps in trees and hunts game. Each night, faces of the dead are broadcast into the sky. As she stays hidden, she learns that Peeta has allied himself with the "Career Tributes," those tributes from the richer districts who train their entire lives for the Games.

Meanwhile, the Gamemakers , those who design the Games, continue to manipulate the surroundings in order to keep the Games entertaining. After a severe burn following a firestorm, Katniss is trapped in a tree above the Careers. That night, she makes contact with Rue , the youngest tribute, who Katniss associates with Prim. Rue is up a nearby tree and suggests she defeat the Careers by dropping a wasp nest on them. She does so, in the process getting stung herself but also scattering the Careers and gaining for herself a bow, her strongest weapon. The wasp stings produce hallucinations, which slow her down and almost cost her her life, until Peeta helps her to escape. She is understandably confused.

Katniss and Rue form an alliance and make a plan to destroy the supplies that are keeping the Careers powerful. Rue sets fires to distract them while Katniss pieces together that they are protecting their supplies with landmines reappropriated from a Gamemaker design. When she uses the mines to explode the supplies, she is blown backwards and knocked out of commission for a few days. She returns just in time to see Rue killed by another tribute, who then quickly becomes Katniss's first kill. As a small act of rebellion against the Capitol, which expects the tributes to dehumanize one another, Katniss sings to Rue and decorates her corpse with flowers before the body is fetched by the Capitol.

The Gamemakers announce that the rules have changed, and that the two tributes from a district can serve as co-victors. She then finds Peeta, who was cut badly after helping Katniss escape the Careers. She does her best to help him recover, but it isn't until Haymitch sends her a gift following a kiss she shares with him that she understands that playing up the romance angle could pay off.

They spend days growing closer in a cave, but Katniss lacks the skill to cure Peeta's wound. When the Gamemakers announce that a "feast" will be held to draw the tributes together for crucial supplies, she tricks Peeta and heads to the feast. In trying to get her gift, which she assumes is anti-infection medicine for Peeta, she is almost killed by a Career, but saved by the other tribute from Rue's district. Having heard of Katniss's kindness towards Rue, the tribute lets her live.

The medicine cures Peeta, and they spend more time growing closer in the cave. Once the Gamemakers dry up their water supplies, they prepare themselves and head out to face Cato , the only other surviving tribute. But their main challenge turns out not to be Cato, but several wolf-man creatures unleashed by the Gamemakers, creatures reanimated from the corpses of dead tributes. Katniss and Peeta escape by climbing to higher ground, while the other tribute falls and is tortured by the creatures. Finally, Katniss kills the tribute with her arrow out of mercy.

They have won the Games, but the Gamemakers rescind the rule about dual victors. Peeta and Katniss threaten to commit dual suicide, which would ruin the Games, and they are hence awarded a dual victory.

They are fetched by the Capitol representatives, and separated for a long period of recovery. When they are brought out to the audience again, Haymitch warns Katniss that she needs to overplay the lovers angle as a defense for her threat to commit suicide, which the Capitol considers an act of rebellion. Over the period of fanfare that follows, she takes his advice, which makes Peeta, who actually does love her, very happy.

When all is done, they head back to District 12, and Katniss lets slip along the way that her affection was always for the cameras. Though not the entire truth, she is torn between her old identity as a poor hunter, and the more complex one she shaped through the Games. Peeta is heartbroken, but understands they must maintain an image as they prepare to present themselves to their district.

The Hunger Games Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Hunger Games is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Chapter 24: What similarity does Katniss recognize between herself and Cato?

She thinks that they both can lack control over their temper. She also thinks that, like her, Cato has a keen intelligence for this game.

In what ways does “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” explore themes of morality, manipulation and survival?

The novel explores the hollowness of ambition and the desire for power, as well as the moral conflict and internal conflict that the Hunger Games provoke. The story also delves into the complexity of human nature and he choices individuals make...

In The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, was Lucy Gray Baird the one who came up with The Hanging Tree?

I believe so. Coriolanus Snow thought that the song was written for Billy Taupe, her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with the Mayor's daughter but he realized that the song was written for him.

Katniss' father I believe told her the song but...

Study Guide for The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games study guide contains a biography of Suzanne Collins, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Hunger Games
• Character List

Essays for The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

• The Danger of Ritual and Tradition in "The Hunger Games" and “The Lottery”
• Feminist Studies of Experience in The Hunger Games
• Defining and Defying Female Stereotypes: A Comparison of Charlotte Temple and Katniss Everdeen
• New Social Order
• Trust in the Hunger Games

Lesson Plan for The Hunger Games

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Hunger Games
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Hunger Games Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Hunger Games

• Introduction

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The Hunger Games Thesis Statements and Essay Topics

Below you will find four outstanding thesis statements / paper topics for “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins that can be used as essay starters. All four incorporate at least one of the themes found in “The Hunger Games” and are broad enough so that it will be easy to find textual support, yet narrow enough to provide a focused clear thesis statement. These thesis statements offer a short summary of “The Hunger Games” in terms of different elements that could be important in an essay. You are, of course, free to add your own analysis and understanding of the plot or themes to them. Using the essay topics below in conjunction with the list of  important quotes from “The Hunger Games”  on our quotes page, you should have no trouble connecting with the text and writing an excellent essay.

Topic #1: Morality in  The Hunger Games

In the novel, there is a very clear sense of right and wrong. The Capital killing children and growing rich of the toil of the people is obviously wrong. Katniss does what she must to survive and does kill other competitors. Morality is defined as personal or cultural values, codes of conduct or social mores; it has neither a good or bad connotation on its own. For this essay argue the role that morality plays in the novel. How does Katniss’ sense of morality affect the way that she plays the game? Is there a clear representation of Good and Evil in the novel?

Topic #2: Setting in  The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games  is set in a dystopian future for North America, a world called Panem. The use of setting is used to not only give a sense of the dismal world that Katniss finds herself but also to give history into how North America became so vastly different from the world we know today. Give examples of how descriptions of the setting set the tone for the novel. What are we told about the history of Panem that gives a sense of North America’s dystopian future? A dystopia is a repressive and controlled state. In what ways is Panem a dystopia? Are there any ways that Panem is not a dystopia? Use examples from the novel to support your assertions.

Topic #3:  The Hunger Games  and Beauty

  There are two different perceptions of beauty presented in the novel, those of the people of Seam and those of the people in the Capitol. The Capitol prides the beauty that people tend to pride today, youth, a lean figure and facial beauty. Seam finds attractiveness in what shows survival and wealth, such as a large belly showing an abundance of food or old age showing strength and longevity. What do you think the novel is trying to say about today’s perceptions of beauty? Do you think the novel favors one version of beauty over the other? Use examples from the novel to support your conclusions.

Topic #4:  The Hunger Games  and Relationships

In the novel, Katniss forms strong relationships with Gale and Peeta. Gale is a symbol of strength that is born out of a lifetime in poverty. Peeta is an example of selfless kindness. Throughout the novel, Katniss finds herself confused about her feelings for both of them. What do Gale and Peeta signify for Katniss? What do they have in common with Katniss? How do Gale and Peeta shape Katniss’ participation in the games? Does the novel stress one quality or relationship over the other? Why? Use examples from the novel to support your conclusions.