The Hunger Games: Book Analysis

In the book “The Hunger Games”, the story takes place in an area called Panem, which represents a futuristic North America, and contains 12 districts that together provide for the people living there and the Capitol. The Capitol is the wealthier area and inside contains a huge arena where the Hunger Games are played. The Hunger Games is an annual competition including 12 randomly picked contestants plopped in an arena battling to the death held by the Capitol to remind the citizens that “the Dark Days must never be repeated” (Collins #) and that they are entirely at the Capitols mercy. These games are not only a source of entertainment for the Capitol’s citizens, but reminds the twelve districts that the Capitol has complete and total control
Because people in Panem are divided into 12 districts they aren’t aware of how the other districts are living. People in their own districts watch the games routing obviously for their own district but there’s a sense of unity among them. “Those barriers and the mentality of the individual began to break down along with those of Katniss and Peeta. As the two of them become close and start to fight for survival as a team, so do the districts of Panem” ("Analysis - The Hunger Games"). Katniss and Peeta change the way the districts view unity. Some of the districts come together in the games. Whenever Katniss finds a little girl from another district she takes to her and helps her until she is shot with an arrow. Even though they were from different district, they come together and work together until she dies. When the girl dies, Katniss sets up a kind of memorial which is honored by the girls district. “A district gift to a tribute who’s not your own. I lift my face and step into the last falling rays of sunlight. “My thanks to the people of District Eleven,” I say. I want them to know I know where it came from. That the full value of their gift has been recognized” (Collins 239). The people of district 11 appreciate Katniss even though their tribute died because they realize it’s about staying together and it is the Capitols fault this is all occuring. Before the games end, we see rebelling between the districts against the Capitol’s government. One example relating to this is when Katniss and Peeta decide to commit suicide, eating poisonous berries at the same time, rather than playing by the rules of the games and having only one victor. Luckily, the Capitol stops them before they consume the berries and both Katniss and Peeta are presented as the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger