The Hunger Games Symbolism
Symbolism Essay – The Hunger Games
Discuss the author’s use of symbolism and explain how symbols are used to convey themes.
In the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, many symbols were used to convey themes and different messages. The three symbols that I looked at were the Mockingjay, Bread and the Capitol. The Mockingjay symbolised the people and their rebellion, freedom and hope. The Bread symbolised life, love, sacrifice and is the main staple food for the districts whereas The Capitol was the symbol of power and cruelty.
The Mockingjay was a big symbol in The Hunger Games, especially later in the trilogy because it was the symbol of the rebellion and one of the books was named after it but it was still a main symbol in the first book. The Mockingjay pin that Madge gave to Katniss shows friendship and that wherever she goes, there will always be someone who truly cares about her and that Rue was able to trust her because she was wearing the pin. It also shows that the Capitol has some weak spots after the mutated Jabberjays bred with the mockingbirds to make the beautiful sounding Mockingjays.
Another main symbol in The Hunger Games was Bread because it had a lot of meanings. One of the most important instances where bread was used was when Peeta took a beating to give Katniss some bread when she was close to dying from starvation. The quote, “The heat of the bread burned my skin, but I clutched it tighter, clinging for life” meant that there was still hope and Katniss and her family were going to survive because of what Peeta had done. Panem et circenses, or bread and circuses, was what Panem was ruled by. This was an expression used back during the gladiator games but it has the same concept in The Hunger Games because the Districts provide the food for the Capitol and the Tributes for the Hunger Games. Another point about bread was when District 11 gave Katniss a small loaf of bread during the games to show their appreciation and gratitude towards
Discuss the author’s use of symbolism and explain how symbols are used to convey themes.
In the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, many symbols were used to convey themes and different messages. The three symbols that I looked at were the Mockingjay, Bread and the Capitol. The Mockingjay symbolised the people and their rebellion, freedom and hope. The Bread symbolised life, love, sacrifice and is the main staple food for the districts whereas The Capitol was the symbol of power and cruelty.
The Mockingjay was a big symbol in The Hunger Games, especially later in the trilogy because it was the symbol of the rebellion and one of the books was named after it but it was still a main symbol in the first book. The Mockingjay pin that Madge gave to Katniss shows friendship and that wherever she goes, there will always be someone who truly cares about her and that Rue was able to trust her because she was wearing the pin. It also shows that the Capitol has some weak spots after the mutated Jabberjays bred with the mockingbirds to make the beautiful sounding Mockingjays.
Another main symbol in The Hunger Games was Bread because it had a lot of meanings. One of the most important instances where bread was used was when Peeta took a beating to give Katniss some bread when she was close to dying from starvation. The quote, “The heat of the bread burned my skin, but I clutched it tighter, clinging for life” meant that there was still hope and Katniss and her family were going to survive because of what Peeta had done. Panem et circenses, or bread and circuses, was what Panem was ruled by. This was an expression used back during the gladiator games but it has the same concept in The Hunger Games because the Districts provide the food for the Capitol and the Tributes for the Hunger Games. Another point about bread was when District 11 gave Katniss a small loaf of bread during the games to show their appreciation and gratitude towards