The Power Elements of Literary Devices in The Hunger Games

The Power Elements of Literary Devices in The Hunger Games In literature, how an author chooses to construct their words is very important. They need to use them in a way that will allow the reader to take more meaning away from it, and see them as more than just words on paper. Literary devices are what give literature a deeper, more thoughtful meaning. They are not always clear and defined, and sometimes take closer reading to identify their full meaning, but they certainly give more depth to a story. Metaphors, similes, imagery, and tone are just a few examples of the many literary devices and stylistic techniques we are able to see develop throughout the novel The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. Collins uses these devices as an easier way of characterizing Katniss, the protagonist of the novel, and the intense story she has written, making the reader more intrigued and interested in what she has written. It only takes reading the first few opening lines to come across some of the devices that Collins has cleverly chosen to use. We are almost instantly confronted with a metaphor as Katniss wakes up on “the day of the reaping” (5): “My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress” (2). Collins uses the comparison of the mattress to a rough canvas to imply what her living conditions are like. Normally our beds are a soft and cozy sanctuary that offers comfort, but Katniss refers hers to the texture of canvas paper that is definitely not soft, nor cozy. This metaphor tries to portray that concept of how Katniss lives, and that she does not live a typical, more privileged life. The use of similes is also very evident in this novel. “Prim’s face is as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named.” (11) Right away, we see how this simile is being used to describe Prim. The comparison of her to that of a raindrop and flower gives a greater degree of meaning to

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