Theme Of Debt In The Hunger Games

In The Hunger Games, the theme of debt is illustrated through food deprivation and the rescuing of lives. In regards to food deprivation, the Tesserae is a prime example, as such supplemental rations are repaid in the form of additional entries into the reaping. Furthermore, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Evergreen endure a back-and-forth relationship where they feed the other when they are too weak to feed themselves. In regards to saving lives, a prime example is when Thresh saves Katniss’s life out of debt for his former district member, Rue. This notion of saving lives is also made clear by Katniss and Peeta, as they save each others lives several times, and are willing to commit suicide rather than killing one another. Thus, the theme of the
debt is in the form of owing someone for their help, whether it is by providing food or rescuing one from near death.

The food scarcity in this dystopian world forces those who run out of food alternatives to give up and get food by owing someone; be it in the form of tesserae or to a person.