Category: Hunger Games

The disparities between the opportunities of simple citizens and the residents of the Capitol present the severe issue of social class differences in The Hunger Games. However, the worst thing that happens to people is that they are used for the entertainment of those from the upper class. Overall, Suzanne Collins highlights the social inequity between the residents of the twelve districts of Panem and the wealthier part of society in the Capitol, focusing on the cruelty of the so-called hunger games.

To begin with, the story revolves around two characters, Peeta and Katniss, who live in the twelfth district of the Panem and suffer from the Capitols cruelty. To be more exact, their neighbors are starving and have to work hard to earn money just to provide for their families, District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety (24). Katnisss family is beyond poor, so she is forced to hunt in illegal territories to get food for her sister and mother. The girls family has no conveniences in their house, so they cannot even shower or properly clean their clothes. What is more, the twelve districts are forbidden to interact in any way, so people cannot travel outside of their areas or purchase food, clothes, and other necessities in the different parts of Panem.

In contrast, the Capitol is thriving while the people of Panem work hard to survive. As a matter of fact, the upper class does not share any worries about them lacking food, designer clothes, or technology to live their best lives. On the contrary, almost every resident of the Capitol possesses a fancy car, estate, and everything that people from the twelve districts could not even imagine. The capital is full of mean and two-faced people; they value looks and clothes over personality, They do surgery in the Capitol to make people appear younger and thinner (124). Consequently, Collins highlights the primary goal of the Capitol, which is making the lives of Panem worse and making people suffer (38). The twelve districts do not even have an opportunity to obtain decent education because the Capitol cannot afford any rebellion from their side or people that may doubt their authority.

However, the leading annual entertainment for the residents of the Capitol is hunger games, which include selecting two representatives from each of the twelve districts to fight for their lives. This game ends when only one person from the 24 participants manages to survive. Ironically, Catniss is forced to replace her sister, who is randomly chosen during the ceremony to participate in the hunger games. Catniss and her neighbor fight for their lives when the Capitol just watches their struggles on the TV, screaming, Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor (78). The most disturbing thing is that the upper class thinks that it is an actual honor for the participants to be seen and, besides, provided with necessities during the games if they are sponsored. Overall, the Capitol cares only about its well-being and uses ordinary people from the lower classes across the districts for entertainment, where they starve, escape traps from opponents, and kill just to survive this horror.

To sum up, Suzanne Collins presents the reality that the people of Panem have to deal with on a daily basis, trying to survive and provide for their families while the Capitol thrives on their struggles. The capital residents consider themselves superior beings and think it is fitting to torture the same human beings as them just for their fun. The fact that everyones fear of the Capitol casts constant horror on Panem makes Catniss a selfless hero who fights for her people and does not fear losing her life in the process.

Work Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Reprint, vol. 1, Scholastic Press, 2022.

The disparities between the opportunities of simple citizens and the residents of the Capitol present the severe issue of social class differences in The Hunger Games. However, the worst thing that happens to people is that they are used for the entertainment of those from the upper class. Overall, Suzanne Collins highlights the social inequity between the residents of the twelve districts of Panem and the wealthier part of society in the Capitol, focusing on the cruelty of the so-called hunger games.

To begin with, the story revolves around two characters, Peeta and Katniss, who live in the twelfth district of the Panem and suffer from the Capitol’s cruelty. To be more exact, their neighbors are starving and have to work hard to earn money just to provide for their families, “District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety” (24). Katniss’s family is beyond poor, so she is forced to hunt in illegal territories to get food for her sister and mother. The girl’s family has no conveniences in their house, so they cannot even shower or properly clean their clothes. What is more, the twelve districts are forbidden to interact in any way, so people cannot travel outside of their areas or purchase food, clothes, and other necessities in the different parts of Panem.

In contrast, the Capitol is thriving while the people of Panem work hard to survive. As a matter of fact, the upper class does not share any worries about them lacking food, designer clothes, or technology to live their best lives. On the contrary, almost every resident of the Capitol possesses a fancy car, estate, and everything that people from the twelve districts could not even imagine. The capital is full of mean and two-faced people; they value looks and clothes over personality, “They do surgery in the Capitol to make people appear younger and thinner” (124). Consequently, Collins highlights the primary goal of the Capitol, which is making the lives of Panem worse and making people suffer (38). The twelve districts do not even have an opportunity to obtain decent education because the Capitol cannot afford any rebellion from their side or people that may doubt their authority.

However, the leading annual entertainment for the residents of the Capitol is hunger games, which include selecting two representatives from each of the twelve districts to fight for their lives. This game ends when only one person from the 24 participants manages to survive. Ironically, Catniss is forced to replace her sister, who is randomly chosen during the ceremony to participate in the hunger games. Catniss and her neighbor fight for their lives when the Capitol just watches their struggles on the TV, screaming, “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor” (78). The most disturbing thing is that the upper class thinks that it is an actual honor for the participants to be seen and, besides, provided with necessities during the games if they are sponsored. Overall, the Capitol cares only about its well-being and uses ordinary people from the lower classes across the districts for entertainment, where they starve, escape traps from opponents, and kill just to survive this horror.

To sum up, Suzanne Collins presents the reality that the people of Panem have to deal with on a daily basis, trying to survive and provide for their families while the Capitol thrives on their struggles. The capital residents consider themselves superior beings and think it is fitting to torture the same human beings as them just for their fun. The fact that everyone’s fear of the Capitol casts constant horror on Panem makes Catniss a selfless hero who fights for her people and does not fear losing her life in the process.

Work Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Reprint, vol. 1, Scholastic Press, 2022.

The modern world claims to be very sophisticated, empowered by the wisdom and experience of generations and multiple ways to address all possible conflicts and issues. Even though our society is filled with scientists and scholars, who study every aspect of our life daily, make achievements, create discoveries and inventions, draw conclusions and work out new strategies, out world is still undergoing dozens of unwanted problems that seem to be unpredictable for the scientists and researchers.

There is an opinion that some of these conflicts are being artificially created and enforced by various parties in order to achieve more influence or to pursue some personal interests. There also is a version that the unwanted problems tend to occur in our society due to the lack of knowledge or some systematical mistakes, which the scientists still do not know how to identify. One of the most important issues of the contemporary society is the growing gap between the social classes. This tendency has already been called a serious problem that may bring multiple negative results in the near future.

The movie called “The Hunger Games” is based on the three novels written by Suzanne Collins. It is a well known fact that the movie presents a story about a violent and cruel game young people from poor districts are forced to play in order to entertain the upper classes. In the beginning it seems that the main focus of the movie and the books is the game and surviving of the players, but actually, the basis and the causes of this brutal game lay in the confrontation between the classes of the society.

There are twelve of poor districts, where people are being neglected, where they starve and live in poverty, and there is another part of the society, the rich people living in luxury, the people, who are so bored that they ran out of entertainments and came up with the idea of Hunger Games. Social conflict in the story of “The Hunger Games” represents the issue that every country of our world has to face these days. This is the problem of the gap between the rich and the poor. In “The Hunger Games” this issue was taken to the extreme and the rich class is dominant in a cruel way, it oppresses the poor people, owns them and decides whose lives to take and when.

Gwartney, Patricia, A., Lynne Fessenden and Gayle Landt. “Measuring the Long- Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: a Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents”. Negotiation Journal, 18(1) (2002): 51-74. Print.

This article was designed to explore the ways of conflict resolution through the application of social exchange theory and the ways of evaluation of the progress or success of the conflict resolution. The scientists noticed that short-term success is much easier to evaluate than the long-term success. There are criteria that offer the ground for making a definite conclusion about the results of conflict resolution, but even if the result was evaluated as positive – that does not guarantee that long-term effects of the conflict resolution will also be successful (Gwartney, Fessenden & Landt, 53).

The theory of social exchange is based on collaboration between the sides of the conflict. This kind of co-operation is very hard to achieve because in most situations the conflicting parties have multiple contradicting points of view and it is impossible to find aspects of agreement between them. The authors of the article state that in order to overcome a community or regional confrontation the relationships between the leaders of both sides need to be improved. The representatives of the leading forces need to find common ground and learn how to work together.

According to this point of view, in order to resolve the conflict in the society of “The Hunger Games”, the leaders of the Districts and the Capitol need to meet and find a compromise. The only thing necessary for the progress to happen in this situation is mutual desire of all sides to resolve the conflict. Yet, as it always happens, in the particular case of “The Hunger Games” there is a side that has a significant advantage and would like to keep it that way. In this case, there is no mutual desire to agree because one of the sides enjoys its position and is not willing to co-operate.

Christian, Diana, Leafe. “24 Common Sources of Community Conflict”. Communities,128 (2005): 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35. Print.

This article presents twenty four causes of the conflicts in the society. All of the sources of disagreement identified by Diana Christian are very common and are the constant reasons of multiple problems in smaller communities, such as families, couples and roommates, and bigger communities such as regions of a country or members of a union between several states.

The author describes in detail several cases of conflicts between individuals caused by different reasons. According to the article, one of the best and most effective ways to resolve a conflict is communication, honest and open sharing of insights and complaints about various uncomfortable situations. Christian describes the lessons various members of the community learnt through participating in confrontations and heated arguments, observing other members having a disagreement and managing the conflict.

The author of this article points out how important it is to be flexible and ready to participate in the process of resolution, solve the problems by means of an honest conversation and making conclusions together (Christian, 35). This method is very helpful for smaller communities and the confrontations that have not been lasting for too long. Yet, when we take a look at the conflict of “The Hunger Games” – we notice that what people experience there is called the class war. It is not a minor misunderstanding between two spouses; it is a long lasting heated confrontation between crowds of people.

It has been going on for generations and many people have been involved. The confrontation caused sufferings and pain that cannot be forgiven with the help of one honest discussion. The conflict in “the Hunger Games” happened over money and power. Finding a compromise would mean that the abusing dominant party would, all of a sudden, realize that they were hurting thousands of people and change their policy. Unfortunately, even if this miraculous outcome happened, this would not guarantee the forgiveness from the side of the poor people, who lost their friends and relatives during this oppression and discrimination.

Both of the articles suggest similar ways of conflict resolution. The authors logically suppose that if the representatives of both conflicting parties find an agreement and common ground, the conflict will be over. To my mind, we should not forget that the leaders of dominant Capitol have been keeping the situation this way for a long time for a reason. The reason is – they like the way things are. In order to solve such enormous and complicated conflict, completely new leaders need to be involved and these leaders need to be supported at least by the majority of their sides.

Works Cited

Christian, Diana, Leafe. “24 Common Sources of Community Conflict”. Communities,128 (2005): 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35. Print.

Gwartney, Patricia, A., Lynne Fessenden and Gayle Landt. “Measuring the Long-Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: a Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents”. Negotiation Journal, 18(1) (2002): 51-74. Print.

Introduction

The Hunger Games, an international bestseller written by Suzanne Collins, introduces the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, which comprises the Capitol and twelve districts surrounding the city. Nevertheless, the wealth distribution, standards of living, social rights, and the approach to The Hunger Games vary drastically among the areas. The Capitol is the largest and most prosperous city in Panem, which thrives due to the exploitation of other regions. On the other hand, the twelve districts are numbered according to their primary production, corresponding wealth, and training regime for The Hunger Games. It implies that District 12 is the poorest and smallest area of Panem, and most of its candidates in the Games are commonly considered to be the first casualties. Ultimately, while both the Capitol and District 12 are regions of Panem, they have vastly different beauty standards, living conditions, diverse understanding of social equality, and opposite approaches to The Hunger Games.

Beauty Standards

The first significant difference between the Capitol and District 12 is how their residents perceive beauty and fashion. While appearances are highly substantial due to the entertainment aspect of The Hunger Games, beauty standards differ vastly in the two regions. The Capitol people take pride in their wealth and demonstrate it by luxury clothing styles, grandiose buildings, advanced technologies, and outrageous fashion sense (Gemmill par. 6). Furthermore, the city residents frequently rely on plastic surgeries, grotesque makeup styles, and other methods to illustrate their difference from people in other regions (LitCharts 5). Ultimately, the access to wealth and power has significantly distorted the residents’ views on fashion and beauty standards.

On the other hand, the people of District 12 cannot afford to care about their appearance since they have much more prevailing issues, such as provision, shelter, and safety. As a result, due to the poor economy in the region, most residents have to wear rags as clothes and never take showers due to the lack of water in the district (LitCharts 22). Ultimately, there is a vast difference in the beauty standards and fashion among the residents of the Capitol and District 12. Nevertheless, this contrast results not from the fashion trends, but from the financial capabilities of the people and the desire of the Capitol’s citizens to stand out from the rest of the nation.

Social Inequality

The second relevant issue among the residents of Panem is social inequality. As mentioned briefly before, the wealth distribution among the districts of the nation is highly unbalanced, which has led to the prevalence of social injustice within Panem. The root of the problem is the authoritarian policies implemented by the officials of the nation and that are aimed at creating the superficial barrier between the Capitol and other districts (LitCharts 4). The dictatorship allows concentrating the majority of wealth in the central city while simultaneously restricting the social rights of people living in other regions. The government prevents any type of economic development of the districts by prohibiting free trade, restricting labor choice, establishing barriers between the areas, and disabling consumer sovereignty (Cleveland et al. 162). These factors are particularly noticeable in District 12 and account for the poverty in the region. Accompanied by the continuous propaganda of the Capitol, the tesserae laws, and the approach to The Hunger Games, social inequality is highly evident within the nation of Panem.

Standards of Living

The unbalanced wealth distribution has also led to diverse standards of living in various regions of Panem. Although the Capitol does not have a production of its own, the residents have the best food, clothes, technology, and entertainment due to the exploitation of other regions (Gemmill par. 6). The officials utilize technological superiority to control the production in other regions and military force to suppress the ideas of potential rebellions (Cleveland et al. 161). Evidently, the government does not care about the living conditions in the districts, and its primary objective is to assert complete dominance and enrich the Capitol. On the other hand, coal mining is the single industry and economic activity of District 12. It is so prevalent that even the education process revolves around the production, ‘besides basic reading and math most of our instruction is coal-related’ (Collins 41). The sole focus on one industry accompanied by severe economic restrictions, such as the prohibition of free trade and consumer sovereignty, makes District 12 the poorest region in Panem. People do not have access to provision, shelter, water, and medication, while the residents of the Capitol thrive.

Approach to The Hunger Games

Lastly, the Capitol and District 12 have opposite perspectives on The Hunger Games, the annual battle royale organized by the elite members of the government. The primary objective of The Hunger Games is to provide entertainment for the residents of the Capitol and to establish their superiority over the people living in the districts. The attitude of the Capitol toward the games is excellently portrayed by the quote, ‘the people begin to point at us eagerly <…> they can’t wait to watch us die’ (Collings 59). At the same time, The Hunger Games generally imply inevitable death for the tributes from the districts. It is particularly noticeable in District 12 since the residents of the region do not have any prior training and are commonly considered to be the very first casualties of the games. Furthermore, the situation is complicated by the tesserae system, which provides food for entering the names into the reaping. As a result, children from poor and starving families are more likely to be chosen for participation. Ultimately, the Capitol perceives The Hunger Games as means of entertainment and dominance, while the Districts view the games as the inevitable death.

Conclusion

Summing up, the primary differences between the Capitol and District 12 include the beauty standards, social rights of the residents, the living conditions, and the approach to The Hunger Games. The major factor for the opposing perspectives is the authoritarian government centered in the Capitol, which controls the wealth distribution and exploits the districts. This has ultimately led to the prosperity of the central city and critical poverty in District 12, explaining the vast differences between the two regions.

Works Cited

Cleveland, Jeffrey, et al. “The Economics of The Hunger Games.” International Journal, Pluralism and Economics Education, vol. 7, no. 2, 2016, pp. 152-169.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press. 2008.

Gemmill, Allie. “Hunger Games Panem Map Guide: Every Location Explained.” ScreenRant, 2019. Web.

“Hunger Games.” LitCharts, 2020. Web.

The first example of a social contract in Panem is the need to be disarmed. Katniss expresses the intensity of the social contract when she claims that “my bow is a rarity” (Collins 3). Her father had the ability to make and sell bows. Her father was afraid of the severe penalty, being executed publicly (Collins 3). It is a social contract when the Capitol provides security for all the other districts. On the other hand, people living in the districts are not allowed to own simple weapons like bows and arrows. It is unnecessary because the Capitol has more sophisticated equipment that only requires the pressing of buttons to kill. The people sacrifice the liberty to own weapons, and to defend themselves. They are allowed to live peacefully by the Capitol, so long as they follow the rules.

The second example of a social contract in Panem is the need to keep quiet about Capitol’s governance. Katniss expresses that “I avoid discussing tricky topics, like reaping, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games. Prim might begin to repeat my words, and then where would we be?” (Collins 3).

Rebellion is unlikely to happen when people are prevented from discussing issues that make them irritated with the Capitol. It prevents the occurrence of new ‘Dark Days’. Repression happens in all districts as it can be noted that people in one district are not supposed to know what happens in the other districts (Collins 103). Katniss claims that “even though the information seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another” (Collins 103). The people in the districts forego the freedom of speech and expression so that they can live peacefully with the Capitol. People have no freedom to criticize the government. Criticizing the Capitol’s method of governance may cause an uprising.

Another social contract in Panem involves the people in districts submitting all of their work benefits to the Capitol. Rue explained to Katniss when she thought that they had enough to eat because they came from an agricultural district. She says, “Oh, no, we’re not allowed to eat the crops” (Collins 102). Katniss explains that in the coal district, the only coal they can obtain is through filling their boots when they get out of the mine (Collins 102). In the quota system, the Capitol accumulates all the wealth. It distributes food to the districts the way it pleases. In most cases, the people in the districts are given just enough to keep them alive. The people in the districts forego the right to acquire wealth and make personal investments. As a result, the people in the districts are poor and frequently die of hunger or malnutrition. Their deaths are reported to be caused by other diseases such as tuberculosis to cover up the ongoing starvation.

Another social contract is the ‘reaping’ that leads to the Hunger Games. Each year a boy and a girl are offered from each district for the Hunger Games. Reaping refers to selecting randomly those who will fight in the Hunger Games. It shows the districts’ submission to the Capitol instead of real wars (Collins 10). The reaping agreement is also supported by a social contract known as the ‘tesserae’. The ‘tesserae’ allows a teenager to obtain more to eat at the expense of increasing the chances of being selected. It is evident when Katniss exclaims that Gale’s name appears 42 times in the ball that holds the names (Collins 10). It is like a rotary, the more you enter, the higher your chances of being chosen.

As a result of the reaping of teenagers, Panem exists peacefully because the Capitol fully expresses its dominance through the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are also considered a representative of what would have occurred if the districts were to engage in a real war. It is considered a little suffering for the greater good. The people in the districts lose their right to choose whether to engage in the games or not. They are forced to attend assemblies where teenagers are chosen. The people in the Capitol do not undergo the reaping process because they are the victors of the ‘Dark Days’ (Collins 23). It is a social contract that allows them to enjoy watching the Hunger Games when none of their family members is at the risk of being killed.

Social contracts also exist at the district level. One of the social contracts at the district level is the concept of the ‘Career Tributes’. It is practiced in District 1, District 2, and District 4 (Collins 48). These districts have looked at the positive side of winning the Hunger Games. It includes receiving gifts from the Capitol. Other districts do not care because all they want is to get rid of the game. For example, District 12 does not care to train people because they hate the whole process. The districts that train tributes work to increase the chances of their trainees surviving in the arena. These districts have agreed to train their tributes despite the fact that they hate the game too.

Career tributes make the districts appear as if they enjoy the game. The districts forfeit their open displeasure when they choose to train tributes. It creates mixed feelings because they value that which they have greatly disliked. Their gains include grains and oil that the Capitol offers to them when they become winners.

Another social contract at the district level exists among the leaders in District 12 and the hunters. The leaders purchase games even though the Capitol has banned hunting. Katniss explains that “most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they’re as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is” (Collins 3). The mayor in District 12 liked to buy wild turkeys caught by Katniss. It spared her and Gale public beatings in spite of being mentioned several times. The greater good is that peacekeepers maintain a low number of hunters and trade for game meat. The hunters are able to obtain food and other items they need by engaging in barter trade. The hunters forego the right to sell their catch in the open market. They also sell their products at a lower price than expected.

One of the social contracts criticized by Collins is the quota system of contributing to the economy, which appears to be communism. The bugged conversations are a critique of states that listen to the personal conversations of their citizens.

Collins is more effective in addressing the issue of intercepted personal communications by using ancient messengers such as birds as opposed to advanced technology. As a result, the matter appears primitive. She is able to effectively critique how the Capitol uses all the wealth it derives from the other districts. She has effectively used humor to ridicule the Capitol’s beautification. Her critique is effective by showing that the districts forfeit all their rights for the sake of one item, peace.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzzane n.d., The Hunger Games. Web.

Katniss Everdeen is the main character and narrator of the novel The Hunger Games. We first meet Katniss as a teenager of 16 years who must support her family after her father’s death. Her mother also suffers from depression. Katniss must also support her younger sister. Katniss and her family live in a poverty-stricken coal-mining District 12. It is the realities Katniss encounters that shape her traits.

Katniss is the stalwart of her family. She has to support a depressed mother and her younger sister after the death of her father who died tragically in the coal mine accident. The fact that her mother could not cope with the loss made Katniss to take the role of the head of the household.

She must provide for the household, and save her family from starvation. Katniss talks about her roles as follows. “It was slow-going at first, but I was determined to feed us. I stole eggs from nests, caught fish in nets, sometimes managed to shoot a squirrel or rabbit for stew, and gathered the various plants that sprung up beneath my feet. Plants are tricky. Many are edible, but one false mouthful and you’re dead. I checked and double-checked the plants I harvested with my father’s pictures. I kept us alive” (Collins 4.19)

Katniss symbolizes the will of a woman to survive despite all odds. She must be innovative and hardworking to do this through foraging and hunting. These are what form the core of her female roles and identity.

Katniss also offers support to others outside her family. Katniss also extends her protective instinct to a friend and an ally, Rue from District 11. She tells us that Rue too is a survivor, and that is why she formed an alliance with her. This is crucial among the female characters in this novel. They must survive despite all odds.

Katniss’ role of protecting and providing for others extends even to male characters in the novel. Peeta Mellark is a son of a baker who is only good with cake decorations. Peeta lacks hunting and gathering skills we notice in Katniss. Katniss risks her life so that she can deliver medicine that can save Peeta from a near death.

We can see Katniss as a female character who others can rely on for their survival. However, we must ask what role Katniss will play if she wins Hunger Games. This makes her ponder her possible new identity and role in society. “For the first time, I allow myself to truly think about the possibility that I might make it home.

To fame. To wealth. To my own house in the Victor’s Village. My mother and Prim would live there with me. No more fear of hunger. A new kind of freedom. But then…what? What would my life be like on a daily basis? Most of it has been consumed with the acquisition of food. Take that away and I’m not really sure who I am, what my identity is. The idea scares me some” (Collins 23.62)

This reflection remains unresolved at the end of the novel, but we can guess Katniss will have to find herself a new identity and role once she returns to District 12.

Life in District 12 is hard; thus survival is the term other characters use in the description of other characters. This makes Peeta’s mother says “She’s a survivor, that one” (Collins 7.31). Survival is the main concern for Katniss wherever she may be. The needs to survive have made her fish, hunt, fight, and trap all manner of food items.

The survival instinct makes Katniss a hardened person. Katniss has no strong attachments to other characters or things. Thus, she lacks strong emotions to relate with other characters.

Katniss has all her energy directed to daily activities of making ends meet. Consequently, she is a sentimental character. This trait makes her different from other female characters in the novel.

For instance, Katniss shows lack of love for Buttercup, the family cat. Katniss views Buttercup as “another mouth to feed” rather than a playmate. This could be the reason why Katniss tried to drown the cut so as to save it from starvation and death eventually. Likewise, Katniss has no strong attachments to children. She is not thinking of having children.

This makes her tells Gale “Who would fill those mouths that are always asking for more?” (Collins 1.28). The thought of bringing children in a poverty-stricken life scares her. This is a deviation from normal role of female in society. As a female, society expects Katniss to take the traditional role of women, such as child-bearing and house chores.

Katniss does not approach the issue of love like any other normal female. It is difficult to understand her feelings of love given she has to struggle and provide for her family. However, we can notice some form of love among characters she interacts with in the novel. Team Gale provides some of the most important moments in Katniss life.

These are some of the moment happiest times in her life. However, Katniss keeps her feelings to herself because of family responsibilities. We notice this through her opinion on children and the need to cater for her family.

Peeta has always loved Katniss. However, Katniss does not return his love because they are competitors in the game.

Critics may consider Katniss a heartbreaker because Katniss ignores Peeta’s feelings. Peeta declared his love for Katniss before a National Television making a private affair public.

Amidst her confusion, what comes out of Katniss is “Peeta has made me an object of love” (Collins 10.33). In this context, the statement may present ambiguity. It can empower and disempower both characters. Katniss must play a role before the audience that may change her life. She must act as Peeta’s object of love because both of their lived depend on it. Therefore, rejecting Peeta before the audience is impossible.

This shows that women may take up some roles in order to save their positions in society. The idea of relating women to object of love seems to persist in society, and not likely to end soon.

Life changes for Katniss when she enters the Capitol. She becomes a celebrity and engages in celebrity games. However, this looks like an appearance to her than reality. She must change her traits to meet those of celebrities and public figures, and create a persona out of herself. However, she manages these roles with the help of Cinna, her stylist.

She also learns these new appearances from Haymitch, her coach. She can manipulate the audience of the Hunger Games through the romance act with Peeta. We can notice that Katniss can only achieve her success and win the audience through becoming Peeta’s object of love.

This makes Haymitch comments “It’s all a big show. It’s all how you’re perceived. The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough, although that in itself was small miracle. Now I can say you’re a heartbreaker. Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?” (Collins 10.24)

Works Cited

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