May the odds be ever in your favor!

Sarah Stettler’s Hunger Games

Sarah Stettler
Prof. A. Harrison
November 9, 2011
English 115

Personal Growth Takes Time and Help

            Katniss Everdeen is a plain girl from District 12, Panem. She is from the district responsible for mining and where a mining explosion cost her father’s life. Following his death, Katniss, her sister Prim and her mother have struggled to survive. To help the family survive, Katniss has learned to escape District 12 into the nearby woods to hunt and provide for her family. Her mother and sister depend on Katniss to provide money from selling what she hunts, herbs for her mother’s pharmacy and food for the family to survive. While Katniss has always been strong, throughout The Hunger Games, she matures and begins to care for others, because of this she becomes stronger than she ever imagined.
            Strength can be measured in many ways. There is strength of character and physical strength and mental strength. Strength comes with confidence; confidence in yourself, your looks and your abilities. Katniss knows she is a strong hunter, yet she gives little thought to herself as an emerging young woman. She views herself as a good hunting partner but gives little thought to her appearance or desirability. In the first chapter of The Hunger Games, the reader is introduced to Katniss Everdeen, a plain and simple girl. Katniss would be classified as a tomboy with little regard for her looks. “ I swing my legs off the bed and slide into my hunting boots. Supple leather that has molded to my feet. I pull on trousers, a shirt, tuck my long braid up into a cap, and grab my forage bag” (Collins 4). Her daily routine is without any concern for her own appearance or any thought to how others may view her. Most girls look at themselves in the mirror to do their hair or make sure they are pleased with how they look. Katniss never looks in the mirror until she goes to the capitol. Also, almost all girls look in a closet and decide what they want to wear, Katniss just pulls on the same outfit she always wears, unless it is the reaping. She views herself only as a provider for her family. She doesn’t view herself as a friend or as a person anyone would desire for a friend. While she possesses strength as a hunter, she is small in stature. To win The Hunger Games, she will have to develop other strengths.
            To win The Hunger Games, Katniss needs sponsors who will provide her with gifts to help her survive. She also needs to be able to become an ally with other competitors, yet know in the end she will have to kill the others. Katniss lacks compassion for anyone with the exception of her sister Prim. Perhaps some may view compassion as a weakness, yet compassion is a humanistic trait which allows us to feel and understand others and that makes us stronger. Compassion strengthens us as we view others and try to protect those whom we love. Katniss is emotionally closed off to others. She loves no one except her sister Prim. Prim shares a close relationship to their mother, whom Katniss does not like and refuses to forgive her for falling apart and not having the strength to take care of her and Prim after their father died. Katniss’s main concern is Prim’s safety and when Prim’s name is announced at the reaping, Katniss responds, “trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the name bounces around the inside of my skull” (21). Without hesitation, following the announcing of Prim as a tribute in the Games, Katniss’s true compassion and selfless nature towards Prim emerges. Katniss gives no thought to herself but only thinks of Prim’s safety. She does not hesitate to offer herself up to take Prim’s place in The Hunger Games. Katniss would rather sacrifice her own life than watch Prim get hurt. Part of her reasoning for taking Prim’s place is she knows that she has at least a chance of surviving because of her hunting skills in comparison to Prim who is a nurturer not a hunter. For Katniss, her compassion for Prim, means giving her life in order to save Prim. Her determination to win the games is only driven by her compassion for Prim. She knows Gale will help her family, but she worries that without her, Prim will still perish. Katniss knows how her family nearly perished following her father’s death. She cannot imagine her mother or sister having the strength to survive if she is not there to provide “I protect Prim in everyway I can” (15). Katniss worries that if she is not there to protect Prim no one will protect her, which drives Katniss to try and stay alive, and win the games.
            While she feels compassion for Prim, Katniss has closed herself off to others. She is surprised when the mayor’s daughter gives her a gift of a Mockingjay pen. She is surprised when Peeta remembers her. Yet, her compassion and the need to protect Prim leads Katniss to learn to open herself to others. This is seen in her relationship with the tribute Rue. Rue is a small tribute whose size and manner remind Katniss of Prim Katniss wants to help and protect Rue, even though she isn’t sure what would happen if they are the last two survivors. When Rue gets killed Katniss stays with her, comforting her with a song until she takes her last breath. Even in death she doesn’t abandon Rue, instead tries to honor her memory, “I decorate her body in the flowers. Covering the ugly wound. Wreathing her face. Weaving her hair with the bright colors” (237). Katniss takes the time to care for Rue and try to comfort her instead of letting her die alone, wounded and scared. Katniss shows true grief over her passing and acknowledges her death unlike the other tributes who show no mercy. She also wants to protect Peeta and the thought of Peeta being dead hurts her, “ All of a sudden, I’ m overwhelmed by the thought that Peeta may be already lost, bled white” (153). Her caring side shines when she finds Peeta, who is hurt. She brings him to safety and treats him, helping him recover from his wounds, feeds him and protects him. Her “Prim side” shines through, showing whether she likes it or not caring and nurturing is in her blood.

Another factor Katniss faces due to her lack of self-confidence is not being comfortable in the spotlight. During the Hunger Games she is constantly in the spotlight and she realizes she must put aside her own desires in order to survive. If she attracts the spotlight, she can attract sponsors and gain help during the Games. Yet it is not for her own gain when she is forced to step out of her comfort zone. She desperately needs food and medicine to help Peeta survive. “And he’s right, if I want to keep Peeta alive, I’ve got to give the audience something more to care about” (261). Katniss forces herself to play the game the way the game makers want by putting her own desires away. Her compassion and her drive make others fall in love with her, which is why sponsors will spend an arm and a leg to send her a gift to help her survive. However she doesn’t selfishly use these gifts, which shows her maturity. Katniss shares these gifts; she uses the medicine to heal Peeta, and the food to help him recover. She needs food too, but she puts her needs secondary to help Peeta because he is weaker than she is. Again her nurturing side shows. Unlike the other tributes Katniss takes time to care for others whether it was Rue or Peeta. Before she finds out a new rule allowing tributes from the same district to both survive she begins to take care of Peeta. “This much I can fix. I decide to take care of his upper body first, to alleviate some pain” (254). With the time Katniss takes to nurse Peeta back to health she could keep herself safe instead of risking her own life to save his life. Katniss has matured in her selfless acts to care enough for others that she would risk her life to help them.

Katniss’s selfless desire to protect and take care of her sister underlies her desire to win. It gives her character strength and maturity. All of the tributes hope to survive out of the simple human survival instinct. Katniss’s thoughts go beyond instinct into a need to survive to protect her family. The responsibility for her family drives Katniss to remain strong and grow stronger in the games.
Lastly Katniss’s feeling towards boys evolves during the games and this growth helps her succeed in The Games. Katniss has never let herself like a boy, partly because she does not want to get married and does not want to have children as she does not want them to go through The Hunger Games. However during the games she begins to have feelings for Peeta, and while it may start as a stunt for the cameras to receive gifts, the more she pretends the more she truly falls for Peeta, which shows a personal growth. Prior to The Hunger Games she did not care about wanting a friend or boyfriend but as the games progress she begins to realize emotions within herself. . She begins to fall for Peeta which she acknowledges saying, “ This is the first kiss that makes me want another” (299) Katniss has allowed herself to open up to another person instead of being closed off. However some may view her as immature and selfish, she forgoes many opportunities to turn away from others and seize gifts for herself. When The Games end and she goes home Katniss worries about what Gale has thought of the games and her relationship with Peeta. She ponders thoughts of Gale as more than a friend. But at the same time Peeta is so caring and loving of her that she is torn between the two and continues to feel conflicted and unable to understand her own emotions. The fact that she has opened herself to feeling for others and sees that she could be desirable reveals her growth and maturity into a young woman from the young girl at the reaping.

The Hunger Games is the ultimate human contest of the survival of the fittest. The fittest is not just defined by physical strength, but defined by intelligence, skill, and maturity. While Katniss entered the Games in a selfless act to protect her sister, she must grow and mature to be strong enough to survive. She is distrustful of all who can help her. She doesn’t see herself as worthy of their friendship or affection and their efforts make her wary in the beginning. When she opens herself to caring for Rue, a valuable gift of bread arrives from Rue’s district in thanks for her kindness to their small tribute. When Katniss allows herself to be seen as a lover to Peeta, gifts from sponsors drop to save them. In the final moment of the games, her defiance and strength pushes the capital to allow both her and Peeta to survive. Katniss isn’t driven by her own survival, but is driven in her desire to avenge Rue, and survive for her family. While she wants to survive for her family, her growing compassion for others prevents her from harming Peeta to whom she is grateful for saving her from starvation as a young girl. It is the maturity and growth in her character, which strengthened Katniss as a competitor in The Hunger Games. Katniss entered The Hunger Games a strong competitor because of her hunting skills learned in helping her family survive. Ultimately to win, Katniss had to mature by opening herself up to feeling compassion for others and selfless in her own actions and desires.

Word Count: 2032

Work Cited:
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2

The Hunger Games

V.J.

The Hunger Games

Unlike all the other tributes from all the other eleven districts Katniss Evergreen was known to be a survival. Most of the kids entering the games were all either under feed or were trained their entire lives for the games. However, Katniss was different compared to the average kid in Panem. She had to provide for her family after her father’s death so she knew how to survive in the woods. Katniss is considered to be an inhabitant of the woods. Katniss is a very rational person and she does only what she needs to do to survive , therefore she would be the perfect contestant because her ability to rationalize was the best advantage she had towards her opponents.

Katniss uses her experience from hunting in the woods through out the games. The fact that Katniss knew how to survive in the woods was a huge advantage to her. “ Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal and poaching carries the severest of penalties, more people would risk it if they had weapons. But most are not bold enough to venture out with just a knife” (5). Here Katniss is saying many people would go hunting in the woods if they had the courage to do so. Meaning that many wish they could be like her fearless , however only her and Gale are the only ones that have the courage to go out into the woods and make a living out of it. The fact that she was able to be reasonable enough to use her experience from the woods and not get intimidated by her other opponents that had been trained their entire lives for the games was a huge plus for her because in her case she had the best training there could ever be even if it was for just a few years.

Katniss displays all her skills in a series of events through out the book. “ I’ve got staying power even though I’m short on sleep. Being in the woods is rejuvenating” (152). Here We can see how being in the wood does Katniss good. Knowing that the games were going to be in the woods brought her comfort, in some part of the book we see how she says that she was looking forward to the games because she will probably most likely be in the woods again. The fact that she was very familiar with the actual woods brought a huge advantage to Katniss during the games. Yeah the Career tributes were well trained and better feed but none had real actual experience like Katniss that she had to learn to survive from the woods. The wood were of second nature to Katniss, she probably spend more time in the woods than she did in school.

Not only was Katniss Familiar with the woods but she also was a wise girl. “There is one good reason why Haymitch could be withholding water from me. Because he knows I’ve almost found it” (169). Here we can see how Katniss was able to get in contact with Haymitch throughout the games. This was one of the few examples where she demonstrates that she was able to communicate with Haymitch through the game. Not many people will be wise enough to think on their feet like that. Peeta was never able to communicate with Haymitch throughout the game. Katniss on the other hand was able to get food, the sleeping syrup for Peeta and an ointment for her burns from Haymitch just from thinking on her feet and being able to understand what Haymitch would want her to do. This is a perfect example of how rational Katniss is, she was able to use common sense in order to understand Haymitch and his orders.

Another example of Katniss’s rationality is when she says she does not want to have kids. She says she does not want to have kids because she does not want them to ever have a chance to be call upon to the games. By saying that she shows that she is a responsible human being and that she does not want to have her children being brought into a world where they might have to get killed at a young age. Although many people might judge her for her thoughts but the reality of it is that she is only looking out for what is best for her children which is not bringing them into the world she lives in.

Since Katniss was very familiar with the woods and her body was also familiar to the woods she knew many of the advantages of surviving in the woods. “ Gale always says I remind him of a squirrel the way I can scurry up even the slenderest limbs. Part of its’s my weight, but part of it’s practice” (182). Here we can see how she used her knowledge of climbing into the trees to survive. This skill of climbing into the trees was of a huge advantage to her in the beginning of the games since the only weapon she had in the beginning was a knife she could not do much with a knife and being able to be in high altitudes gave just an other advantage to her from the rest of her opponents. The only ones who were able to climb onto trees so high and with

skill were Katniss and Rue. This skill is what made them survive in the beginning of the games and also helped them keep a close watch on the other tributes.

Katniss and Gale were district twelve’s hunters, they were the ones who went out into the woods and brought meat, plants, and fruits for the stem. “The bow and arrow is my weapon. But I’ve spent a fair amount of time throwing knives as well. Sometimes, if I’ve wounded an animal with an arrow, it’s better to get a knife into it, too, before I approach it” (57). Katniss had very good marksmanship that helped her hunt. Her preferred weapon was the arrow she had managed to get access to an arrow towards the end of the games which secured her a lot because not only did she have the arrow which was a good weapon but she also had experience with it and she knew how to handle it. Katniss could use the arrow to kill for food and kill for survival the arrow was of vital use to her.

Over all we can say that Katniss had the odds with her. What were the chances of being in your second home for the games. Rarely were there any well rounded participants like Katniss in the games. Not only did she know how to hunt but she also was very wise and alert. She manage to stay alive because she knew the way of the woods and she understood the meaning of survival because she lived though it everyday since her father’s death. Katniss’ rationality and independence made her win because really through out the games she made sure returned all the favors that were given to her and she helped Rue and Peeta , had it not been for Katniss Peeta would have neve made it to the Capital because she even made sure there was two victors and not one like there always is.

Word Count: 1,222

Work Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York. Scholastic Press. 2010. Print.

The Girl on Fire

C.T.L.

In the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the narrator being Katniss Everdeen is able to survive the annual hunger games because of the number of skills and qualities she has learned throughout the years. Somehow her weaknesses and strengths work in her favor and are able to crown her the winner of the 74th annual Hunger Games along with Peeta. Katniss, also known as the girl who was on fire is a girl who is odd, manipulative, has survival skills, and is caring. Katniss is able to take down opponents who are bigger, stronger, and better sponsored than she was in the games, but because she is human she also has weaknesses that slow her down in the arena.

The name Katniss comes from an edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss father tells her that if she “finds herself,” she’ll never go hungry” (Hunger Games). Katniss loses her father at the age of eleven because of a mine explosion, in which he worked in. Katniss is to step up and take care of her mother and sister Prim due to her mother’s depression. She also does it to prevent Prim to being sent to a foster home, so she uses her hunting skills to provide food for her family along with her friend Gale. Obviously to Katniss her family is one of her biggest weakness. Her sister Prim is one of her biggest weakness as shown at the day of the reaping. Prim’s name is called to participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games but Katniss cannot accept that, so she automatically volunteers herself to take her place in the games. Katniss knows that Prim will not make it far and that she has a better chance of surviving.

Before Katniss father passed away, he taught her hunting skills that he believed would be useful for her to know. She becomes a master with a bow and arrows. Her father not only teaches her how to hunt animals but how to skin them, which plants are eatable, and he teaches her how to swim. All of these become useful while in the arena. She is able to take down others who are stronger than her, but because she has studied animals she knows how to study people and their actions. She tends to analyze and study her opponent’s which work very well with her while she is in the field.

The day of the interviews plays a big role for Katniss; this day determines who will sponsor her while in the arena. Thanks to Cinna, her stylist she amazes the audience with her “girl on fire” outfit. Not only does the outfit and her responds to the questions work in her favor, but Peeta’s declaration of love for her in front of the camera work in her part as well. This is definitely a strength that Katniss is taken by surprise at first but later on she takes advantage of being known as the “star crossed lovers.” Even in private meetings, Katniss is still able to impress the Gamemakers; When Katniss had to show the Gamemakers her best skill. Due to her getting furious that she was “being upstaged by a dead pig” (Hunger Games) she sends an arrow straight to the apple which was in the pig’s mouth which pins behind the wall. Her temper becomes strength for Katniss because she gains the highest score which means more people would want to sponsor her.

Katniss does not let go of the past easily which later on affects her. While in the arena Katniss meets Rue, from District 4. Katniss only gets close to her because she reminds her of Prim, so fragile and small. Rue teaches her about plants and other survival skills she has learned and Katniss does the same. Unfortunately, Rue is set into a trap by the careers and dies; Katniss is not able to save her although she was only a few steps away from her. She seeks revenge and kills the boy that killed Rue. This affects her by making her realize that the only person she has left in the arena is Peeta, and she does not want him to die as well. Katniss realizing that Peeta is the only person she has left in the arena which she truly cares about and the fact that she feels “like I owe him something, and I hate owing people. Maybe if I had thanked him at some point, I’d be feeling less conflicted now. I thought about it a couple of times, but the opportunity never seemed to present itself. And now it never will…Somehow it just won’t seem sincere if I’m trying to slit his throat” (Hunger Games). Because of Peeta getting a spanking from his mother for throwing out burnt bread so Katniss can eat it during her starving time, Katniss feels as if she should repay him by letting him live.

One strength that Katniss has and works well with her is the fact that she is manipulative and is able to get what she wants from the viewers. Katniss receives a lot more sponsors than Peeta. Why? Because she is smart enough to use her “love” for Peeta hoping that she will survive and be able to find Peeta in the arena. The audience is aware that Peeta does not have the survival skills Katniss owns, so they know that the only person who will be able to save both of them is Katniss. So why not give her all the materials necessary so they can both survive. She also tricks Peeta, by making him believe that she really does love him. Katniss does care for him but she does not love him, or Gale. Which is another weakness Katniss has, she is very indecisive. She overthinks everything, a lot which works for her at times and does not. Even when Katniss pulls the act that she will be eating the berries with Peeta because the game makers decided to change the rules is an act of her being manipulative and getting her way. Because of this act the game makers are forced to announce that the rules have changed once again, not knowing what she had started.

Katniss learns a lot from her experience while in the games. She becomes more social and she is able to communicate with others by not allowing her true feelings show when speaking to somebody she is not a fan of thanks to the help of Haymitch. She no longer holds as “much charm as a dead slug” (Hunger Games). Overall Katniss is a strong independent girl who gets what she wants since people fell in love with her character since the first day Panem citizens laid eyes on her. What she learned out in the forest with her dad and Gale helps her become the winner of the 74^th annual Hunger Games. Everything she has gone through makes sponsors and other people support her all the way, because of her a revolution starts. Her pin, the mocking jay is used as a peace sign on trying to take down the capitol and trying to abolish the cruel games kids are to participate and kill themselves. She is they type of girl who is meant to be in The Hunger Games since one of the things the capital wants is a good show. Most importantly, the capitol wants to show that they have the power to do anything they want whenever they want, even if it means killing innocent children.

Word Count: 1,261

Work Cited

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

Hunger Games Essay by Juan Almeraya

Katniss’s Survival Skills

When in the face of danger, one must know how to approach and deal with whatever situation that may arise. In many cases, we as individuals hold various skills that could prove themselves to be beneficial when it comes to our very own survival. Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games, tells a story in where twenty four adolescents, referred to as tributes, fight among each other in order to be the last person standing in a deadly competition. All of the contestants have unique qualities and skills that give them their own advantage on the battle field, helping them survive the conditions, as well as the rest of the other competitors. The stories main character, Katniss Everdeen, presents the reader with various qualities such as hunting skills, plant gathering techniques, and an awareness of medicinal remedies, all which contribute to her victory of the Hunger Games in the end.

Hunting methods give her an upper hand in the Hunger Games against the rest of her rivals. Peeta, Katniss’s fellow tribute from District 12, reveals to Haymitch, their coach, that she is “excellent” with the bow and arrow, hitting “every” creature she takes aim at “in the eye” (89). Katniss has perfect aim and is capable of shooting an animal even on the most difficult of all places such as the eye. She is the sole provider in her family, practicing her skill constantly as she goes off into the woods to hunt in order to get food or trade it for money. Her ability to use a bow and arrow towards with such precision toward wild game allows her to apply her skill on the other competitors, giving her a great advantage in the competition. After witnessing one of the competitors kill Rue, her young ally of twelve years old, she guides her arrow “deeply into his neck,” killing him “before he can pull out the spear” from Rue’s dead body (89). In a matter of seconds, Katniss is able to react quickly, all those years of hunting for her family on the tip of the arrow; she releases her arrow and manages to strike down the competitor who killed her friend and ally. Another way that Katniss also demonstrates her true ability of a hunter is by utilizing traps. After already having some knowledge “about snares,” she learns how to make a “simple, excellent trap” during the training for the Hunger Games. During these training sessions, Katniss demonstrates her keen skill on the course by setting up snares which “reward” her with rabbits (95, 164). Setting up traps around the battle field enables her to get food without directly having to kill the animal. By doing so, she can avoid walking around the forest as an open target and just wait for food to come to her. Hunting proves to be a very useful quality Katniss brings to the arena, helping her bring in food as well as fending against her enemies.

Katniss has experience with an array of plants and other natural products that one can use as a source of food. Katniss confesses to the reader that her and Prim, her younger sibling, would spend hours “pouring over” pages of a scrap book her parents owned, which helped her learn about plants that are edible in the wild such as “dandelions, pokeweed, wild onions” and “pine” (50). She does not have to rely on hunting as an only source of food so much, which could leave her vulnerable to an attack in an open space as well as tire her from tracking animals that are on the move. Gathering plants to obtain food lets her use her surroundings as a source of food, instead of depending on the animals that inhabit the environment. Peeta is an example of an individual who does not know much in this area of survival. He makes the mistake of “collecting berries” that “do not match any” that Katniss can identify (318). His error causes the death of Foxface, a rival tribute. If it was not for Katniss’s familiarity with berries, he could have died as well. The ability to recognize specific fruits and plants as a source of food help Katniss demonstrate her independence and her ability to survive in a natural environment.

Katniss not only holds the skill of knowing which natural resources can be used for food, but which ones can be used for medicinal purposes. Katniss’s gathers herbs when she goes hunting for her mother, who “brews them into remedies” (35). By helping her mother collect these special herbs she has an understanding to which plants can cure which illnesses. This can prove very beneficial because if she were to fall sick or get hurt, she would be able to recuperate faster than the rest of her opponents by using these plants to heal herself. Her alliance with Rue also helped her strengthen this area of survival, learning procedures she was not aware of, which helped her heal faster from the stings she received from the tracker jackers, the mutated wasps, as they attacked the other tributes. If it was not for Rue’s teaching on how to benefit from certain plants, Katniss would not have been able to help Peeta reduce the swelling on his stings and infection on his leg. Katniss can depend on the resources around her to be able to cure injuries she may sustain throughout the games, giving her an upper hand among her rivals.

There are some that argue that Katniss’s bow and arrow skills along with her expertise on medicinal and edible plants did nothing to help contribute to her victory. It is true she hardly used her weapon throughout the book and even missed a couple of shots during the games, but it is because of her bow and arrow skills that she received such a high score during her evaluation prior to the games, scoring an eleven out of twelve. This certainly intimidated her opponents and created a sense fear among them as well. Her high score proves she showed mastery in the field and that the skill would prove highly beneficial, which it did. Not only was Katniss able to supply for herself, but was capable of providing for Peeta as well. Katniss’s and Peeta’s survival depended heavily on her abilities to treat injuries, provide food, and protect them from any threat that could harm them, in which she was successful and led to their victory in the games.

Every one has unique abilities which can help one survive in difficult circumstances, even if we do not realize it in the beginning. All twenty four of the competitors that participated in this death match, have unique and valuable methods of survival, but Katniss’s wisdom on skills such as her mastery of the bow and arrow and knowing how to set up traps proved worthy when it came down to what was most important: survival. Her expertise on herbs allowed her to rely on her environment to stay fed and healthy. Survival of the fittest relies on the skills an individual has that can help him or her overcome any obstacle that may present itself. In the end of it all, Katniss overcame these obstacles and saw victory at the end thanks to her skills, unique only to herself.

WC: 1219

Work Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.

This trailer gives an introduction of the main characters we will be seeing in The Hunger Games. It shows us enough to know what is that we are expected to see but not enough to give the story away. It names the main characters which are Peeta and Katniss and for the first time there is an actual visual of the steam where the poor people in district 12 live. The timing that was given to show the steam was just the right amount. The trailer gives the audience the right amount of information about the plot to get the audience’s attention. I personally think it gives just the right amount of information to capture our attention and it gives us a sense of what is going on unlike the first trailer where we had no idea what the movie was about if we had not read the book prier to watching the trailer. We also are given short phrases that give us the information needed to understand the trailer and the movie. The trailer was well thought and well put together. It is a perfect summary of the book without giving the good parts of the book.

Work citied: Inchristalone92. “The Hunger Games- Trailer (2012) ” YouTube. Youtube, 26 Jun. 2011. Web. 28 Nov.2011

V.J.

Reading Response #4.

Reading Response #4

Well, the exercise that Stephen King recommends for our mind is a big part of the book The Hunger Games. Most of the book is based on how the killing in the book occur and it does include a lot of detail. The Hunger Games book is a big supportive of Stephen King’s suggestion on how we feed or exercise our minds with witty insane things because the citizens of the 12 districts were forced to watch the games, it was a mandatory thing to do.

We are not any different from the millions of people who live in Panem. I mean if we think about we are the same in one way. For example we already tend to like to hear about a crazy murder in the new. We are so into that kind of stuff that we even have a section of it in our newspaper called the features page. The features page normally has human interest stories in it or something of the sort that attracts people so much. An other is example is the reason for which we celebrate Halloween, many of us do not even know why we celebrate it. We like to celebrate Halloween because we like the idea of knowing people will be running around in scary costumes and we crave that kind of fear. We like to put stress into our lives by scaring ourselves.

Many horrible things did occur in the book and I think this is what attracts people to read it. People like the suspense of the book. It is not necessarily have to be ghost and things of the sort it just has to be gruesome. If we pay attention to today’s scary movies most of them are include gross zombies what have been mutated. As time passes the kind of fear we prefer changes.

I think that what happens in the book could occur in some countries in the world. I mean they did air Moammar Kadafi’s lifeless body countless of times on television. So it is likely for parts of the world to have something like The Hunger Games occur. The book is a very interesting book and it attracts all kinds of people because it is not a specific kind of genre it aims for a multitude of audiences. It all depends on your own persona in the way you interpret the book. What I got from the book is that although the government might be strong and powerful there is always some kind of hope. It takes one person to not believe in the system to bring it up to question. Throughout history we have seen many examples of people who question authority and that questioning is what has brought us to improving equality between one another.

V.J.

LET THIS YEARS HUNGER GAMES BEGIN!

Meet all of this years tributes! Here we present to you the 24 brave tributes from all across the 12 districts of Panem. These young warriors, who will risk their live’s ‘til the very end, all share the same goal, but only ONE can come out victorious. This year looks very exciting, all tributes look ready for action and prepared for this epic battle. Not to mention this year’s underdog district coming out as the wild card, District twelve looks much better then years prior, actually having a good chance at victory this year! Stay tuned and dont miss the HUNGER GAMES!

Sarah Stettler - Hunger Games Reading Response

Stephen King explains that we like to see scary movies to prove that we are not afraid, and that we are not as crazy as others. The part about us not being as crazy as others, is the I am glad its happening to them instead of me. The Hunger Games is an exercise for our minds. While reading through your relieved it’s not true and doesn’t actually happen, but it scares you when you think about the fact this is based in the future and could happen. Just as we enjoy scary movies we enjoy watching others suffer in movies. Which is why readers enjoy The Hunger Games. They are experiencing someone else suffering, however if Peeta and Katniss had both died at the end readers would not have enjoyed the book as much because, we need happy endings as reassurance that what ever bad things happening in our lives will eventually resolve and we will have a happy ending. The difference between us and the spectators in Panem is that we can’t stop what is happening we are viewing this event from the outside where we have no power. The people of Panem can stop this; they have the chance to stop the games. However both groups tune into the games intently to find out what happens.

I think The Hunger Games could happen. If you look at all the entertainment in the world there are suggestions of another war. In The Hunger Games, there was a huge war/downfall, which led to these districts talked about in the books. According to media people speculate another world war, if you look at the video game industry they just released a huge game called Modern Warfare 3, which is about the 3^rd world war. It’s not an idea that has not been touched on never talked about, many have wondered if this will happen or when it will happen.

I enjoyed the book; I think it was very clever. It’s an original idea for a book and it’s captivating. In a way it relieved the readers to know that our country is not as bad as some may think they are not trying to kill us for pleasure. I enjoyed watching the characters grow throughout this process, Katniss was the perfect lead character, if we had seen the process before and during the games in another districts eyes it would not have been the same, but because of how little she has everything in the capitol is described perfectly. With Katniss you know she is strong but she is a girl which makes you worry about her safety through out the entire games, whereas if we saw the games through a big strong boys eyes it wouldn’t have been the same either. I think this book brings up the ideas that we do not have complete freedom like we are supposed to and their will always be a higher power telling us what we can or cannot do.

The Hunger Games Reading Response

What does watching horror movies do to us? Is it healthy? Stephen King being an author of horror, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy fiction is one of the many authors that bring out our lyncher that lives inside of us when we read or watch a movie. The Hunger Games by author Suzanne Collins is a book that has been sold to thousandths of people and now is being made into a movie. This book has been a hit, but what has made this book so successful? Stephen King analyses why we, humans, crave horror movies and he came up with some important reasons that relate to why we would even want to read a book like The Hunger Games.

Why would we even read the book? The book brings suspense; it leaves us wanting to read more until it is over. I personally did experience this, when it was time to go to sleep I would stay up late reading, this book made me purchase the other two books that follow to figure out what happens in the end. Like Stephen mentioned, “we go to re-establish our feelings of essential normality;” (Stephen). This book showed how for example Katniss, a sixteen year old who had to take responsibility of her family at such a young age is able to kill a human in a matter of seconds. Trying to figure out if she will win this survival of the fittest game she has been put in. It makes us wonder and assume who will die next? How will they die? And how will be killed?

Stephen also mentions that we read books and watch movies to show that we are not afraid. What would we be afraid of in this book? I am sure that if the Hunger Games would actually become a real game we would be afraid. We read also to find out what goes on in the games and to figure out what we can do to survive the longest or just win the game if it is to ever become real. For example, Rue’s death will we not be able to even turn our backs for one second in fear of being distracted and killed. This brings up the suspense once again, the way Rue died and the way Katniss got revenge by killing the boy from District 1 with in an instant.

Another reason why we crave things out of the ordinary is to have fun. Of course knowing that 12-18 year old are being set out to kill each other just because the Capitol wants to show that they have the power to do whatever they desire is not so fun, more like horrible. But then again knowing the bad guy gets killed brings us a sense of relief because we know that the person who deserves to live will live, most of the time. Knowing that the Careers received what they deserved was definitely a relief for me. The reader might feel as if the spectators and the people from Panem citizens are inhuman people do not try to stop the games. But then again a reader is also part of the people watching the game, live. Why? Because if we were not we would not be reading books like this, we would be trying to stop companies to stop selling books like this, but most importantly we would not want to keep reading more and more until we finish the book.

Watching and reading horror movies is normal. It is best that we go watch/read instead of actually going out into the real world and kill innocent victims just because. The insane person inside of us needs to be informed that we should only leave the killing to movie makers. We cannot keep our fellow lyncher trapped; it has to be let loose once in a while and reading the Hunger Games is definitely one way of letting it be free for a while. While reading the reader images or hopes how the other victims will die and reading something they did not suspect will definitely get one hooked on a book. For the most part books like the Hunger Games bring some of our fantasies to life.

C.T.L.

Hunger Games Reading Response by Juan Almeraya

After Reading the story, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and the article, Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King, one can apply King’s argument on the story. Stephen King argues that many of us watch scary movies in order to help us exercise the sick and twisted emotions society labels “sadistic” and “perverse.” He states today’s horror films serve as a historical equivalent to public executions. Well this book isn’t a movie (yet), but people enjoy reading about violence as well. People find it entertaining and amusing, even though there is nothing amusing about people dying. This book contains a lot of gore and violence which help build the suspense throughout the story. In the story, millions of people of the nation of Panem, sit around their televisions to watch 24 kids battle to the death. There is nothing immoral about watching them die; to them it is simply a competition full of suspense. They don’t see it as kids murdering other kids; they see it as who can be the last person standing. The readers can relate to the spectators of Panem because we are just like them, on the edge of our seat trying to figure out what is going to happen next and staying glued to the seat until we find out who has won. The only difference between us and them is that, they want to see all but one of the twenty three contestants die, while we on the other hand are trying to see all but one of twenty three live.

Before reading the book I misjudged it, thinking I was not going to enjoy it, I saw it as just another boring reading assignment. I see now that I was wrong. This book is very interesting, I couldn’t let it go, it had me wondering what was going to happen to Katniss next the entire time. From start to finish that book did not bore me once. I read it cover to cover in within two days. The suspense the book gives had me feeling in many different ways: excitement, sadness, hopeless, etc. Could this ever really happen? I think maybe. It has happened before in the past. The Aztecs used to have competitions where losers would be sacrificed to the gods, and Romans had spoils of war, or gladiators, fight to the death among each other in the Coliseum. A main social issue this book presents is having a small portion of the population control a large percent of the wealth. The government favors the rich as they watch the poor destroy each other.