HUNGER GAMES SUZANNE COLLINS

WHAT? Hunger Games is part of a trilogy (three part novel) It is set in a fictional country, Panem (Latin for ‘bread’), which has arisen out of the remains of North America (devastated by natural disasters) The Capitol is the main city, ringed by thirteen districts The districts rose up against the Capitol, twelve were defeated and the thirteenth was obliterated The Capitol is in control of the districts and the districts vary in terms of wealth The Hunger Games were created as a form of social control, a reminder to the districts not to rebel WHY? These games are a punishment for the uprising They distract the districts from their circumstances by focusing on their children The games are cruel and remind the districts not to rebel Sound familiar? What form of social control have we just finished studying?

HOW? A boy an a girl (known as ‘tributes’) are selected from each district and must fight to the death in an open arena The winner receives a life of luxury, his/her District gets rewarded with grain an oil for a year People are forced to treat the games as festivities The games are televised, with tributes treated as celebrities Tributes are chosen at The Reaping Names of eligible tributes are drawn (from the age of twelve, you are entered once. Each year after that, you are entered again – e.g. at thirteen you are entered twice, at fourteen, three times) If you are poor, you can enter your name more than once in exchange for rations (this is known as tesserae)

SOUND CRAZY SO FAR? Well, it’s not! Based on history: Roman gladiators, where people would fight to the death in open arenas for entertainment. Based on mythology: Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur (every nine years, seven boys and seven girls were sent to minotaur (half bull, half man) who lived in a labyrinth (maze) . They were always consumed, until one brave tribute, Theseus slew the minotaur and made his way out of the maze with the help of a ball of spider’s web Based on recent history: Forced systems where classes of people ruled over others, e.g. apartheid Based on current times: - Reality TV

WHY DID SUZANNE COLLINS CREATE THIS TRILOGY? To make us feel sick To keep us up at night To give us something to read during davening (DEFINITELY NOT!!) To make us think Clue: pick D. It is always D Who is Suzanne Collins? Daughter of an airman in the United States Airforce Family background influenced and educated her about war She studied playwriting at New York University Became an author One night, she was flipping channels between wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and reality TV and had idea to combine the two!

Hunger Games makes us think about society and how badly we can degenerate when we are hungry for power. It also reminds us of the human spirit and its inability to be crushed It uses strong main characters, a riveting plot, a love triangle, elements of history and the sci-fi / fantasy genre to convey these messages in a riveting way

WHO ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS? KATNISS EVERDEEN -main protagonist -narrator (story is told from her point of view) -16 years old -Comes from district 12 (mining district) -strong, resourceful, good at hunting, rebellious, protective of sister, complicated relationship with her mother, confused feelings towards Gale and Peeta, resentful of Capitol and Gamemakers What’s in a name? - A waterplant that grows tall with white blossoms and leaves like arrowheads. Has tubers like potatoes. Belongs to scientific genus Sagittaria, named after Sagittarius, which means ‘archer’

GALE HAWTHORNE Good hunter Good looking Frustrated with life in District 12 What’s in a name? - Gale: strong wind Hawthorne: thorny tree with fruit PRIMROSE EVERDEEN -Katniss’s younger sister -small, gentle, kind to animals and the sick -Primrose: a flower ‘first rose’ – believed to have magical healing properties to cure paralysis

HAYMITCH ABERNATHY - District 12’s only surviving winner of Hunger Games Acts as tributes’ coach Middle-aged Drunk, slovenly Cunning advisor What’s in a name? Haymitch: Mitch = to bunk or play truant from school EFFIE TRINKET Escorts the tributes from District 12 Very concerned with appearances Very concerned with own career Trinket: small piece of jewellery of little value

PEETA MELLARK: -Son of baker -kind, compassionate -solid build, strong -artistic -in love with Katniss - Frustrated with being a pawn in Hunger Games What’s in a name? -Pita (bread) -Lark (bird)

WHO ELSE? -Madge Undersee -Peeta’s father -Katniss’s mother -Cinna, Venia, Portia - Red haired Avox girl -Caeser Flickerman -Claudius Templesmith -President Snow Tributes: -Cato, Clove, Thresh, Glimmer, Foxface, Boy from District 1