THE HUNGER GAMES Setting S3 English

Learning Intentions: You should be able to: Describe and explain the setting of the Hunger Games. Investigate the characters’ feelings in relation to the setting.

The Hunger Games takes place in a fictional country called Panem, which is located in what was once North America. The Capitol, the chief city and seat of government, is located somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. District 12, the home of the protagonist, is located in the coal rich Appalachian region. Setting

Setting There are a total of 12 districts, but there once was a 13th which was destroyed in a rebellion against the Capitol. The Hunger Games take place annually in an arena specifically built for the event in an unidentified location.

Panem Panem is the name of the country where Katniss lives with her family, a country that – after a series of vague disasters – rose from the ashes of North America. Droughts, storms, fires, war: it's post-apocalyptic. We learn the history of Panem, and the Hunger Games, and the thirteen districts in the first chapter from the mayor. The uprising of the Districts is known as the "Dark Days" (1.74). After the destruction of District 13, the Treaty of Treason was signed to end the conflict, and the Hunger Games were instituted to remind the districts that the uprising must never be repeated.

Panem Suzanne Collins has said that Panem is supposed to be like ancient Rome: "Panem itself comes from the Latin expression 'Panem et Circenses' which translates into 'Bread and Circuses’ this term refers to the techniques used by the Roman Empire to keep the masses happy and docile by keeping their bellies full and their minds entertained.

District 12 District 12 is a very poor coal-mining district located in the region formerly known as Appalachia (3.50). Katniss and her family live in the poor section of District 12, the Seam, where the coal-miners live and work. There is also the Hob, the black market. The district is surrounded by a sometimes-electrified fence from woodlands.

The Capitol The Capitol is a shining city of wealth and grandeur located where the Rockies used to be (3.50). The people of the Capitol are shallow, speak in a funny, affected accent and value surface appearances, plastic surgery, and entertainment. Being one of the richer districts, they also view the Games as television entertainment. Katniss, of course, despises the place.

‘District 12’ versus ‘The Capitol’. Consider the differences between the two places.

What do the following pictures tell you about the country of Panem What do the following pictures tell you about the country of Panem? Justify your views.

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

Look at the following pictures:

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So far, what differences have we come across between District 12 and The Capitol? 20

“Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, many of whom have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails and the lines of their sunken faces.” (pg 4-5) “I’d grown up seeing those home kids at school. The sadness, the marks of angry hands on their faces, the hopelessness that curled their shoulders forwards.” (pg 33) As each word is revealed and discussed (with pupils suggestions/examples given as well) get the pupils to annotate their sheets in their books with analysis for the language used. Frame discussion around: “Why did the author choose to use the word she did and not the word you have suggested” “The cameras hadn’t lied about its grandeur. If anything, they have not quite captured the magnificence of the glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues that tower into the air, the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal. All the colours seemed artificial, the pinks too deep, the greens too bright, the yellow painful to the eyes.” (Page 72)

How do these quotations show inequality? ‘But here’s the catch. Say you’re poor and starving, as we were. You can opt to add your name more times in exchange for tesserae.’ p15 ‘The reaping system is unfair, with the poor getting the worst of it.’ p15 ‘The competition will be far beyond my capabilities. The kids who win will be kids from wealthier districts, where winning is a huge honour, who’ve been trained their whole lives for this.’ P44

Setting Review Description Write a detailed explanation on the setting of Panem and The Hunger Games. (Consider in what ways the novel is an example of dystopian fiction.)

Protagonist 2 Think of one place that is important to Katniss Everdeen. Where is it? What is it like? Why is it important? Write a description about the place explaining what happens in this place and why it is important to the plot. How do you know the place is important to Katniss? Back up your ideas with evidence/quotations from the novel.

Other characters How do other characters feel about their setting? Do they feel relaxed, scared, angry and trapped or happy and free? Back up your ideas with evidence/quotations from the text.

Your opinion What similarities are there with our 21st century world and Panem? Is the setting a world you would wish to be in or not? What are the benefits and disadvantages of life in Panem? Back up your ideas with evidence from the novel.