1. UNDERSTANDING DEEPER MEANINGS
THE HUNGER GAMES

2. THE HUNGER GAMES
1. What is the meaning of the title? 2. What do you make of the beginning of the novel? 3. What are the meanings of the names? 4. What symbolic objects have you noticed? 5. What allusions (historical and literary) can you find in the novel?

3. Allusions
Spartacus, a gladiator in Ancient Rome, later a leader of a slave rebellion.
Shakespeare’s “Roman” plays, Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra: names and themes.
Sacrificial rituals in various cultures and mythologies.

4. LAYERED MEANINGS (example)
Capitol: the Capitoline Hill of Rome; Capitolium (a Roman temple); Capitol as a legislative building.
Play on words: homophone (sound-alike) of a capital [city], capital as something major, and capital as wealth.

5. Katniss’s Mythological Prototype
Artemis
In Greek mythology, the goddess of hunt and wilderness.
Proud and militant.
Virgin by choice.
Protector of young girls.
Usually represented with a bow and arrows.

6. Characterization and the Plot
How are the characters created in the novel, with what means?
Is Katniss a reliable or an unreliable narrator? Why?
How is foreshadowing formed?
Are your reader’s expectations confirmed or challenged as the plot progresses?

7. Irony, sarcasm, satire
What instances of irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) are there in the novel?
Does the author resort to sarcasm? To what effect?
Does the novel contain satire?

8. Natural vs artificial Colours. Clothes. Food.
Natural and imitation feelings.
Real people fighting mutts.
High-tech arena vs a handful of berries.

9. Situational rhymes
Structurally similar scenes or episodes placed in different parts of the narrative that enhance each other and create a new meaning based on their correlation.
Examples: bread saving Katniss’s life twice (p.30 and p.238); berries on p.9 and p.344.

10. Secondary characters Who are the most memorable secondary characters?
What are their functions (villains, foils, stock figures, etc.)?
How do they participate in advancing the plot?

11. FINAL THOUGHTS Is the ending “happy”? If you saw the film:
What are the major differences between the novel and its screen version?