Hunger Games Symbols

In this article we will take a look at a number of symbols used in the book The Hunger Games and discuss their meanings. The Hunger Games, like many good fiction stories that came before it, has something to say about our present day and age.

Hunger Games Symbols

Hunger Games Symbols

---

Hunger Games Symbols

Hunger Games Symbols

The Mockingjay: The mockingjay is a prominent and powerful symbol used in the book. Each contestant in the game is allowed to take something that is a reminder of their district. Katniss chooses to carry the mockingjay pin. The mockingjay is a real bird in the book, and is a species that resulted from the interbreeding of jabberjays and mockingbirds. Jabberjays were created by the Capitol by genetic engineering. A jabberjay was a bird that had the purpose of spying on the rebellion and reporting back to the Capitol. Once the rebels figured this out, they began to give the jabberjays false information and so the jabberjays became useless to the Capitol. The jabberjay was also a way for the Capitol to prove that they could literally control every living thing under their dominion. The mockingjay therefore becomes a symbol of something that the Capitol creates that escapes their control and ultimately becomes a free entity.

Panem: Panem is the name of the place that was once North America. It has thirteen districts under the dominion of the Capitol. This symbolism sets up an expectation of a revolution since America began as thirteen colonies ruled despotically by a ruler off in the distance; England.

The Tracker Jacker: Again, this is a genetically engineered creature, created by the Capitol. This again demonstrates the power and will to control all living creatures and bend them to their purposes and will.

Reality T.V.: That the games are broadcast and cast as a sort of reality program brings up a number of other ideas. Studies have shown that the average person is much more likely to cause suffering to another, when told to do so, if they can somehow keep an impersonal barrier up, such as if the victim is wearing a hood. Even though it is called 'reality television,' the fact that people are in the media makes them less real to the viewers and so they don't mind seeing them suffer, unlike if they were personally involved with the people. During the Viet Nam War, the news broadcast daily statistics about casualties but viewers just became numb to the fact that real people were dying because they were just numbers.

Dandelions: These flowers symbolize hope in the story because Katniss saw them right after Peeta showed compassion by giving her Food one day.

Hunger Games Symbols

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

The Hunger Games trilogy is set in some indeterminate time in the future ... to time after great disasters and droughts. Early in the Hunger Games, Mayor Undersee reads the history of Panem (an annual ritual at the Reapings). It reads: "He lists the disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, the brutal war for what little sustenance remained. The result was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts ... "

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

---

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

Some details are provided about the nature of some of the districts, but it's hard to get a visual on what Panem is like, how big it is and how vast (or not) the districts themselves may be. Panem, we know is located in North America. There are now only 12 districts (district 13 having been destroyed)where there used to be 30 states and provinces. We know that District 12 is small with a population of 8.000. It feels like everybody knows each other, and most residents can fit in the public square during reapings. The only buildings we hear about in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are courthouses, mayor's homes and governMent buildings. There are no skyscrapers, large downtowns or suburban sprawl anymore. All the major cities could have been completely destroyed.

But while the districts might be small, it seems the land in which they reside is still quite large. We know the trains that take Katniss and Peeta around Panem travel at 250 mph. We also know that District 7 and District 10 are en route from District 12 to the Capitol. Here are some notes I've compiled about thethings we know about Panem, the districts and some of the people who live there.

CapitolIt says explicitly in The Hunger Games that the Capitol is in the Rocky Mountains. As in the other districts, it is likely that people in this area are named by the things around them. For example, mountains are Snow-capped, giving us President Snow.

District 1 -Luxury Items-This district is known for Supplying the Capitol with its luxury goods. The boy tribute, Marvel, is killed by Katniss (her first kill) and he killed Rue. The girl, Glimmer, is killed by tracker jacker stings.

District 2 -Industry unknown-however the two tributes are Clove and Cato. Clove is a spice grown from a specific evergreen that only grows in warmclimates, native to humid areas specifically. Cato is killed when Katniss and Peeta shoots his hand pushes him into the horn of cornucopia and he falls. The muttations feed on him all night until Katniss finally shoots him to put him out of his misery. Clove is killed by Thresh, saving Katniss's life.

District 3 -Factories, electronics and explosives. Wiress Beetee &, as well as the boy who re-creates the land mines in the Hunger Games, are from District 3. The boy tribute (name not known) was killed by Ed because he did his Job a bit too well setting up the mines from the platforms to protect Supplies. Girl (also unnamed) dies on first day.

District 4 -Fishing. Tributes from this district excel at swimming, and it is indicated they comefrom a warm climate (Finnick is shirtless much of the time). In The Hunger Games the boy tribute dies the first day at Cornucopia. The girl was killed from Katniss dropping the hive/nest tracker jacker on her.

District 5 -Industry unknown-The boy tribute dies on the first day. Peeta kills Foxface accidentally with poisonous berries.

District 6 -Industry unknown-what we do know is that in Catching Fire, Twill and Bonnie, were able to jump the train outside District 6 and walk in a matter of days to District 12. This means it would have to be reasonably close to District 12. Both tributes from District 6 died on the first day.

District 7 -Lumber/Trees-nothing is really known about this district. Both tributes diedon the first day of the Hunger Games. Johanna Mason though, is Dressed as a tree for the parade before the Quarter Quell.

District 8 -Textiles/Clothing-In Catching Fire we meet the refugees from District 8, Twill and Bonnie, names that coincide with the main industry of their district. They describe it as being "chilly". Katniss remembers that it was an "ugly, urban place ... with no chance to learn the ways of nature."

District 9 -Generates Electricity-The boy tribute died the first day. The girl died on the morning of the second day; she was the one who lit the fire under/near Katniss's ' s tree and led the Careers to her.

District 10 -Livestock/Cattle-Katniss Mentions that the District 10 tributes are Dressedas cows with glowing belts. It's unknown how the boy tribute died, but it was in the morning of the day Katniss blows up the Careers ' Supplies. The girl tribute died on the first day.

District 11 -Agriculture/Orchards-Rue specifically cites orchards, and climbing trees. When traveling to District 11 on the Victory Tour, Katniss observes an extreme temperature difference-the Snow where she is from against it being quite warm in winter. Katniss also wonders how far south they've traveled on the train. Cato kills Thresh while the District 1 boy kills Rue.

District 12 -Coal Mining-This district is described as being in the area formerly known as Appalachia. The district is also pretty compact compared to some others with a population ofjust 8.000 people. There is one big clue to where district 12 might be, that we don't get from reading the book, but from listening to Suzanne Collins read it. She reads Katniss with a southern accent.

District 13 -Graphite Mining/Nuclear Power-There is speculation that some of the inhabitants may have moved underground after the district was destroyed. It is also described as once being the furthermost district, beyond District 12 (in its absence, District 12 is described as "the end of the line").

The Hunger Games-What Does Panem Look Like?

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

One thing about waiting too long to read a book so deliriously talked about by most people is that you get to read more about the reviews and how everyone is raving about it, and so you set your expectations much too high.

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

---

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy, and almost 6 months after I read the first book, I get to read the sequel. I voluntarily restrained myself (with much effort, of course) from buying the last two books because of a self-imposed book challenge (where I'm failing miserably, as of the moMent) I set at the beginning of the year.

Catching Fire begins with Katniss Everdeen back at District 12 preparing for the Victory Tour. Now and then, she sneaks into the woods and meets up with her bestfriend Gale as she usually did beforethe Games. Katniss is finally beginning to enjoy her victory from the Games-a new and much comfortable house, plenty of Food on the table, and an opportunity to help some of her neighbors. But things are starting to change in her District-the activation of the electric fence surrounding the District, the appointMent of a new Head "Peacemaker, the demolition of the hob. Katniss then gets a visit from President Snow himself, who directly threatened her if she does not act according to the wishes of the Capitol. Rumors of uprising in the surrounding districts are heard and Katniss is caught in the midst of a rebellion she has not planned to get involved in.

I know, as I've said, before I got to read Catching Fire, I already have high expectations about it. Who will not, when almost allI see in Goodreads ratings are 5 stars. Sad to say, though, I do not share the same elation.

Catching Fire does not have the same Fast-paced action and suspense as The Hunger Games. I find the first half of the book dragging and boring, and this is where I start to get annoyed with Katniss. She just cannot make up her mind. Though, I must concede, she's been through a lot, not to discount the fact that she has been through near-death experiences in the Games. Still, a 17-year old can make decisions for herself, right? Like when she decided to take the place of Prim during the reaping, or when she decided to eat those berries "towards the end of the Games. Why then can't she make up her mind what she feels towards Peeta? Or to Gale? Then again, that really happens. Being torn betweentwo lovers. Haha. But still, I expect a wiser and more determined Katniss, after all that she went through while she was fighting for her life at the arena. And all that kissing. I may be a little prudish here, but a 17 year-old girl who goes about kissing a guy she says she does not have any romantic feelings for, is for me, a little overboard. Katniss may have been doing it for the cameras, but I think Suzanne Collins here is trying to force the romance angle for more publicity.

If I can divide and rate the book in two parts, I give 2 stars to the first part before the Quarter Quell, and 4 stars to the second part-the Quarter Quell itself. I love the genius idea of a game that ' simulates a clock. I love the action and the suspense and how you cannot know who are the enemies andwho are the allies. There are characters too from the first book that I have grown more fond of like Cinna and Haymitch and President Snow. I love that President Snow has more appearances here than in the first book. His character is very interesting.

Catching Fire, despite its seemingly sTAGnant peace, gives a lot of promise. It provides just the right amount of suspense-teasers-to urge me to immediately read the last book in the trilogy. I am willing to overlook the apparent (and probably, intended) lull in the pace of the story and find out whether Suzanne Collins can actually deliver the perfect conclusion to this amazing saga.

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins