The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
The story started on the day of the reaping in District 12. The lead character, Katniss Everdeen (16 years old), went out to the woods to meet her friend Gale to hunt for something to sell that day. As Katniss goes on to the woods, which is a forbidden place, it is shown that District 12 is impoverished. Katniss thinks of her younger sister, Primrose (4 years younger), and their mother. Katniss’ father died in a mine explosion when she was 11.
Then came the reaping. Everyone is nervous about it because it will decide which boy or girl from ages 12-18 will be sent as tributes in the Hunger Games. There will be 2 tributes from each district and they will be sent to an arena where they fight to death. Only the lone victor lives. The game was meant as a punishment by the Capitol and to remind Panem of the Dark Days and how the 13th district was eliminated by the Capitol.
Primrose’s name was selected at the reaping. Horrified, Katniss takes the place of her sister and was the first volunteer from the district. Peeta Mellark (also 16 years old), a baker’s son, was picked as the other tribute. Katniss remembers how Peeta gave her a burnt bread when they were young so that she wouldn’t starve. Peeta being another tribute isn’t good for Katniss because she is expected to kill him for the games.
Before the tributes leave, they were given a chance to say goodbye. Katniss says goodbye to Primrose, and her mother; Madge, the mayor’s daughter who gave her a mockingjay pin (an important symbol in the movie); to Peeta’s father; and to Gale, her best friend for whom her feelings were unsure of.
Katniss and Peeta rode a train to the Capitol. They were given luxurious treatment, rare to people living in the lowest districts. They were with Effie Trinket, their escort and Haymitch Abernathy, their drunkard mentor and the only survivor of the past Hunger Games from their district. Haymitch, after seeing Katniss and Peeta, promises to be serious enough to help them survive the Games.
When they arrived at the Training Center in the Capitol, both tributes meet their stylists. Katniss’ was Cinna, a simple young man. With the new tragedy in introducing them as a pair, riding a chariot, holding hands and glowing in fake flames, the entrance of the District 12 became the highlight of the entrance ceremonies and Katniss was addressed as the ‘girl on fire’.
After the ceremonies, the training begins. Haymitch, as their mentor, tells the both of them to keep their strengths a secret- Katniss with archery, and Peeta with his strength. Katniss was already doubting Peeta, more than ever when he asked Haymitch to coach them separately just before the interviews. At the interview, Peeta confessed his love for Katniss giving the audience the belief that they are star-crossed lovers with the arena forbidding their love.
The 74th Hunger Games begins with the tributes raised from the ground, surrounding the metal Cornucopia, where the supplies and weapons are placed. Haymitch’s instruction was to run away from the Cornucopia, not towards it. But upon seeing the quiver of arrows, Katniss doubts the instruction but before she can even get it, she saw Peeta shaking his head to her. She grabbed a single backpack and ran off to the woods. She placed so much distance from the other tributes, but the only problem is that she can’t find any water.
On the first night, while sleeping in a tree, she sees the Careers (tributes from higher districts) in an alliance, hunting the weakest ones. She saw that Peeta is part of the alliance and that triggered her anger more. The next day, she finally discovers a pond. The Gamemakers sent violent fires and explosions through the woods, another battle to fight.
At night, the Careers with Peeta trap Katniss in a tree. Rue, a young girl from District 11, hiding in a close by tree points a nest of tracker jackers to Katniss. Katniss cuts the nest loose, and dropped it to the Careers and Peeta. It killed 2 tributes.
Katniss made an alliance with Rue, her mockingjay the instrument to gain Rue’s trust. They decided to destroy the Careers’ food supply at the Cornucopia. They broke down the traps, destroying Katniss’ left ear in the process. When Katniss returned, she can’t find Rue.
Following the screams, she found Rue speared by a boy from District1. Katniss kills him. She sings to Rue until she’s dead decorates the body with flowers. This was seen by the Capitol as an act of rebellion for the tributes must kill each other, not befriend them.
With 6 tributes left, Claudius Templesmith, the Games’ announcer, declares a new rule. For the 74th Games, 2 tributes can win as long as they are from the same District. The announcement led Katniss looking for Peeta, knowing that he is badly injured in the fight he had with Cato. She found him camouflaged in mud and his injured leg severely infected. Katniss takes him to a cave and while in there, they played as star-crossed lovers, flirting with each other, to get gifts from sponsors which they badly needed.
Claudius announces that there will be a feast at the Cornucopia and backpacks for each tribute will be provided. Knowing that the backpack will contain medicine for Peeta’s wound; Katniss sets off, ignoring Peeta’s pleas. At the Cornucopia, Katniss was pinned down by Clove, the girl from District 2. But even before Clove kills her, Thresh, the boy from District 11, kills Clove and frees Katniss. He did this, just for once, to payback for what Katniss did for Rue. Katniss then returned to the cave.
The medicine in the backpack was effective that Peeta slowly recovers his strength. Katniss and Peeta hunt in the woods, making Katniss remember Gale. But thinking both boys in her life just gets her emotions more mixed up.
Knowing that the Gamemakers will soon drive all the tributes left for their final battle, the ponds and streams soon dried up, forcing them to go to the lake near Cornucopia. Both tributes from District 12 go to the Cornucopia to wait for Cato. Cato appears from the woods being chased by mutations, creatures made by the Capitol. These creatures are wolf-like but can balance on their hind leg. They represent each dead tribute, possessing the eyes and hair color. Peeta, Katniss, and Cato climb up the Cornucopia to escape the creatures. Cato grabs Peeta, but Katniss shoots Cato in the hand which caused him to fall on the ground. He was gnawed through the night and the next morning, Katniss shoots him.
The tributes left believed that the Games are over. But, Claudius takes back the new declared rule. Only one tribute can win. But Katniss had a plan. They both prepared to eat poisonous berries which made Claudius take back his announcement. Katniss and Peeta were declared winners.
Katniss and Peeta were nursed back to health. Before the interview, Haymitch warns Katniss that the Capitol isn’t happy about her actions. She needs to act like she is truly in love with Peeta so that she can’t be held responsible for her actions. During the interview with Caesar Flickerman, Katniss is quite convincing. Though, she doubts if Peeta is truly in love with her.
The story ends with Katniss and Peeta riding the train back to District 12. The closer they get, the more confused Katniss is with her feelings and identity. She knows she must continue the act with Peeta, but is concerned for Gale. Peeta is also having his dilemma of confusion for Katniss’ feelings. He weighs on which is true and which is not. At the end, Katniss isn’t sure of whom she really is after winning the Hunger Games.
Plot: The Hunger Games is an annual tradition for the Districts of Panem. It is to punish the residents and to remind them of the Dark Days and how the Capitol was able to eliminate the 13th District. Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl from District 12, volunteers to be the tribute in lieu for her sister, Primrose, who was chosen as the tribute first. She won the game with Peeta Mellark, another tribute from the same district, by defying the Capitol through committing suicide.
Main Characters:
- Katniss Everdeen - The girl on fire. She unexpectedly volunteers herself in lieu of her sister as a tribute for the annual Hunger Games. She is a rebel against the Capitol.
- Peeta Mellark - He is another tribute from the same district as Katniss’. He pretends to be deeply in love with Katniss for them to survive the Hunger Games.
Setting: The story took place in a dystopian city of Panem, with 12 Districts known in the first book.
Rising Action: Katniss volunteers to be the tribute for the 74th Hunger Games.
Climax: The tributes from each district fight to death in the arena until only a lone victor wins.
Falling Action: Fighting for the new rule where 2 tributes can win as long as they’re from the same district, Katniss and Peeta tries to commit suicide to defy the Capitol.
Denouement / Resolution: Going back home, Katniss gets more puzzled with her emotions and her identity. The story is continued to the second part of the trilogy.
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