The hunger games book sparknotes

Now she connects her survival of that difficult period with Peeta and his uncommon act of kindness. The irony of the situation is that she may eventually have to kill this boy who helped keep her alive, since only one person can survive the Hunger Games.

Her only hope, she thinks, is that someone else will kill him first, suggesting she feels she may not be able to do so if the situation arises. These first chapters establish the theme of suffering as entertainment, one of the main themes of the novel. The Hunger Games, we learn, are a televised contest in which children fight one another to the death, and they are watched by all of Panem. Their main attraction is the actual, real-life suffering experienced by the tributes.

In this way, the Hunger Games recall the gladiatorial Games of Ancient Rome, but they function as essentially an exaggerated, dystopian version of reality television. In the Capitol and the wealthier districts, on the other hand, the Games are immensely popular and the greatest form of entertainment the citizens have.

Read more about the theme of suffering as entertainment. Another main theme, the importance of appearances, also begins taking shape in this section. Katniss repeatedly forces herself not to cry, knowing that everything she does is being televised and the other tributes will take tears as a sign of weakness. She feels she must present herself in a certain way so as not to make herself a target of the other tributes, who may look at her as an easy kill.

By controlling how others perceive her, Katniss essentially hopes to gain a strategic advantage, or at least not be at a disadvantage. To this end, she frequently masks her true feelings, instead showing the cameras only what she wants them to see, and she must manage both what she experiences internally and how she wants to look to the outside world.

The theme suggests that appearances, particularly as they are presented in the media, can be as important as reality. Read more about the importance of appearances as a theme. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Themes Motifs Symbols. Important Quotes Explained. Mini Essays Suggested Essay Topics. Please wait while we process your payment. Sign up and get instant access to save the page as your favorite. Summary Chapters 1—3. Summary: Chapter 1 Katniss Everdeen , who tells her story in the first person, wakes up.

Summary: Chapter 2 As Prim walks up to the stage, Katniss, in a panic, rushes forward and shouts that she is volunteering as tribute. Summary: Chapter 3 Katniss is escorted into the Justice Building and left in a room. Read more about Panem as a symbol. Next section Chapters 4—6. Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in The Hunger Games , from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes. Test your knowledge of The Hunger Games with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more.

Go further in your study of The Hunger Games with background information, movie adaptations, and links to the best resources around the web. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Themes Motifs Symbols. Important Quotes Explained. Mini Essays Suggested Essay Topics. Please wait while we process your payment. They stay there for a few days while it rains nonstop outside, and in this time the romance between Katniss and Peeta progresses.

When the rain lets up, Peeta and Katniss need to find food. Katniss leaves Peeta in charge of foraging while she goes to hunt. She comes back hours later and finds a small pile of poisonous berries Peeta collected thinking they were safe. They discover the body of a tribute who Katniss nicknamed Foxface, and Katniss realizes she died from eating the berries. By this point Cato, who killed Thresh, is the only tribute left, and Katniss decides to keep some berries in case they can trick Cato the same way.

Eventually the streams and ponds dry up, and they know the only source of water left is the lake near the Cornucopia. Without any other choice, they start walking to the lake. By the lake, Cato comes suddenly barreling toward them. Unexpectedly, however, he runs straight by them. Katniss realizes there are strange creatures chasing him, and they all run to the Cornucopia and climb up.

The creatures are mutant wolves engineered by the Capitol, and Katniss realizes they are actually the dead tributes, who have been turned into these monsters. Taking advantage of the situation, Cato attacks Peeta, but Katniss and Peeta manage to push him over the edge.

Neither Katniss nor Peeta will kill the other, so Katniss takes out the poisonous berries. Just as she and Peeta pop them in their mouths, the announcer shouts for them to stop and declares them both winners. They go back to the Training Center and Katniss is kept alone for days while she recuperates. The Capitol took her stunt with the berries as an act of defiance, so she has to convince everyone that she was desperate at the thought of losing Peeta and not being rebellious, or even her family could be at risk.

After, when Haymitch tells her she did great, Peeta wonders what he means, and Katniss explains everything, including the romance strategy during the Games.