Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 2008. Print.
Summary: Katniss Everdean lives in District 12 in the new United States. Her district is known for coal mining, is in Appalachia, and is one of the poorest districts. The other 11 districts all have their own industry, but the Capitol reaps all the profits. Each year, the Capitol holds a reaping in each of the districts in order to recruit members for their annual Hunger Games. In The Hunger Games, two people from each district, one boy one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are set into a controlled field where they are forced to fight each other to the death. There can only be one winner. The Capitol does this in order to remind the districts of their attempted rebellion and keep the districts subservient. Katniss volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games in place of her younger sister at the reaping and now must fight for her life. Along with co-tribute Peeta, Katniss must find a way to survive the Hunger Games and get back home to her family and friends.
Here is a link to a trailer for the excellent movie adaptation of The Hunger Games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMGRhAEn6K0
Dystopia: Katniss lives in a United States completely different from the one we know today. Each of the twelve districts has one key resource that the Capitol needs in order to run the country. The wealth of each district varies depending on the resource. District 12's main resource is coal; therefore, it is a very poor district. Appalachia, the area where this district is located is a poor section of the country today, so Collins stays true to modern life in this sense. This may be where the similarities stop. The Capitol uses electricity to power its hover cars, automated showers, and other extravagancies, while Katniss is forced to illegally hunt with a bow in order to provide for her family. The disparity between wealth and poverty is even greater than the one we know today. The Capitol uses its wealth and firepower to intimidate the other districts into obedience. The districts, especially the poorer ones, have no say in their laws, and see practically none of the benefits of their labor. The Capitol and its rulers collectively become the Big Brother of this story, representing the oppressive totalitarian government.
The hero of this story is harder to pin down. Throughout the Hunger Games, Katniss seems most concerned with surviving in order to get back home so she can take care of her mom and sister. She questions the authority of the Capitol, but, in this book, challenges it but a little. Peeta, however, seems to question the authority of the Capitol, especially in regards to the Hunger Games more deeply. As shown in the trailer, he refuses to let the Capitol take away who he is. Together, Peeta and Katniss force the Capitol to allow two winners in the Hunger Games, exposing a crack in the otherwise impenetrable armor of the Capitol. This sets up the rebellion in the following novels (which I have not read but know something about). I would call Katniss and Peeta the heroes of this story, even though Katniss is clearly the main character.
While the story remains unresolved in this novel, the novel ends with a glimmer of hope typical of dystopian novels. The world that these characters live is so far from what we would recognize, and the people have so little control over their lives. The dystopian rule is truly oppressive. Students from 12 to whatever will enjoy this novel, as evidenced by its extreme popularity and adaptation to the big screen. The main character is a girl, but she is not lacking in masculine qualities as well. Girls and boys should both enjoy this novel. I highly recommend it for use in the classroom, both as a standalone and a canon companion. There is enough material in the novel itself to inspire many activities in the classroom, and the movie follows the book wonderfully and would be helpful to use as well.
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