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The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
2008 New York Scholastic Press
About
the
Author.....
Suzanne Collins has been writing for young audiences since
1991. She has written for television shows such as Little Bear,
Oswald, and Clarissa Explains It All. She received a Writers
Guild of America nomination in animation for her work on
Santa, Baby.
Collins is also the author of The Overlander Chronicles, which
take the idea of Alice and Wonderland and turn it on its head by
bringing it to a more modern, urban setting in which the main
character falls down a manhole.
Collins currently lives in Connecticut with her family.
About the novel
Genre: Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction/Futuristic Fiction
Setting: Panem; a country formed in the ruins of North America.
Characters: Katniss, Peeta, Prim, Haymitch, Effie, Rue, Cinna, the
Avox, the Distict tributes
Plot: Multiple Conflicts:
• person against nature: Katniss struggles to meet basic needs.
• person against person: The tributes have to fight to the death.
• person against society: The Districts fear the annual reaping will
one day call the name of a loved one.
• person against self: Katniss looses her self in the pursuit to stay
alive and portray the sexy girl on fire for the cameras.
Teenage protagonist
Katniss Everdeen lives in the
futuristic nation of
Panem in the ruins
of what was the United States.
Themes
Government Control Public display of affection
Socioeconomics Courage
Choices Compassion
Survival Parallels to present day pop
culture
Reality television
Love and relationships
Role of the Media
Beauty
Family Responsibility
Curriculum Application
Content LevelThe Hunger Games is directed towards a teenage
audience. Katniss is 16 and has been the provider for her family
since she was 12. It is appropriate for 7th 10th grade readers.
In a language arts setting, the novel can be analyzed for plot structure
and conflict and connected to other works of literature.
CrossCurricular Ideas
• History/Government How does the war and restructuring of
North America into Panem compare to other countries that have
restructured after wars and political controversy? What kind of
government is Panem? Totalitarian? Fascist?
• Survival SkillsWhat skills do Katniss and Peeta have that help
them survive nature and their opponents? Where did they learn
them?
• Biology what plants does Katniss use, and why? What North
American plants are toxic? Can you identify which ones she is
using?
Discussion Questions
What is the true purpose of the hunger games?
Why are the teenagers selected called "tributes?" What do they contribute, and
who gets the benefit?
What kind of socioeconomic classes are represented by the characters?
(Katniss, Peeta, Gail, Madge, the Mayor, Haymitch, Effie Trinket, Cinna and
Portia, the Avox, the tributes from the other districts, ect.)
What factor contributes most to Katniss's survival and why?
What are some parallels to Panem and present day America?
What alliances are formed, and why? Why do people form alliances?
References
Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York, NY:
Scholastic Inc.
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