Escape?

In the beginning of the second book of The Hunger Games, Katniss considers running away in the woods so she can avoid marrying Peeta, and be free of the Capitols grip. Now that the Capitol knows about the kiss between Katniss and Gale, do you think there will be more surveilence in District 12, like there is in District 11? If the security does tighten up, do you think Katniss will manage to escape if she chooses too, or will she be forced to live the life the Capitol forced upon her?  

The Capitol

At the end of The Hunger Games the Capitol is clearly furious with Peeta and Katniss. However, the Capitol has not done anything to either one of them to show their anger. Do you think the Capitol bought into their hopelessly in love excuse or do you think they are waiting until after the victor's tour to punish them?

The Mockingjay

It is clear that throughout The Hunger Games, the mockingjays are a big symbol. I believe the mockingjay represents rebellion in their society. At first the mockingjays were created on accident when the jabberjay mated with the mockingbird. The capitol did not want this at all and they tried to get rid of them but they remained and spread across the country. Katniss is similar to the mockingjay in that she does what the capitol dispises. During the games when Rue dies, Katniss places flowers all around her to show that the Capitol does not own her and she is still humane. She rebells. However, when they are playing back the highlights from the games at the end, they intentionally leave that part out because they do not want to show Katniss rebelling against them. Another time Katniss rebells is when she plans to eat the deadly berries and die with Peeta. This is rebelling against the Capitol because she is showing them that she doesn't have to and will not play by their rules. After the games are over, Haymitch tells Katniss that the Capitol is furious because they are being laughed at after her stunt. The mockingjay represents rebellion and that's why Katniss wears the mockingjay pin. She refuses to accept the barbaric way of her society and rebells against the Capitol's rules.

Do you think it was right of Katniss to fake her love to Peeta just to survive the Games? On one hand, she was a great help to him. There is no doubt in my mind that he would not have survived without her, for she nursed him back to health and saved him from Cato and the mutant creatures in the end, not to mention she found shelter and food for him. However, don't you think she could have found sponsors a different way than by leading him on? Or at least let him in on the secret so that he would not have been so shocked in the end when he found out she was really acting? Also do you think Peeta is over-reacting to the news, after all she did save his life.

Peeta vs. Gale

Whenever Katniss thinks about her developing relationship with Peeta throughout the Games, she thinks about Gale as well. She wonders what he thinks about the whole romance plot. How do you think Katniss really feels about Gale? How do you think she compares both Peeta and Gale?

The Government

I thought about Mego's ideas on materialism and then began to think about other possible criticisms on American society that could be seen through the infrastructure of the society displayed. Collins could be criticizing the United States in a different way. She could be criticizing the government and how they are too powerful. She makes it seem like the government turns into a monarchy, in the sense that they have complete control over everyone and can get away with any injustice acts like the Hunger Games without having to worry about rebellion. After Katniss sees Rue die, she thinks back to Gale's negative thoughts against the government. She says to herself, "His ravings against Capitol no longer pointless, no longer to be ignored" (Collins 236). Katniss realizes the corruption in her society, and wants to turn things around, yet she is powerless. Materialism   and tyranny are both similar, I just decided to look at it in a different way. When I look at this society, I see corrupt government and a warning that perhaps the government today could be too powerful. What do you think about today's government? Is there a connection between todays government and the Capitol?

Materialism

In the book Katniss can't help but notice how much differenet life in the capitol is. There always seems to be an abundance food, they have the latest gadets for every use and their lives seem effortless. Whereas at home she lives by the bear necessities just struggling to survive. Do you think the author uses these scenarios as a way to address the materialism present in our world?