September 2010: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Once again- make sure there are no spoilers of the sequels for those of us reading them for the first time!!

Panem

How does Katniss feel about the country of panem? Why does she need to make her face "an indifferent mask" and be careful what she says in public?

relationships

Describe the relationships of Katniss with Gale, with Prim, with her mother. How do those relationships define her personality? Why does she say about Peeta, "I feel like I owe him something, and I hate owing people."

Stylists

Why are the tributes given stylists and dressed so elaborately for the opening ceremony? Does this ceremony remind you of events in our world, either past or present?

Peeta

Before the Games start, Peeta tells Katniss, "... I want to die as myself... I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not." What does this tell you about Peeta? What does he fear more than death? Is he able to stay true to himself during the Games?

Katniss

Why does Katniss ignore Haymitch's advice to head directly away from the Cornucopia? Did she do the right thing to fight for equipment? What are the most important skills she has for staying alive- her knowledge of nature? her skill with bow and arrow? her tapping ability? What qualities of her personality keep her going? her capacity for love? her intelligence? her self control?

Groups

Why does Peeta join with the Career Tributes in the beginning of the Games? What does he hope to gain? Why do they accept him when they start hunting as a group? Why do groups form in the beginning when they know only one of them will be able to survive?

Partners

What makes Katniss and Rue trust each other to become partners? What does Katniss gain from this friendship besides companionship? Is Katniss and Rue's partnership formed for different reasons than the other group's?

Gamemakers

Discuss the ways in which the Gamemakers control the environment and "entertainment" value of the Games. How does it affect the tributes to know they are being manipulated to make the Games more exciting for the gamblers and viewers? Does knowing she is on live TV make Katniss behave differently than she would have otherwise?

Love

When does Katniss first realize that Peeta does care for her and is trying to keep her alive? When does she realize her own feelings for him? Did Haymitch think all along that he could keep them both alive by stressing the love story? Are they actually in love?

Cruelty

What do you think is the cruelest part of the Hunger Games? What kind of people would devise this spectacle for the entertainment of their populace? Can you see parallels between these Games and the society that condones them, and other related events and cultures in the history of the world?

class struggles

In 1848, Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Discuss this statement as it applies to the society and government of Panem. Do you believe there is any chance to eradicate class struggles in the future?

Reality tv

Reality TV has been a part of the entertainment world since the early days of television (Candid Camera, Miss America pageant) but in the 21st century three has been a tremendous growth of competitive shows and survival shows. Discuss this phenomenon with respect to The Hunger Games. What other aspects of our popular culture do you see reflected in this story?