This is the home page for our study of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. As we read the novel, think of connections to our society. I think the author had a lot to say about modern society and where we are heading.
Chapter Questions
Chapter 1
1. Who is the narrator? What style of narration is it? (1st, 2nd or 3rd person).
2. Briefly describe the narrator. What is her life like? What does she do for food? Who is her family? Does she have any friends?
3. Write a little of what you know about the following places: District 12, The Capitol, Panem.
4. Who is Gale? Describe his relationship to the narrator.
5. What is The Reaping? What happens on this day? What are tesserae?
6. Who is Madge? What is her role in the story?
7. Start a Venn Diagram or Comparison Alley comparing the people of The Capitol with those of District 12.
Persuasive Essay topics
1. Outline three factors that allowed Katniss to survive The Hunger Games.
These could be skills or qualities Katniss possesses or outside influences, such as other people helping her, or even external forces, such as luck.
2. Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games as a warning to modern society. Do you agree/disagree?
If you agree with this statement, outline at least three ways that the novel serves as a warning for us and the way the world is changing.
If you disagree, you need to make it clear that this dystopian novel has no connections to the modern world.
3. Although The Hunger Games is set in a dark, dystopian future where children are forced to enact violence on one another, the story is really one about friendship and hope. Do you agree/disagree?
If you agree, outline how friendship and hope are central themes in the story.
If you disagree, you need to state what you think are the core messages/themes of the story or whether it is just a pointless, violent story.
Discussion Essay
Discuss three messages that Suzanne Collins has for the readers of The Hunger Games.
Here you simply look at some of the things we have spoken about in class. What is Suzanne warning us about, remembering that Panem is a 'possible future' of North America. What can we, of the modern world, take away from this novel?
Some ideas the class came up with included:
- the class divide: the gap between the rich and the poor
- control being in the hands of the few, not the many
- styles of leadership - dictatorship and loss of democracy
- the Games vs reality TV - entertainment based on one winner and tearing others down.
- focussing on the drama - not what matters
- fake vs authentic
- views of friendship
- what people will do for popularity.
You need to turn these ideas into messages or warnings. You do not HAVE to do THREE. You might do four or two with more detail.
Get the thesis statement right first. A clear statement in introduction with the messages you will be talking about.