The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Literary Analysis
By Mira Syed
“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead. The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.” -Katniss Everdeen (Catching Fire, Pg 118) As I read The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins my mind was constantly bombarded by violence, tragedy and a deadly love triangle. The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay were all emotionally difficult books to read, but they were also very powerful books that made me really think about my reality. The Hunger Games Trilogy also made me think about the meaning of the titles and what significance they have. Words with simple meanings like “hunger” in the title The Hunger Games and “fire” in the title Catching Fire can become vastly complex when used literally and figuratively in a very interpretive context.
Before I read The Hunger Games I knew that the title was the name of the games that Katniss is partaking in, but after reading the book I realized there were so many other interpretations of the title. The Capitol’s “hunger” for control is how I depicted the title. The Capitol wants control everything and anything. The Capitol seeks to control how Katniss lives her life. Katniss is constantly told what to do and when to do it, but from a young age she has deliberately disobeyed the laws that the Capitol has forced upon the citizens of Panem. The Capitol claims that they rule Panem in their selfish way for the benefit of the Districts, but there is an underlying meaning to their obsessive control. The Capitol’s selfishness is disguised as false well-being for the Districts. The Capitol’s selfishness is portrayed by the overly excessive lifestyle that the people in the Capitol live compared to the horrible conditions most of the Districts are forced to live in. In the Districts some people are literally dying of starvation while people in the Capitol drink a special potion at parties to make them throw-up so they can eat more. The Capitol forces the people of the Districts to live in such poor conditions because the Districts’ fear makes them powerless and the Capitol powerful. If the Districts stopped supplying the Capitol with goods like food, coal and peacekeepers, the Capitol would not be able to survive for long. The people in the Districts do not realize they have power over the Capitol until sparks of the rebellion against the Capitol ignite.
“Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!” -Katniss Everdeen (Mockingjay, pg 53) The title Catching Fire is used in a more literal way then the figurative meanings behind the title The Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games Katniss receives the nickname Girl on Fire because her opening ceremony’s costume was on fire during her first Hunger Games. This nickname took on a whole new meaning in Catching Fire. The title literally means catching the Girl on Fire. The Capitol is still trying to get Katniss in their clutches and prevent her from spreading her rebellious fire to other Districts. The rebellion against the Capitol that Katniss has unintentionally started has opened the District people’s minds. The Districts now realize they have more power than ever thought. Some of their power is even power over the Capitol. The Capitol portrays an overly excessive charade, but the Capitol’s true identity is really hidden behind a horrifically beautiful mask that is held on by the small threads of the Districts. The spark of the rebellion is not the only thing that Katniss has ignited; her own personal spark has caught the attention of Peeta Mellark, Katniss’ comrade in the Hunger Games, and Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ best friend and hunting partner. Katniss is torn between her love for Peeta and her love and friendship for Gale. Both Peeta and Gale would do almost anything for the Girl on Fire.
In the title Mockingjay a lot of symbolism occurs which has to do with Katniss and her freedom. In The Hunger Games Madge, Katniss’ friend from District 12 gives Katniss a pin with a Mockingjay on it so she can have a piece of District 12 with her when she is in the arena fighting for her life. The Mockingjay on the pin turns into the symbol of the rebellion. Since Katniss has started the rebellion she now is the Mockingjay and the symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol. People of the rebellion look to Katniss for hope; hope for success in the rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss must take on this new role as the Mockingjay and be the symbol of the rebellion even if it means the loss of her freedom. Katniss has essentially been forced into being the Mockingjay but she has no say on what course the rebellion takes. Katniss is merely a powerless piece in the Gamemakers, President Coin, Haymitch and President Snow’s games. Leaders of the Capitol and the rebellion are literally mocking Katniss as the Mockingjay by taking away her ability to “fly” with her own freedom. All Katniss seeks is to be able to make her own decisions without suffering the consequences of disobeying someone else’s commands. Katniss wishes to be free from the loss and pain that has been thrust upon her as the Mockingjay.
Titles are often extremely complex if one should take the time to examine them from all sides. Alternate meanings to titles can give new insight and perspectives on a book. Examining and writing about the titles in The Hunger Games Trilogy has given me a new outlook about the books. The meanings behind the words hunger and fire are very complex literally and figuratively in The Hunger Games Trilogy. Suzanne Collins meant for her readers to think about the connection between the title and the story in each novel. The connections between title and novel help readers understand why things about the book are the way they are. Connection such as, the reason why Katniss is the Mockingjay and why the Capitol is so hungry for control. As I made the connections between the novels and the titles I also made connection with the stories and my own life. The connections are what fuel the fire of obsessive readers like me.
