Synopsis
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in The Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which ‘tributes’ must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly trained tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
In the press pack for the film, author Suzanne Collins is quoted as saying:
‘Not all the characters are going to make it to the screen…it was hard to let them go but I don’t think that the choices damaged the emotional arc of the story.’
- What do you understand by this statement? What conclusions might you draw about the author’s view of the film version?
- Suzanne Collin’s comment above suggests that she is attached to her characters – ‘It was hard to let them go’. When creating a character for a novel, one of the first things an author will consider is what they will be called. Think about the name of the heroine Katniss Everdeen. What does the name sound like to you? Thinking about the sounds that make up the name, what ideas and associations does the name suggest?
- Gale nicknames Katniss ‘Catnip’. You can research the plant at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta_cataria – in what ways does it link with the character in the film and book; her context and impact on other people?
- Have a look at the rest of the cast list, for example on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). What associations come to mind as you look at the other characters’ names? In some cases you will be able to find out more by looking up the names in a dictionary or thesaurus.