Hunger+Games



//The Hunger Games// portrays a dystopian vision of the future of North America, now the nation of Panem. In Panem, a powerful and technologically advanced city—**The Capitol—rules mercilessly over 12 outlying districts**, each named simply for their number. Every year, The Capitol requires that each district select two teenagers by lottery—one boy and one girl—to represent the district at the annual Hunger Games, as “tributes”. The Hunger Games are **a cross between the reality show Survivorand the Roman Colosseum**: the 24 teens fight to the death on live national television in a huge outdoor arena (we’re talking many square miles here), which encompasses a range of natural geography that varies from year to year.The Capitol stages the Hunger Games as a continuing reminder of the districts’ subservience, and as a brutal warning about how rebellion is dealt with. Katniss Everdeen—the protagonist of the novel—becomes one of the tributes from District 12, the poorest of the districts, along with Peeta Mellark. The bulk of the book features Katniss and Peeta’s violent struggle for survival in the arena, and their interactions with other tributes and citizens of The Capitol. **Will Katniss survive the arena?**Will The Capitol own her as she fights to survive? These are the anxious questions that drive the story forward.