The+Hunger+Games

** Student: Karen Drodge ** ** Date: November 15, 2010 ** ** Class: EN3051 – Novel Study Part A **
 * Novel: //The Hunger Games// by Suzanne Collins **




 * Link: Look inside The Hunger Games book **

__**CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE TEXT**__ // The Hunger Games // would be a fascinating, rich text for teaching and I would love the challenge. Although my age may be a factor in relating to the protagonist (16-year-old girl), I feel that I am more than capable of bringing this text to life. Although the genre is futuristic science-fiction, one of the man themes of this novel is government control. Having worked in government for 15 years, I think my perspective on government’s role in society would add value to my lesson planning for this text. In addition, my undergraduate major was social science and I studied several of the themes of this book – social control, group behaviour, conformity, alienation, deviance. These are all themes that I would put forth in studying this novel in an English class. I think my perspective would add depth to discussions about the novel’s themes. As I was reading //The Hunger Games//, I was so inspired by so many of the novel’s elements – the complex characterization, the action-packed plot, the themes around social issues, to name a few – that I have decided I am definitely going to introduce this novel into the curriculum when I have the opportunity in my future teaching career.

// The Hunger Games // is a young adult science-fiction novel set in North America after World War III. The former North America (a dystopian society called Panem) is ruled by the Capitol, which subjugates 12 outlying districts. The Capitol presides over the hunger games, an annual public spectacle in which 24 tributes (12-18 year old males and females from each district) are forced into a huge outdoor arena to fight to the death, an event televised for all in the nation of Panem to witness. The protagonist is strong-willed 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from the poorest district (District 12), a trained survivor who has been the breadwinner for her mother and younger sister since her father died at age 11. Throughout the hunger games, Katniss shows herself to be a strong, independent, risk-taker who struggles with love and hate and good and evil. Katniss’ flawed, yet very human, character emerges as the action-packed events of the hunger games unfold. This is the first in a YA science-fiction trilogy, published in 2008. The second book, //Catching Fire//, followed in 2009 and the final book, //Mockingjay//, was released this year. The movie version of //The Hunger Games// is set for release in 2011.
 * __ NOVEL SUMMARY __**

According to the author herself, and the many fans of this book, this text would be suitable for anyone from Grade 7 to adult. After having read the book, I agree that there are several layers of meaning in this book, and I believe it could be studied in any intermediate/senior class at both the applied or academic levels. There is enough material to allow a teacher to adapt the lessons to match the skills and abilities of the students at different levels. However, one criticism of the book is the extent of the violence, and for this reason, the book may be more appropriate for older students (Grade 11-12). In this novel study, I am recommending this book be used in a Grade 11 Applied class (ENG3C). I chose an applied class because I think the story is engaging and action-packed, and will appeal to an applied level class. Also, the language is neither overly simplistic nor too academic. I chose Grade 11 because if I were to teach this book, I would be interested in exploring some of the more serious themes, such as poverty or government control, which may be more challenging at a lower grade level. Although this book would likely be studied in an English class, it could also be studied in other subject areas, particularly social science (sociology, psychology and philosophy), given some of the themes relating to societal issues, such as government control, oppression, conformity, rebellion, poverty, etc.
 * __ APPROPRIATE GRADE LEVEL(S) /COURSE(S) __**

This novel has so much to offer in terms of teaching points. It features compelling characters, controversial social issues and other interesting themes, an intense, action-packed plot, strong symbolism and finally, a suspense-filled conclusion, which leaves the reader anxiously awaiting the outcome of the next novel in the series. The author, Suzanne Collins, came up with the novel concept while channel-surfing between footage of the war in Iraq and reality television, but she was also inspired by images of Roman gladiator games and Greek myths. Since //The Hunger Games// was published in 2008, it has been compared to classic works of fiction such as //1984//, //Lord of the Flies//, //The Lottery//, //The Giver// to reality TV shows like //Survivor// and //Big Brother//.
 * __ MAIN IDEAS/ISSUES/TEACHING POINTS __**


 * __ Social Knowledge __**
 * Government control and oppression of citizens: The Capitol, as seat of government, controls the population in Panem using several techniques, the worst being the hunger games themselves, where youth are forced to kill another for survival. Other methods of control include restricting survival resources (food), threat of physical punishment, selection of/limiting access to information, invoking fear/suspicion amongst citizens, and imposing a class system
 * Conformity and rebellion: Although Katniss and the other tributes are forced to conform by the state, the book reveals touching moments of personal rebellion
 * Poverty and starvation: In contrast to the Capitol’s wealth, citizens in the Districts are kept in a constant state of poverty and starvation as a control strategy
 * Wealth and materialism: When the tributes are sent to the Capitol to prepare for the games, they are witness to the stark contrast between their own lives and the excess that citizens in the Capitol enjoy
 * Socio-economic class: The novel outlines the class system that exists in the Districts themselves, and between the Districts and the Capitol
 * Good and evil: The book has been criticized for the violence the youth are both subjected to and participate in, and the contrast between good and evil is highlighted throughout the hunger games
 * Life and death: The premise of the games is survival of the fittest – a life and death battle between forced rivals
 * Kindness, love and romance: In the midst of battle, there are some very touching moments of kindness between strangers, and of love and romance between Katniss and her love interests, Gale and Peeta
 * Hatred: From Katniss’ perspective, we see how her hatred of the Capitol and all it stands for develops throughout the games
 * Survival of the fittest: In the games, only the most resourceful person can survive
 * Risk and adventure: From beginning to end, the novel is action-packed and filled with situations involving adventure and risk to Katniss and those she cares about
 * Morality and Immorality: There are many references to moral dilemmas experienced by Katniss and other tributes during the games, and to the immorality of those associated with the Capitol, including the immorality of forcing children to fight to the death to control parents/adults in the state
 * Lure of reality television: The novel is based on the perverse desire for entertainment that shows misfortunes and hardships of others


 * __ Topic Knowledge __**
 * Gender studies – feminism
 * Sociology – conformity and alienation, group behavior, social control, oppression, class structure, dystopian society
 * Psychology – using psychology as a method of control and manipulation
 * Philosophy – morality and immorality, good and evil, free will vs. control, right and wrong
 * Political science – communism, government control
 * Economics – poverty and wealth, primary (natural) resources
 * Media Studies – Culture of reality television, images of beauty
 * Geography – geographic location of Panem (North America)
 * History – War and violence, Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Roman Gladiator


 * __ Cultural Knowledge __**
 * The misfortune of others as entertainment
 * Group behavior and individualism
 * Family and friends
 * Societal segregation
 * Outer vs. inner beauty
 * Materialism


 * __ Textual Knowledge __**
 * Personal narrative: The story is written in the first person, from Katniss’ perspective. This adds to the richness of her character and the sense of intrigue, because the events unfold for the reader as Katniss witnesses them
 * Genre: The author herself has called the novel “futuristic science fiction”
 * Chronological sequence: The events of //The Hunger Games// are chronological, with Part 1 before the games, Part II about the games themselves, and Part III about the victors and the outcome of the games
 * Plot: The plot is complex, action-packed and suspenseful. And because there are two additional books in the series, this first book leaves some questions unanswered, adding to the suspense
 * Characterization: The characters are well-developed and complex, and reveal flaws as they live the experiences in the book, resulting in characters that are fascinating and deeply human
 * Symbolism: The author uses symbols for many of the major themes in the novel. Some of the main symbols include the hunger games (government control and power), the mockingjay (Katniss and rebellion against the state), fire (power, life and survival) and food symbolism (bread, etc.)

If //The Hunger Games// were given a movie rating, it would likely be classified as PG-13 for the majority of the content. According to website sources, the book has been controversial because of the violent content, particularly the idea of children fighting to the death. Another potential problem is the fact that the protagonist is a female character, which may lack appeal to male students, particularly in a male-centric class. According to research around boys’ engagement, male students are drawn to male protagonists, and may (at least initially) show less interest in a strong, female lead. On the other hand, this book is an excellent model for teen girls because the central character demonstrates feminist characteristics not typically found in many young adult novels. A further challenge relates to the novel themes. The novel explores several complex societal issues (poverty, war, life and death, good and evil, love and hate, conformity and rebellion, etc.). While these themes provide rich material for discussion and debate, students may become disengaged due to this level of complexity and seriousness throughout the novel. Conversely, these very topics are one of the reasons the book is such an excellent educational text, because it does address issues that are relevant to teen students today. A final challenge, particularly for an applied level class, would be the time required to complete the novel reading, given the length of the novel (over 350 pages). Unless students read outside of class, a lot of time would be required to complete the in-class book-reading portion of the novel study.
 * __ MAIN ISSUES/CHALLENGES __**

Because //The Hunger Games// is a futuristic sci-fi novel that has relevance to teens in the 21st century, I think I would use 21st century technology for character analysis. At the start of the novel, I would have the students develop a Facebook profile for one specific character, and they could follow the development of this character in the book, and update the character profile in Facebook as they progress throughout the book. Students would be required to develop a very specific and detailed profile, including a photograph or image they choose to represent their character. Students would also be required to post status updates on their character as they read the book, as well as posting comments they would imagine their character saying throughout the book reading. As the teacher, I would be the site administrator of the group, which would allow me to post discussion questions/comments/feedback within the Facebook group. I could also post trivia games, quizzes, videos and other relevant material as needed. In addition to using Facebook as a technological medium for character analysis, I would also incorporate another technological medium, text messaging. I would ask students to create a series of text messages that their character might want to use to communicate with others. For example, Katniss could send text messages from the arena to her younger sister, Prim, back in District 12 to let Prim know how she is feeling, or perhaps to Gale, her close friend and prospective love interest. Students would need to write the text messages and explain their relevance.
 * __ POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT/ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED TO TEXT __**


 * __ Curriculum Expectations __**

__ Reading and Literature Studies __
 * Reading for Meaning: Using reading comprehension strategies, demonstrating understanding of content, making inferences and analyzing texts

__ Writing __
 * Developing and Organizing Content: Identifying topic, purpose and audience; organizing ideas
 * Using Knowledge of Form and Style: Form, voice, diction, sentence craft and fluency
 * Applying Knowledge of Conventions: Spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, proofreading

__ Media Studies __
 * Creating Media Texts: Purpose and audience, producing media texts

Since //The Hunger Games//, the first in the trilogy, was published in 2008, the book has become a //New York Times// bestseller, and has spawned two further books in the series, and at least one upcoming movie version of the novel. A search of the internet reveals numerous websites, blogs, wikis, videos and posts about //The Hunger Games// trilogy. Books two and three have been equally successful. Although the novel offers some teaching challenges, I believe the benefits far outweigh these challenges. //The Hunger Games// offers compelling characters, a strong female protagonist, an action-packed, complex plot and a range of relevant themes. The novel has widespread appeal to a range of audiences. As well, the topics covered would be relevant in other subject areas outside of English. // The Hunger Games // is a well-written, engaging and relevant text for 21st century teens. When asked what she hopes readers will come away with after reading //The Hunger Games//, author Suzanne Collins said, “Questions about how elements of the book might be relevant in their own lives. And, if they’re disturbing, what they might do about them.” (Source: //The Hunger Games// Q&A, Scholastic, 2010).
 * __CONCLUSION__**


 * __ REFERENCES __**

Campbell, Adena. "The Hunger Games: eNotes Synopsis." __eNotes: The Hunger Games__. Ed. Penny Satoris. Seattle: Enotes.com Inc, 2007. __eNotes.com__. 13 November 2010. Website: http://www.enotes.com/the-hunger-games/enotes-synopsis

Collins, Suzanne. //The Hunger Games//. New York: Scholastic, 2008

Collins, Suzanne. Personal website: []

Scholastic website: [|http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/]

The Hunger Games Wiki: []