The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Early Life
The youngest of four children with two older sisters and a brother, Collins was born on August 10, 1962 in
Hartford, Connecticut.
Her parents are Jane Brady Collins (born 1932) and Lt. Col. Michael John Collins (1931–2003), a U.S. Air
Force officer who served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross and Bronze Star.
For the Collins Family, history was an immensely important topic. Much of that was driven by Collins’ father
who taught history at the college level and was open with his kids about his military experience, including his
deployment to Vietnam.
Growing up as a child of a military man, Collins had seen much of the country, and much poverty as well. Most
of all, she acutely understood the effects of war. Both of her book series incorporate war themes. The Hunger Games
also incorporated themes like poverty and starvation.

Education
Her High School was the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where she was a Theatre Arts major. She graduated from
Indiana University with a double major in Drama and Telecommunications. She went on to earn her MFA from New York
University in Dramatic Writing.

Career
Following graduate school, Collins moved into television, writing for several children’s television programs,
including Clarissa Explains It All and Little Bear. Her work for those shows soon caught the notice of James Proimos,
creator of the WB children’s program Generation O!, who hired Collins as his head writer. A big fan of her writing, it was
Proimos who urged Collins to try writing books. She also wrote the script for the Hunger Games movie.

Awards and Nominations

Collins has been nominated and also won several awards for her prolific writings. For instance, The Hunger
Game series won the 2013 Kid’s Choice Awards the USA and in 2014 was nominated for the same prize. In 2012 The
Hunger Games was nominated for the Bram Stoker Awards, and later in 2013, the same book was nominated for Hugo
Awards for the Best Dramatic Presentation.

• 2004 NAIBA Children's Novel Award

• 2006 ALSC Notable Children's Recording (audio version)
• 2008 CYBIL Award – Fantasy and Science Fiction
The Hunger Games wins for its broad crossover appeal, complicated moral issues, and sociopolitical satire.
• 2011  California Young Reader Medal (Young Adult Category)
• 2016 Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community (first time awarded to an author
of young adult fiction)

Inspiration for the Hunger Games

A. CLASSICAL INSPIRATION
1. Greek Myth of Theseus and Minotaur
Because of a past wrong, Athens is forced to ship off young people to Crete every few years. There,
seven youths and seven maidens are thrown into the labyrinth to be devoured by the man-eating Minotaur,
a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man.
2. Roman Gladiator Games
 A Roman gladiator was a man (and sometimes a woman), typically a slave or convicted criminal, who
participated in one-on-one battles with each other, often to the death, for the entertainment of crowds of
spectators in the Roman Empire.
Three good elements to make a good gladiator game:
• Ruthless all-powerful government
• People being forced to fight to the death
• Popular entertainment
B. CLASSICAL INSPIRATION
1. Fascination with Reality Television
-the games are televised across the country of Panem and it is mandatory that you watch them
2. Iraq War

Other Literary Works

1. The Underland Chronicles
 GREGOR THE OVERLANDER (2003) -Meet Gregor, a kid from New York City, who falls out of his laundry
room into a fantastical subterranean world called the Underland. Accompanied by his toddler sister,
Boots, he encounters giant talking creatures-- cockroaches, bats, spiders and rats--and an unusual
society of humans.
 GREGOR AND THE PROPHECY OF BANE (2004) - When giant roaches kidnap Boots and spirit her back to
the Underland, Gregor follows to retrieve her. Soon he discovers that they are both implicated in “The
Prophecy of Bane”.  
 GREGOR AND THE CURSE OF THE WARMBLOODS (2005) - Gregor and Boots must return to the
Underland to help find a cure for a deadly plague called the Curse of the Warmbloods.
 GREGOR AND THE MARKS OF SECRET (2006) - Gregor sets out to solve a mystery involving the
Underland mice and ends up discovering a terrible secret. This book leads right into the fifth and final
book of the series, "Gregor and the Code of Claw."
 GREGOR AND THE CODE OF CLAW (2007) - Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to
keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never
imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. The entire existence of the Underland is in
Gregor's hands.
2. The Hunger Games
 THE HUNGER GAMES (2008) - Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in
the poorest district of Panem. Each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual
televised event called, "The Hunger Games."
 CATCHING FIRE (2009) - Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. As
time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes
are higher than ever
 MOCKINGJAY (2010) - Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been
destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
3. WHEN CHARLIE MCBUTTON LOST POWER (2005) - When a thunderstorm knocks out the electricity, Charlie
McButton's whole tech empire comes tumbling down. He needs batteries–FAST. But the only batteries are inside
his baby sister's beloved talking doll.
4. YEAR OF THE JUNGLE (27 August 2013) - When Suzy's father is called to war in a faraway jungle, she struggles to
deal with his absence.
 The Hunger Games
SETTING: Panem

 Panem is presented as a grim alternate vision of the United States’ future.

 replace the nations of 21st century North America at an unspecified future time after a series of ecological
disasters and a great war
 named after the Latin panem et circenses, or “bread and circuses”
 The Government is a Totalitarian dictatorship
The story of hunger games is set hundreds of years in the future. Modern civilization as we all know was
destroyed when the face of the earth change. This led to the end of the world most likely due to natural
disasters that were caused when the earth went through those changes. North America’s landmass ended up
surviving although it got significantly smaller as the sea levels rose around it. North America was presumably the
only inhabited landmass left on earth. The people that were left eventually formed an established nation that
would later be known as Panem. As the nation grew, they were able to split the country up into 13 districts. Each
district had different industry that would fulfil the growing needs of the nation. They are all operated under the
control of the oppressive Capitol. The districts had no say in the government and weren’t even allowed to
interact with each other. This led to each district having a very unique culture.
Panem eventually fell into what was known as the “dark days”. This occurred when the districts started
to rebel. This rebellion ended when the Capitol defeated 12 of the districts and silenced district 13, subsequently
ending the war and showing their true power and what they’re capable of. As punishment for the district’s
treason, the Capitol made the Hunger Games.

The Capitol
 Largest city in Panem
 Home of the president of Panem
 Has no industry but is a technologically advanced city full of citizen who luxuriate in their status

Capitol has the largest city in Panem. It is not considered a district but rather a separate city. It’s located in the
Rocky Mountains. The Capitol has always been home to the president of PAnem. There were many presidents over the
years but the president during the Hunger Games, was President Coriolanus Snow – a man who rose to power through
some very questionable methods.

The residents of the capitol are far wealthier than any of the people in the districts and they are fueled by the
district’s hard work. The people in the Capitol are thought to be creative when it comes to style choices. They have very
unique and crazy outfits. It’s also very common for them to dye their skin or hair.

Districts
The 13 Districts of Panem are, for the most part, disconnected from one another, with each district developing its
own culture and social norms. Residents rarely travel between Districts, making for a more isolated way of living across
the nation.
District 1 – Luxury
District one’s industry is manufacturing luxury items for the capitol. So district one is considered as the
wealthiest district among the thirteen ones. It is a career district in which the tributes are being trained since they were
small and are called “careers”. The tributes from the district one in the 74 th hunger games are Glimmer and Marrel.
District 2 – Masonry
Their industry is masonry, but they also manufacture weaponry, makes trains, and most peacekeepers are from
this district. The only peacekeeper from the Capitol are the generals. The military base of the Capitol is in district two
known as “the nut”. Sometimes called as pets of the Capitol. They were loyal to the Capitol after the dark days and are
being given much convenience. Tributes are Cato and Clore. They have weapons so they have advantages in training for
the hunger games.
District 3 – Technology
They make automobiles and firearms. The tributes are skilled with electronics and people here are being
considered smart. Most people have background in engineering.
District 4 – Fishing
The industry is fishing, the people are good in swimming and is also considered as a career district.
District 5 – Power
They power the whole of Panem especially the Capitol. Foxface is from this district.
District 6 – Transportation
They provide trains that connect all 13 districts as well as the Capitol. They also make jets and planes.
District 7 – Lumber
The tributes from this district are good at handling axes. The children start working at the early age.
District 8 – Textiles
They produce clothing, they have at least one factory that is used for making peacekeepers’ uniforms.
District 9 – Grain
The boy from this district was the first one to be killed in the book. Many citizens live the farm life while the half
lived the industry.
District 10 – Livestock
“the boy with the bad leg” – they provide meat, farmland
District 11 – Agriculture
One of the poorest districts in the Panem. This district is rich in agriculture but everything is directly shift to the
Capitol. When they are caught eating their own crops, they are being whipped or executed in the public. They use
mocking jays as signal. Children in here are malnourished. Rue and Thresh are from here.
District 12 – Mining
Smallest and the poorest district in the Panem. Industry is coal. The district 12 is divided into sections, with the
merchant being the wealthiest among the district and the seam is the poorest. Peetah was from the merchant while
Katniss was from the seam. The people from the merchant are blonde and have blue eyes. While in the seam, they have
dark hair and gray eyes but as you can notice Prim and her mother are blonde and have blue eyes because their mother
is a originally from the merchant but moved in the seam after marrying their father who died while mining.
District 13 – Nuclear Weaponry
The district is now said to be an inhabitable because of the bombs dropped upon it. The Capitol made the
people believed that the industry of 13 was graphite but it was really nuclear weapons. It was soon revealed that 13 was
still operational, and they were underground. They made a treaty in the Capitol after agreeing with the cease fire after
they positioned their missiles toward each other. The 13 stay hidden so that it will serve as a lesson or warning to other
districts of what will happen if they will rebel.
Panem Government vs. Philippine Government
Panem government or questions its capability,
he/she is subjected to be punished.
 It controls everything and holds all the
 The Laws is basically all about no hunting,
power as well as the life of the tributes
don’t leave the district and follow no
 Rules unjustly because of punishment with
rebellion
violence
 Mayors in each district serves no
representative roles as a parliamentarian or
senator
 The government controls the lives of
people. When someone criticizes the
 Philippines  It has different sectors which are in-charge
of different fields of work (eg. DSWD,
 The power comes from the majority of
DPWH). Distribution of power
people and not only from the government
 Practices freedom of speech, life and liberty
itself. But it does most of the decisions
 Laws include no murder, no suicide, and no
 Disciplinary actions in relevance to the law
stealing etc.
had undergone a legal process through
hearings and arraignment (absence of
violence)

Similarities
 Each district in Panem produces materials or products as well as the regions in the Philippines.
 Run by a president with different ways of leading
 Both have punishment when it comes to committing crimes
 Military Force
 Oligarchy
 Both have censorship