The Hunger Games

When I think of writing the summary of the book we've just read I try to avoid writing a 'book report' like you would in school. Instead, I think of the times at book club when one of us hasn't finished the book and how we all jump in trying to fill in what that person missed. The conversation doesn't always flow chronologically, we sometimes miss something that maybe wasn't too important anyway, and we share our favourite parts and even sometimes quotes. This is how I approach our summaries here. So while there are many spots to find condensed, concise, 'proper' summaries of the books we read out in the internet, this is not one of those places. Instead things are a little jumbled, more conversational, and hopefully ring true to our book club - enthusiastic and informative but not an English class study. So, here's how I imagine we'd share what happened in The Hunger Games if one of us had not had a chance to finish it.

original photo from here

Katniss Everdene is 16 years old and lives in the Seam of District Twelve. Apparently hundreds of years from now the United States and Canada don't exist. Instead this continent is called Panem and the geographical divisions are the Capitol and twelve Districts. (There used to be Thirteen, we learn, but District Thirteen was destroyed during an uprising 74 years before.) District Twelve is a coal mining district, each district specializes in a different service or commodity, all serving the usefulness of those in the Capitol. As a result of the uprising, and to remind the citizens of the districts that the Capitol is powerful and in control there are the hunger games. Every year each district has one teenaged boy and one teenaged girl selected to participate in a game where only one tribute can win. This slaughter of youths is a sombre event for those in the Districts but entertainment for those living in the Capitol. (Although in Districts One, Two, and Three some kids train their whole lives for the honour or participating - they're know as Career Tributes.) But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Back to Katniss. She lives in the Seam, the poor part, of District Twelve - the poorest district. She lives with her mom and sister Prim - her father died in a coal mining explosion a few years before we meet her in the story.

Food is scarce in the Seam but Katniss' dad taught her how to use a bow and arrow to hunt before he died. Hunting means that you need to go outside the fence of the district - which in some districts would be impossible as the fences are electrified - but in District Twelve although it is supposed to be, the fence is usually safe to crawl under. Katniss and her friend Gale hunt together to provide for their families by gathering food, capturing animals, then either keeping them to eat or trading them and selling them for other goods in the black market in the Seam. The book starts off with Katniss waking up and going out beyond the fence to meet up with Gale for a day of hunting. But the day is not just any day, it is the reaping - the day tributes are selected to participate in the Hunger Games. The reaping system is set up so that when someone turns 12 years old their name is put in the draw just once. For every year afterwards their name is added one more time - so by the time someone is 18 years old and it is their last year to possibly be selected their name is in the bowl seven times. That's how it works for everyone in the districts. But, if you're poor and starving you can opt to put your name in more for tesserae - a year's supply of grain and oil for one person. "You may do this for each of your family members as well. So, at the age of twelve, I [Katniss] had my name entered four times. Once, because I had to, and three times for tesserae for grain and oil for myself, Prim, and my mother. In fact, every year I have needed to do this. And the entries are cumulative. So now, at the age of sixteen, my name will be in the reaping twenty times. Gale, who is eighteen and has been either helping or single-handedly feeding a family of five for seven years, will have his name in forty-two times" (13). Because Katniss has been gathering tesserae for herself, mother, and Prim her name is in a lot while Prim, who is in the reaping for the first time this year, has her name entered just once. How tesserae works is just a minute detail in the book, but I find it really interesting - how the game works and is set up. Obviously, the more your name is in the draw the more likely you are to be selected as tribute. 

Not only does the Capitol set up this game to remind the people that an uprising would be futile and they have complete control, but they make all the eligible youth dress up as though it is something to be proud to be participating in. So all the eligible youth are in the main square of District Twelve and their families are observing on the side lines. The reaping is televised so when it is eventually time for District Twelve to make the draw out come the only surviving victor of the Hunger Games from District Twelve, Haymitch Abernathy who is a drunk, and Effie Trinket. "Bright and bubbly as ever, Effie Trinket trots to the podium and gives her signature, 'Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" (19). She then shouts out "Ladies first!", puts her hand in the glass ball with the girls' names in it and draws out a single paper. Then she calls out the name on that slip of paper: Primrose Everdeen. 

As small Prim passes Katniss with her shirt untucked at the back, Katniss cries out Prim's name and then gasps "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!". Through the confusion that follows (there are not many volunteers from the district where no one survives the games save two people in the past 74 years) and Prim cries hysterically. Gale helps corral Prim and Katniss makes it up on stage. Effie is please that there is something exciting happening for once and after asking Katniss her name says "I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" (23). Then, and I love how this is written, "To the everlasting credit of the people of District 12, not one person claps" (23). 

As the ceremony continues the boy is chosen and it is Peeta Mellark. Katniss remembers him from the time just following her father's death when she hadn't yet learned to hunt or had met Gale and is upset that he was chosen, even though they're not friends. She doesn't want to have to kill him to survive because once, during the terrible time following her father's death he (purposefully?) burnt some bread (his dad is the District's baker) was punished by his mother for it, but threw it out towards Katniss who was watching instead of to the pigs. She's never forgotten that act of kindness. 

Well, as this is quite a lot to read for a summary, we best keep moving on.  After the reaping Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol to prepare for the Hunger Games. Their support team consists of Haymitch, Effie, their stylists Cinna and Portia, and their stylist team. During the opening ceremonies (where each tribute is dressed in a way representing their district's goods) Cinna and Portia dress Peeta and Katniss in flames and they gain a lot of attention. (Attention is good because when the games start people can pay to send you things that might help you survive in the arena.) Before the games begin there is also training for all the tributes. During a private training demonstration in front of the judges Katniss reveals her talents at archery by shooting an arrow through the apple in a roast pig's mouth at the judges dining table. She scores an 11 out of 12 - the highest rated tribute going into the games. During the televised interviews before the games Peeta admits that he has a major crush, in fact is in love with Katniss, and is devastated that they're in the games together. Katniss thinks this is a ploy for sympathy and support during the games and is skeptical of his true feelings. This works in their favour though as they are now portrayed as star-crossed lovers going into the games. 

All the lead up to the games is over and finally the games begin. The arena is a large wooded area with a lake, streams, and lots of trees. This environment is familiar to Katniss from her time hunting in the woods with Gale, and she feels more confident than she would have if the arena was a desert or something. As soon as the games start tributes are being killed and some tributes are gaining valuable supplies from a cornucopia in the centre of the ring. Katniss avoids the mayhem there and runs into the woods directly. Katniss is on her own but Peeta has teamed up with the Career Tributes. They corner Katniss at one point but she scurries up a tree, drops a nest of genetically mutated killer wasps (tracker jackers) on them them and escapes, scoring a bow and arrows in the process. Katniss works with Rue, a slight girl from the agricultural district for a while until she is killed. Katniss honours her body by covering it in flowers. 

Following Rue's death, in an effort to reignite the romance between Katniss and Peeta (who has separated himself from the Career Tributes... and is possibly hurt) an announcement is made in the arena that there can be two victors if they both come from the same district. Katniss immediately starts looking for Peeta and finds him injured and camouflaged near a stream. She takes him to safety and nurses him back to health - helped along by some drugs that are donated by some sponsors. 

Finally it is just them and Cato - one of the Career Tributes - left in the game. Before they can face off they are all chased by a pack of mutated wild dogs. Cato is slowly killed by the dogs but Katniss is able to speed along his death by shooting him with an arrow. It is just Peeta and Katniss left now and since they're both from the same district they've won... right? Wrong. The announcer comes back and says that there can actually only be one victor. But Katniss and Peeta can't kill each other - they've been through so much together. Instead they try to beat the Hunger Games by committing a double suicide. Just as they are about to pop the poisonous berries into their mouths the announcer comes back on and says that they won! Did they actually just defeat the Hunger Games? 

During the post-game reunion they continue their star-crossed lovers act knowing it is the only way to avoid punishment for their rebellion against the Capitol. At the end of the book Katniss realizes that Peeta is sincerely in love with her, that it wasn't an act for the games. Peeta realizes that Katniss is not in love with him and that it was an act for the games. As their train pulls in to District Twelve they have to put aside this revelation (and the hurt that comes along with it) and put on an act one last time as they step out onto the platform. 

And that's how it ends. Peeta's hurt by the girl that he loves because she doesn't feel the same and Katniss hurting because Peeta is hurt and she really cares for him but is confused by it all. They've both survived by the Capitol isn't happy about their trick and there is promise in these lingering story lines that the next two books will have lots to discuss. 

So, what do you think? Anything to add? Did you like the novel and have you read the rest of the trilogy?