Independent+Novel+Study

**The Hunger Games**

 * Journal Entry #1: December 2, 2012**
 * Pages 1-33**

I chose to read //The Hunger Games// because I had heard a lot about it from my friends and family, who said it was very good. They told me that it was about a fight for food and survival between countries, in the future. What they explained to me, intrigued me to read the book. The independent novel study gave me a good opportunity to do that.
 * 1. Why did you select this novel?**

The story is set in the future, in a "country" called Panem. After North America was destroyed, it was built up, by the Capitol, into 13 unwealthy districts. The Capitol is the controlling "district" of all the other districts. The 13th district caused an uprising, so the Capitol killed every last person there, and there ended up with only 12 districts left. From then on, to keep their power and to ensure there will not be another uprising, the Capitol keeps the districts with little food, and once a year, holds "The Hunger Games". "The Hunger Games" is when a boy and a girl from each district battle to the death in a huge outdoor arena. The last one standing wins a lifetime supply of food and money for themselves and one year of gifts for their district, from the Capitol.
 * 3. What has happened before the novel began?**

The story starts in a part of District 12, nicknamed "The Seam", where Katniss Everdeen, the main character, lives. It is one of the poorest of the districts and it is responsible for supplying coal to the rest of Panem. The Seam in on the edge of District 12, right next to a forest, crawling with wild animals and predators. Katniss Everdeen lives right near the forest. The setting is extremely important because it describes the entire way of life (and the reason for it) for the people in District 12.
 * 6. What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why?**

The story begins on the day of the reaping, the day when the two tributes are chosen for the Hunger Games. In District 12, being a tribute is the most dreaded thing, and Katniss hopes that she or her sister do not get chosen. Like she does on most days, Katniss heads to the forest to hunt for food with her friend Gale. They catch 12 fish and head to the market to trade them for other food and supplies. By the time she heads home, it is almost time for the reaping. She gets changed into one of her mothers best dresses and she does her hair. Then, her, her sister and her mother head to the square, in front of the justice building, for the reaping. The mayor and Effie Trinket (a representative from the Capitol) give their speeches and then choose the tributes. For the girl, they choose Primrose Everdeen, Katniss' sister. Katniss will not let her sister suffer in the Hunger Games, and volunteers for tribute, risking her life. The boy tribute is Peeta Mellark. Katniss cannot believe what has just happened. She remembered when Peeta and her encountered that one day at his bakery and she thinks she couldn't possibly have a worse parter tribute.
 * 4. What's going on as the story begins?**


 * Journal Entry #2: December 9, 2011**
 * Pages 34-60**

Katniss Everdeen, the main character, is telling the story. Having the story told in her perspective is necessary for the story to have the same effect. For this book, it is really important to know what Katniss is thinking, because her thoughts hold a lot of important details that you would miss out on otherwise. The mood is also influenced by it being in her perspective. It has a, sort of, dramatic/intense feel to it. If it had been Gale telling the story, I think that it would be lighter, and possibly, less emotional.
 * 5. Who is telling the story? How does this person’s perspective effect the way the story is told? **

The first problem Katniss faced was sacrificing her life for her sister, and volunteering as the girl tribute for the Hunger Games.
 * 7. What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character? **

She is now stuck with her partner tribute, Peeta Mellark (who she doesn't like), Effie Trinket, and Haymitch Abernathy. They finally arrive in the Capitol, after a long train ride, with Haymitch, drunk (as usual) and throwing up. She is preparing herself to face the training ahead, for the terrible Hunger Games.
 * 9. What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses? **

__**Journal Entry #3:**__ **December 15, 2011**
 * Pages 61-130**

** 10. What plot twists or unexpected events happen as the novel goes on? ** After Peeta and Katniss make their appearance in the Capitol, wearing the flaming capes that Cinna designed for them, they had to train for the Hunger Games and try to impress the Gamemakers. When she was doing her private training for the Gamemakers, they did not pay attention to her, so she shot an arrow into an apple on their food dish. She thought that the Gamemakers would give her a bad score for her training, because of her outburst, but they gave her an eleven out of twelve; the highest score of all the tributes. Later on, they need to go for an interview with Caesar Flickerman. Katniss showed of her humor and her beautiful dress, and the audience loved her. When it was Peeta's turn, he admitted that he was in love with Katniss.

I love the style of writing that Suzanne Collins used for this novel. She made it suspenseful, but not overly dramatic and that keeps the events flowing together very well. This makes the book really easy to follow.
 * 11. Comment on the style of the novel. Is it easy or hard to follow the events? **

The new, important characters introduced in this part of the story are: Cinna, Portia, the Avox, and Caesar Flickerman. Cinna and Portia are the stylists for Katniss and Peeta. Caesar Flickerman is, and has been the host for the Hunger Games interviews for many years. The Avox is a girl who Katniss had seen once in the forest by her home in District 12. One day, she was hunting with Gale in the forest and she saw the Avox and a boy. They seemed nervous and desparate for help. Then, all of a sudden, a hovercraft showed up out of nowhere and killed the boy, then captured the girl. Now, Katniss saw her in the Capitol, but this time, she was mute. The Capitol had cut off her tongue as a punishment for something she had done.
 * 15. Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose? **


 * Journal Entry #4: January 6, 2012**
 * Pages 133-208**

** 8. How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest? **  The author continues to add more and more smaller conflicts, along with larger ones to keep the plot going. There are many unexpected events that make you curious, so you just have to keep reading. For example, Katniss thought that Peeta, her partner tribute, had turned on her and was working with the “Careers” to kill of the other districts’ tributes. But, then he ends up saving her from the Careers, after she drops the tracker jacker nest on them.

** 13. To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence. **  I think this book was aimed towards teens. In the novel, almost all of the important characters are in their teens, so it is easy to relate to their feelings. The whole story is set around teenagers having to cope with the cruelty of the leaders of their country.

** 21. Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? **  I would definitely recommend this novel to a friend because it is very intriguing. The author, Suzanne Collins, created the perfect balance of action and suspense, and emotions and sensitivity. She did not overdo any of those things so it kept the book interesting and makes you want to keep reading. - **January 13th, 2012** CHARACTERIZATION: **Katniss Everdeen,** the main character of the Hunger Games.

Katniss Everdeen is the main character of the novel, The Hunger Games. She is sixteen years old, and lives in a town called District 12. She looks thin, but she is tough, and has long dark hair that she wears in a braid a lot of the time.

She lives in a poor area, so she must hunt animals to keep her family alive, since her father was killed in a coal mining accident. She must try to stay positive and optimistic because her mother and sister are both very dependant on her. Katniss loves her mother and her sister more than anything in the world and always tries her best to keep them happy and healthy (as possible.) She sacrifices a lot for the well-being and safety of other people, especially her family (the countless hours hunting and gathering food). When her sister was chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games, Katniss stepped up to take her place. During the Games, she shares food and supplies with a little girl named Rue, and tries to protect her from the other tributes. Also, she spends much time nursing Peeta back to health after he had been injured by the other tributes. These are all acts of bravery and she was risking her life to do these things. Other characters knew that Katniss had something special about her, but they needed to get to know her well to connect with her. Her first impression to Haymitch was that she had “A lot of......spunk!” But then as the story moves on he says that she seems hostile. Eventually he comes to really like her. Katniss had a hard time trusting that Peeta had good intentions, especially after she found out that he was teaming up with the “Careers” at the beginning of the Games. By the end of the Games, they had come to trust each other. Since Katniss is the main character of The Hunger Games, she is very important to the story. I would not want to be her, though, because she goes through a lot of terrible things: her father was killed, she lives in a very poor town, and she had to suffer through pain/injuries in the Hunger Games. I still think that she would make a great friend, because she is honest, trustworthy and would risk her life to save yours. She also seems like a fun person to be around after you get to know her. - **Journal Entry #5: January 13, 2012 ** **Pages 208 - End ** There are a few very important themes in this novel. There a theme about building relationships and trusting one another: at the beginning of the novel, when Katniss and Peeta are chosen as tributes for the Games, Katniss thought she didn't like Peeta. In training and when the Games had begun, she didn't trust him att all and thought that he had turned against her when he joined the Careers. But in the end, she realizes that he was actually helping her the entire time, and she started to trust him and help him out. Another theme that is related to the first one, is repaying a good deed someone has done for you: Katniss explains that, years back, when she and her famiy were dying from starvation, Peeta gave her two loaves of bread, that resulted in a punishment for him. But, those two loaves of bread gave her hope and saved her family. Near the end of the Games, Katniss saved Peeta from bleeding and starving to death. One more very important theme is more political and standing up for what you believe: at the very end of the Games, when Katniss and Peeta were the last two survivors, they refused to kill each other. This changed the rule of the Hunger Games and they allowed both Katniss and Peeta to win.
 * 14. Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown? **

Because of the way //The Hunger Games// is written, you get attached to the story line and characters, and it makes it seem like it could be real. On the other hand, some of the technology that is used by the Capitol people does not exist now. But it is very easy to believe the novel because it is set far in the future, where most of those technologies would be possible. Overall, from the way it was written, I found it very believable. The novel definately exceeded my expectations. I was already drawn into it by the middle of the first chapter. It was interesting, exciting and suspenseful, but also had some drama, so it was a perfect book for me. I am eager to read the second and third books in the trilogy, and I am excited to see the movie. **Glogster** media type="custom" key="12150504"
 * 20. Is the novel believable? **
 * 22. Why did (or didn't) the novel meet your expectations? **