The Girl Who Was on Fire

       The main character, Katniss Everdeen is definitely my favourite character in The Hunger Games.  She is referenced throughout the book as "the girl who was on fire."  This is because at the opening ceremonies for the Hunger Games, Katniss' stylist, Cinna, decorates Katniss in a costume that has special flames that don't burn skin.  The crowd at the opening ceremonies loved this costume, and eventually nicknamed her "the girl on fire." 

       This nickname couldn't be more fitting for Katniss' personality.  She has a "fiery" temper which she showed when she was trying to impress the judges (aka gamemakers) of the Hunger Games.  She was showing off her special talent, which is shooting arrows.  The  gamemakers were supposed to give her a rating out of 12 which would encourage or discourage people to sponsor her in the Hunger Games, depending on how well she was rated.  However, the gamemakers weren't paying attention to her, so she furiously shot an arrow through the food that they were about to eat and walked away without being excused.  This attitude brings about a certain excitement to her character because the reader never know what she'll do next. 

       Katniss also resembles the way fire interacts with it's environment.  It continues to burn until there are no more resources to keep it alive or if something, like water, extinguishes it.  Likewise, Katniss continues pressing on through the Hunger Games, and life in general, no matter what obstacles get in her way.  This determined characteristic is shown when she seems to be cornered in a tree, with six other competitors trying to kill her at the bottom.  She beats the odds in this situation by releasing a beehive with venomous bees in it onto the others below and she escapes.  However, unlike fire, I have a feeling that Katniss won't be "put out" by anything in the Hunger Games.  I think that she will destroy anything in her path before it has the chance to destroy her.  Katniss is the fire that keeps the reader so deeply engaged in this book.

Between the Past and the Future

The Hunger Games has a very original setting.  It is set in North America sometime in the future.  However, North America in this book isn't at all what our continent is like today.  It is run very much like a communist country, and it is split up into twelve districts.  There used to be a thirteenth district, but it was destroyed, once again displaying the communism of these times.  The twelve districts are very segregated, and it's not like today where you can simply vacation in a different spot anytime you would like.  Once you are in a district, you may not leave unless you receive permission from the higher powers of the districts.  These higher powers are found in the "Capitol," which is the most wealthy and powerful district of all.
       This future North America is caught in the middle of the past and the future.  The Capitol has many cool things that you'd find in a futuristic science fiction novel.  For example, you can get most things at the press of a button and they have hovercrafts that they use to monitor the districts with.  Unfortunately, the twelve districts that the Capitol rules over are much less advanced.  The people living in these districts often live in poverty and can't afford any of the modern conveniences that the Capitol has, thus it seems almost like they're living in the past.
       I believe that this setting is very important to the plot.  It shows the deep contrast between the filthy rich and selfish Capitol and the poor, meagre districts that it rules over.  This novel is about a young girl from District twelve who is forced (by the Capitol) to compete in a competition with 23 other kids around her age.  The competition is basically that they must fight each other until all but one are dead.  It is a sickening thought, that teenagers should be forced to compete in such a contest.  The way that the districts are laid out only gives the reader more reason to hate the capitol, thus enhancing the plot.