HUNGER GAMES PART 1
Part I Questions
1. The story is set in the future, so when Katniss references her ancestors, she is referring to us. What has happened to North America? How might we have contributed to the destruction of it? We might have through pollution and war.
2. Gale makes the comment that the Capitol wants the districts to be divided, that it is to their advantage. What does he mean by this?
3. Katniss lives in the “Seam” of district 12. Why do you think it is named the “Seam”? What is a seam and how might it apply to her neighborhood? Because they live on top of the mines
4. Would you volunteer for your little sister (or brother, or older sibling, or friend)? Why or why not? What does it tell you about Katniss? I would volunteer for my brothers because I know they would do the same for me. It shows that Katniss is strong and cares about her family.
5. Why couldn’t Katniss’s mother take care of Katniss or her sister Prim? If they lived
Somewhere other than the Seam, would things have been different for her mother? She couldn’t take care of them because she went into shock when the father died and it would have been different if they lived in a different part because they would have money and a job that she could do that doesn’t involve mining
6. How do you feel about the victors of the Hunger Games earning free food for their fellow Citizens? What problems might arise? Yes I think it is good, as they need to be rewarded for their efforts but districts might riot and complain that they don’t have enough food
7. Why doesn’t Katniss want to get close to any of the tributes, including Peeta? So she doesn’t have a problem with killing them because of feelings. So she has no emotions during the games
8. Why is it ironic that Effie calls district 12 barbaric? Because she is from the capitol and she enjoys the hunger games.
9. Do you think it is merely coincidence that the redheaded Avox girl is serving the district 12 tributes, the nearest district from where she was captured? Could it be possible that the
Capitol knows Katniss was in the woods that day? Why or why not? It could be possible, as they could have seen her when they went passed the woods
10. Compare the modern conveniences in the Capitol with the primitive living conditions of
District 12. List them. The capitol is all business and fashion like all major cities and district twelve is a poor and sloppy place.
11. Why the stark contrast between the two? What other differences do you see between the Capitol and District 12? That the people in the capitol like to watch death
12. How would you respond to Katniss’s private session if you were a Gamemaker? Why? I would have thought it was fantastic she got their attention and showed that dshe would take risks
13. Why does Haymitch have difficulty coaching Katniss for her interview? How would you
coach her if you were him? He has trouble because she is aggressive I would just give her and tell her what she wants
14. Describe Caesar Flickerman. Does he remind you of any current TV personalities or talk Show hosts? Yes he reminds me of ohpra
15. What do you think Peeta’s motivation is with his announcement at the end of part 1? I think that he actually likes her but it was also for publicity.
1. The story is set in the future, so when Katniss references her ancestors, she is referring to us. What has happened to North America? How might we have contributed to the destruction of it? We might have through pollution and war.
2. Gale makes the comment that the Capitol wants the districts to be divided, that it is to their advantage. What does he mean by this?
3. Katniss lives in the “Seam” of district 12. Why do you think it is named the “Seam”? What is a seam and how might it apply to her neighborhood? Because they live on top of the mines
4. Would you volunteer for your little sister (or brother, or older sibling, or friend)? Why or why not? What does it tell you about Katniss? I would volunteer for my brothers because I know they would do the same for me. It shows that Katniss is strong and cares about her family.
5. Why couldn’t Katniss’s mother take care of Katniss or her sister Prim? If they lived
Somewhere other than the Seam, would things have been different for her mother? She couldn’t take care of them because she went into shock when the father died and it would have been different if they lived in a different part because they would have money and a job that she could do that doesn’t involve mining
6. How do you feel about the victors of the Hunger Games earning free food for their fellow Citizens? What problems might arise? Yes I think it is good, as they need to be rewarded for their efforts but districts might riot and complain that they don’t have enough food
7. Why doesn’t Katniss want to get close to any of the tributes, including Peeta? So she doesn’t have a problem with killing them because of feelings. So she has no emotions during the games
8. Why is it ironic that Effie calls district 12 barbaric? Because she is from the capitol and she enjoys the hunger games.
9. Do you think it is merely coincidence that the redheaded Avox girl is serving the district 12 tributes, the nearest district from where she was captured? Could it be possible that the
Capitol knows Katniss was in the woods that day? Why or why not? It could be possible, as they could have seen her when they went passed the woods
10. Compare the modern conveniences in the Capitol with the primitive living conditions of
District 12. List them. The capitol is all business and fashion like all major cities and district twelve is a poor and sloppy place.
11. Why the stark contrast between the two? What other differences do you see between the Capitol and District 12? That the people in the capitol like to watch death
12. How would you respond to Katniss’s private session if you were a Gamemaker? Why? I would have thought it was fantastic she got their attention and showed that dshe would take risks
13. Why does Haymitch have difficulty coaching Katniss for her interview? How would you
coach her if you were him? He has trouble because she is aggressive I would just give her and tell her what she wants
14. Describe Caesar Flickerman. Does he remind you of any current TV personalities or talk Show hosts? Yes he reminds me of ohpra
15. What do you think Peeta’s motivation is with his announcement at the end of part 1? I think that he actually likes her but it was also for publicity.
HUNGER GAMES PART 2
Part II Questions
1. Peeta says that he doesn’t want to lose himself once the Games begin and that he wants to prove he’s not just a “piece in their Games.” What does he mean by this? He wants to prove what he is worth, that he is not an easy target.
2. What is the purpose of a district token? Can you think of any events in real life where people might bring a token with them? Explain. In medieval times people who went to war would have a symbol of there house/family on their shield
3. How will the Capitol and audience be able to locate the tributes in the arena? What does this remind you of? They could locate tributes by trackers, which were inserted into them before the games started,
4. How do you feel about Capitol residents touring the past arenas? How does it make Katniss feel? Can you think of places that people vacation to that might be similar to the Hunger Games arenas? Why do people visit them? Are we any different than the Capitol residents in this regard? Why or why not? It makes her feel like all they care about is their show and we are similar many people go to see the coliseum which was a gladiator arena in the time of the Roman Empire
5. Would you join an alliance or play the game on your own? Why? I would play on my own, as it is a fight to the death and you can’t trust anyone but yourself.
6. Where are the cameras? They aren’t visible to Katniss, therefore they aren’t visible to the readers. Where do you think they are hidden? Or are they so high-tech that they are invisible? Elaborate. I think that they are hidden in trees and in rocks as they are everywhere
Part II questions, continued
7. What is the Capitol’s attitude about living things? What about their creations, like the muttations? The Capitol people/government left the male jabberjays to die out and did not destroy the tracker jacker nests around the districts (only those near the Capitol). What does this say about the Capitol? they dont care about other people and animals life only for entertainment
8. Peeta aligns with the Careers and Katniss eventually aligns with Rue. What are the benefits of alliances? What are the downfalls? the benefits are strength in numbers but they could kill you while you sleep
9. How do the conditions in District 11 differ from those in District 12? Explain. I think that districts 11 have more food and more jobs so families always have income and food
10. Why doesn’t the Capitol want the viewers to learn about the other districts? How does it benefit the Capitol? They don’t want districts to learn about the other as it could begin an uprising
11. Why does Rue like mocking jays? Why does Katniss like mocking jays? How are the two girls similar to the bird? Because they can be used as a signal to other people as they copy each other and other animals
Part II questions, continued
12. Describe the Careers’ survival skills. In what ways are they superior to Katniss’s and the other tributes? In what ways are they lacking? They were lacking in common sense as if you saw smoke they should have only sent
13. What does the word “rue” mean? What does it mean to “rue the day”? How is this symbolic of the events at the end of part II? Rue means to regret so rue the day means regret the day, this is symbolic because as he killed rue he to was killed by Katniss
14. If Katniss had given Rue her knife when they separated, would things have turned out differently for Rue? Why or why not? Yes I think they could have as she could have released herself from the trap and made it back to Katniss before she was killed
15. Analyze the meadow song Katniss sings to Rue. She says it’s often sung to crying babies (think about “Rock-a-bye, Baby” or other lullabies). How does the song fit the moment? How does it relate to Rue? It fits the moment because it is meant to calm the person who it is being sung to. It relate to rue as Katniss doesn’t want her to cry and she wants her to go peacefully.
Part
2. Katniss is constantly thinking about how the audience is perceiving her, whereas Peeta (we think, anyway) just says what he feels. Why?
3. Why is Katniss willing to go to the feast to get the medicine for Peeta?
4. In order to go to the feast, Katniss must drug Peeta. Of course, we know it’s never a good idea to drug your friends. Is this an exception? Does it make that act morally acceptable? Why or why not.
5. Further discuss the moral dilemma Katniss faces with saving Peeta’s life with the phrase: “The end justifies the means.” She reasons that the means to get the medicine (knocking Peeta out) justifies the end result (saving his life). How do we use this reasoning in real life? Do lawmakers/politicians make decisions based on this? How? (Give examples.)
Part III questions, continued
6. Discuss the issue of “paybacks.” List examples of characters who feel as though they owed another character something.
7. Why do you think some characters (like Katniss and Thresh) feel as though they “owe” someone for kindness, and others (like Peeta) never expect “payment” for their kindness shown.
8. Katniss wonders if her family will stay at home to watch the feast or go to the town square, where it will be broadcast and certainly school will be canceled so people can view it live. Where do you think her mother and sister will watch it? What does it say about their society that it is not only mandatory viewing, but worthy of canceling school for? What sort of events do we cancel school for or have a holiday break? Does this reflect our community’s priorities? Why/why not?
9. What psychological impact could the wolf mutts have on a tribute? Why? Is this worse than the physical threat? Explain.
10. Why does Katniss wait so long to kill Cato? How does she feel when she finally does?
Part III questions, continued
11. Right before the rule change is announced Katniss is looking around for a stick for Peeta’s tourniquet and finds her arrow instead (page 342). We know why Katniss picks up the arrow, but the audience does not hear her thought process. From their viewpoint, what might it look like instead?
12. Katniss’s first reaction to the second rule change (which revokes the first rule change) is to shoot Peeta when she sees his hand grabbing the knife. When she realizes that he does not intend to defend himself or kill her, she feels ashamed of her gut reaction to kill him. Do you think she could really kill him, as she almost did? Why or why not?
13. Why is the moment with the berries an act of rebellion against the Capitol?
14. How we behave when we are placed into uncomfortable or terrible situations says a lot about our character. Which tributes showed humanity toward others, showed they had good character, in the arena? Which tributes gave in to cruelty and went along with the inhumanity of the Games? How did they show their true colors?
15. When the victors greet their mentor, escort, and stylist, why do they wear the same outfit they wore when they entered the arena? How might this be perceived by the Capitol audience?
16. What will happen next? Will Katniss and Peeta begin a relationship? How will Gale react? How will their lives change?
1. Peeta says that he doesn’t want to lose himself once the Games begin and that he wants to prove he’s not just a “piece in their Games.” What does he mean by this? He wants to prove what he is worth, that he is not an easy target.
2. What is the purpose of a district token? Can you think of any events in real life where people might bring a token with them? Explain. In medieval times people who went to war would have a symbol of there house/family on their shield
3. How will the Capitol and audience be able to locate the tributes in the arena? What does this remind you of? They could locate tributes by trackers, which were inserted into them before the games started,
4. How do you feel about Capitol residents touring the past arenas? How does it make Katniss feel? Can you think of places that people vacation to that might be similar to the Hunger Games arenas? Why do people visit them? Are we any different than the Capitol residents in this regard? Why or why not? It makes her feel like all they care about is their show and we are similar many people go to see the coliseum which was a gladiator arena in the time of the Roman Empire
5. Would you join an alliance or play the game on your own? Why? I would play on my own, as it is a fight to the death and you can’t trust anyone but yourself.
6. Where are the cameras? They aren’t visible to Katniss, therefore they aren’t visible to the readers. Where do you think they are hidden? Or are they so high-tech that they are invisible? Elaborate. I think that they are hidden in trees and in rocks as they are everywhere
Part II questions, continued
7. What is the Capitol’s attitude about living things? What about their creations, like the muttations? The Capitol people/government left the male jabberjays to die out and did not destroy the tracker jacker nests around the districts (only those near the Capitol). What does this say about the Capitol? they dont care about other people and animals life only for entertainment
8. Peeta aligns with the Careers and Katniss eventually aligns with Rue. What are the benefits of alliances? What are the downfalls? the benefits are strength in numbers but they could kill you while you sleep
9. How do the conditions in District 11 differ from those in District 12? Explain. I think that districts 11 have more food and more jobs so families always have income and food
10. Why doesn’t the Capitol want the viewers to learn about the other districts? How does it benefit the Capitol? They don’t want districts to learn about the other as it could begin an uprising
11. Why does Rue like mocking jays? Why does Katniss like mocking jays? How are the two girls similar to the bird? Because they can be used as a signal to other people as they copy each other and other animals
Part II questions, continued
12. Describe the Careers’ survival skills. In what ways are they superior to Katniss’s and the other tributes? In what ways are they lacking? They were lacking in common sense as if you saw smoke they should have only sent
13. What does the word “rue” mean? What does it mean to “rue the day”? How is this symbolic of the events at the end of part II? Rue means to regret so rue the day means regret the day, this is symbolic because as he killed rue he to was killed by Katniss
14. If Katniss had given Rue her knife when they separated, would things have turned out differently for Rue? Why or why not? Yes I think they could have as she could have released herself from the trap and made it back to Katniss before she was killed
15. Analyze the meadow song Katniss sings to Rue. She says it’s often sung to crying babies (think about “Rock-a-bye, Baby” or other lullabies). How does the song fit the moment? How does it relate to Rue? It fits the moment because it is meant to calm the person who it is being sung to. It relate to rue as Katniss doesn’t want her to cry and she wants her to go peacefully.
Part
2. Katniss is constantly thinking about how the audience is perceiving her, whereas Peeta (we think, anyway) just says what he feels. Why?
3. Why is Katniss willing to go to the feast to get the medicine for Peeta?
4. In order to go to the feast, Katniss must drug Peeta. Of course, we know it’s never a good idea to drug your friends. Is this an exception? Does it make that act morally acceptable? Why or why not.
5. Further discuss the moral dilemma Katniss faces with saving Peeta’s life with the phrase: “The end justifies the means.” She reasons that the means to get the medicine (knocking Peeta out) justifies the end result (saving his life). How do we use this reasoning in real life? Do lawmakers/politicians make decisions based on this? How? (Give examples.)
Part III questions, continued
6. Discuss the issue of “paybacks.” List examples of characters who feel as though they owed another character something.
7. Why do you think some characters (like Katniss and Thresh) feel as though they “owe” someone for kindness, and others (like Peeta) never expect “payment” for their kindness shown.
8. Katniss wonders if her family will stay at home to watch the feast or go to the town square, where it will be broadcast and certainly school will be canceled so people can view it live. Where do you think her mother and sister will watch it? What does it say about their society that it is not only mandatory viewing, but worthy of canceling school for? What sort of events do we cancel school for or have a holiday break? Does this reflect our community’s priorities? Why/why not?
9. What psychological impact could the wolf mutts have on a tribute? Why? Is this worse than the physical threat? Explain.
10. Why does Katniss wait so long to kill Cato? How does she feel when she finally does?
Part III questions, continued
11. Right before the rule change is announced Katniss is looking around for a stick for Peeta’s tourniquet and finds her arrow instead (page 342). We know why Katniss picks up the arrow, but the audience does not hear her thought process. From their viewpoint, what might it look like instead?
12. Katniss’s first reaction to the second rule change (which revokes the first rule change) is to shoot Peeta when she sees his hand grabbing the knife. When she realizes that he does not intend to defend himself or kill her, she feels ashamed of her gut reaction to kill him. Do you think she could really kill him, as she almost did? Why or why not?
13. Why is the moment with the berries an act of rebellion against the Capitol?
14. How we behave when we are placed into uncomfortable or terrible situations says a lot about our character. Which tributes showed humanity toward others, showed they had good character, in the arena? Which tributes gave in to cruelty and went along with the inhumanity of the Games? How did they show their true colors?
15. When the victors greet their mentor, escort, and stylist, why do they wear the same outfit they wore when they entered the arena? How might this be perceived by the Capitol audience?
16. What will happen next? Will Katniss and Peeta begin a relationship? How will Gale react? How will their lives change?