The Hunger Games - Book Report/Review Example

Theme Analysis Apparently, the overriding theme of The Hunger Games is ‘hunger’. But this paper argues that the concept of ‘hunger’ does not capture the real struggles that people outside Capitol of Panem endure. The expression ‘starved to death’ is a more accurate description of the book’s theme than ‘hunger’. This description, “On the table, under a wooden bowl to protect it from hungry rates and cats alike, sits a perfect little goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves” (Collins 5), shows how extremely valuable is a piece of cheese to these people.

It reveals the level of starvation suffered by them and the serious steps they will take to protect that morsel of food from sneaky thieves. Here, food is painfully limited, making food a weapon and a source of power. Food is held back from everybody, and then given to those who successfully killed other human beings in the Games. Because life is the price for a crumb of food, life becomes the cost of protecting it. Bluntly, Katniss reveals to the readers that her mother “sat by, blank and unreachable, while her children turned to skin and bones” (Collins 9).

Such depiction intensely shows that starvation is core reality in the story. Indeed, starvation and other terrible things are quite severe for folks in District 12 that Katniss herself was discouraged to bear any children in the future. The Hunger Games graphically portrays its theme of starvation by illustrating how children endure excessive hunger and how they choose to satisfy their empty stomach. Discussion Question:Does starvation as a theme in The Hunger Games a realistic depiction of the actual gap between the haves and have-nots, or, poor and rich countries across the globe?

Work CitedCollins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games, Volume 1. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2009. Print.