Analysis

The novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins follows the story of Katniss, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, as she volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the cruel Hunger Games. The novel presents Katniss’s experience as she must fight to survive against 23 other teenagers while the residents of Panem watch the Games for their entertainment. 

In terms of structure, the novel is split into three parts of nine chapters each. The events unfold chronologically as Katniss experiences them, which allows for plot twists to shock readers. 

The main characters are Katniss and Peeta, the male tribute from District 12. Other key characters include Katniss’s mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, her escort, Effie Trinket, and her stylist, Cinna, who all try to improve Katniss’s chances of survival in the Games in different ways. 

The setting of the novel is a dystopian future society named Panem. Panem is located in what used to be known as the continent of North America, after natural disasters and wars reshaped the world. 

The story is told through the perspective of a first-person narrator who is also the main character, Katniss. Katniss confides her thoughts and feelings to readers, while keeping them hidden from everyone else. 

The novel features informal and conversational language and jargon specific to the world of Panem, which offers insight into the society Katniss lives in. The names of the characters are also often symbolic, revealing different information about them.