Narrator and point of view

The novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is narrated by a first-person narrator who is also the main character, Katniss Everdeen. The novel is narrated in present tense, which gives the impression that readers learn about the events that unfold at the same time that Katniss experiences them. It also means that the narrator has no knowledge of future events and only knows as much as the reader.

The narration is casual and conversational, following the narrator’s train of thought:

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. Today is the day of the reaping. (Ch...