Marez 1

DaisyMarez
ProfessorMarsh
English114B
May11,2016
TheGreekbehindTheHungerGames
Inthenovel,TheHungerGamesbySuzanneCollins,themaincharacter,
KatnissEverdeenisarebelliousgirlthatcomesfromapoorfamilythatlivesin
District12.Thisdistrictwasoneofthesmallestandpoorestdistrictsintheirnation
whichwascalledPanem.ThiswordcomesfromaLatinphrase,Panemet
Circenses,whichtranslatestoBreadandCircuses.IntheRomanEmpire,bread
andcircuseswasawaythattheybelievedfoodandentertainmentwouldkeepthe
publicfromcausingriots.Theywouldgiveoutfreebreadandofferedpublicbaths,
chariotraces,gladiators,andexoticanimals.Thiswasapoliticalstrategythe
Emperorswoulduseinordertogainpoliticalpowerandkeepthepublicentertained.
TheGamesthattheCapitolholdseveryyearserveasentertainmentaswell,butalso
publiclydemonstrateitspoweroverthedistricts.TheHungerGamesareeverybitas
brutalandinventiveasthegladiatorialgames(Slager).ThisrelatestoTheHunger
GamesbecauseinPanem,thisannualtraditionwasawaytokeeptherichentertained.
Bothhadtheuseofpeoplefightingtilltheirdeathsanditwasperfectlynormal.
TheHungerGamesfirstbeginswithchoosingtworandomteenagers(oneboy
andgirl)fromeachdistrictthatwillfighttotheirdeathuntiloneremains.Oncethey

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arechosen,theygothroughtheprocessofgettingacompletemakeoverandtraining
tokillandlearnhowtousetheirskillstosurvive.Eventually,oncetheyarereadyto
fight,theygetsenttothearenawheremillionsarewatchingfromatelevisionscreen
allthroughoutPanemasawayofentertainmenttothem.Thistypeofentertainment
wasquitesimilartotheGreekmythofTheseusandtheMinotaur.Theseuswasa
youngprincewholivedinAthensandwasthesonofKingMinos.TheAthenianking
sentTheseustofightadangerousbull.WhenTheseusdied,thekingbecameangry
andforcedtheAthenianstosendatributeoffourteenpeople,sevengirlsandseven
boystofightthisferociousMinotaurwhiletheyweretrappedinalabyrinth.This
storywasamajorinfluenceastohowthisnovelwascreated.Katniss,beingbrave,
volunteeredastributeinsteadofheryoungersister,PrimEverdeen,whowasthe
originaltribute.Thisshowshowstrongandcourageousshereallyis.Theseusdidthe
sameexactthingandvolunteeredtoreplaceoneofthetributestokilltheMinotaur.
Fearlessnessisshowninboththesecharacters.Iwasabletorealizethatinthenovel,
Katnissalwaysputsherfamilyfirstinordertomakesurethatthehersisterandmom
wouldbesafe.Shehadtotakethespotofherfatherandbecomethesoleprovider
oncehehaddiedinanexplosion.
Thisdystopiansocietyhasmuchadvancedtechnologythatwasused
throughoutthenovelandmostimportantlytheactualHungerGames.Duringthe
games,manyarewatchingespeciallytheCapitol.Therearepeoplethatarecalledthe
gamemakerswhocancontrolwhathappensinthearenaandwatcheverytributes
move.TherearecameraseverywhereandthatishowallofPanemwatchesthe

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killings.Inonepartofthenovel,theheadgamemakerwantedtomakeitmore
entertainingsohedecidestoaddgeneticallyaltereddogsatthefinalofthegames.
ThisisreminiscentoftheRomanEmpire'suseofanimalslikelions,tigersand
elephantstoprovideentertainmenttoitscitizens.Thistypeofsocietywithtechnology
asadvancedlikethiscanberelatedtothenovel,1984.Inthisnovelthegovernment
hadthecitizenslivingwithverystrictrules.Theyhadverylittlefreedomandthe
innerpartycontrolledalltheircommunication,personalbeliefsandloyaltyin
differentways.Thoughtandspeechwereallmonitoredandwerewatchedthrough
televisionscreens.Basically,thesecitizenswerenotallowedtoeventhinkhowever
theywanted.Itwasasocietywherethegovernmenthadfullcontrol.JustlikeinThe
HungerGames,theyhadnochoice;iftheywerechosenastribute,theywereforced
togooutandfightfortheirlives.Thegovernmenthadthepowertodothat.
Asthenovelgoeson,Katnissusesherskillstosurvivethesegames.Onething
Katnisswasknownforwashowamazingshewaswhenitcametoshootingwithher
specialbowandarrow.Thiswasoneofherskillsshewoulduseinordertohuntfor
foodforherandherfamilybeforesheevenenteredtheHungerGames.TheRoman
Goddess,PrincessDianawasfrequentlyassociatedwithdeerhuntingandtheimagery
ofherissimilartotheimageryofKatniss.PrincessDianawasalsoachastegoddess.
ShewaspureandvirtuousandKatnissshowsunwillingnesstoseekaromancewith
PeetaMalarkevenwhenheradvisor,Haymitch,tellshertopretendtheyareinlovein
ordertowinpatronsthatcansendthemitemstosurviveduringthegames.When
PeetagotinterviewedinfrontofPanem,hespilledouthistruefeelingsforKatniss

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andhowmuchhewasreallyinlovewithher.KatnissgotfuriousatPeetabecauseof
that.Shefeltlikeitmadeherlookweak.Thisreflectsherindependencefrommen
andthefemalewarriorshereallywas.
Therewasachangeinherthoughoncesherealizedallthetributesweredead
anditwasjustherandPeetaleftinthearena.AndwhileIwastalking,theideaof
actuallylosingPeetahitmeagainandIrealizedhowmuchIdontwanthimto
die(293).TherewasascenewherePeetastartstoapologizeforneverhelping
Katnisswhenshewasdyingofstarvationbackhome.Katnisstellshimtostoptalking
andcaterstohim.Shestartsshowingheraffectionatesideforhimtothecameras.
Ratherthankillingeachothersincetheywerethelastonesstanding,theybothdecide
theywerebothgoingtoeatpoisonberriesanddietogether.Thiscausesfearand
confusionallthroughoutPanemespeciallythegamemaker.Rightbeforetheywere
abouttoeattheberries,thegamemakerstopsthemandannouncesthetwowinners
forthefirsttimeinhistory.Thesceneofthemwillingtodietogethercanconnect
withthefamousstarcrossedloversknownasRomeoandJuliet.Theirstoryrelates
toKatnissandPeetanotlivingwithouteachother.InorderforJuliettomarryRomeo
andrunawaywithhim,shehadtopretendthatshewasdeadsoherfamilycanthink
shewasdead.OnceshewasdeadRomeothoughtitwasrealandhebecomes
devastatedanddrinksthepotionhimselfknowingthathisloverisburied.Not
knowingshewouldwakeup,JulietseesthatRomeodiedandshethenusesadagger
tostabherself.ThesetwowouldnotlivewithouteachotherandjustlikeKatnissand
Peeta,theywerealsocalledstarcrossedlovers.

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SuzanneCollinsalsosharedwithushowherfatherwascareerAirForceanda
militaryspecialist.HewasgoneforayearinVietnamforthewar.Hisexperience
fightingwasamaininspirationforCollinstousethatasamoodthroughoutthenovel.
Intheend,KatnissletsPeetaknowthatshewishesshecouldforgetthehorrorofThe
HungerGamesjustbecauseitmentallyaffectedher.Theemotionaldistanceand
doubtfulnesstowardothersthatshehadaretypicalfeelingsforwarveterans.
Further,whenTVhostCaesarFlickermanplaysascenefromapriorHungerGames,
itshowsanoutdoor"arena"thatresemblesabombedoutcity,withthefightinginit
appearingmuchliketheurbancombatoftheIraqWar(Murty).Theafteraffectsof
fightinginwarwerejustthesamewithKatniss.
Overall,TheHungerGameswasanovelthathadmanythemesthatwere
relatabletoGreekmyths,goddesses,reallifetragedies,andtheRomanEmpire.Itwas
notjustaboutadystopiansociety.Itwasabouttheactualreasonsbehindthenationof
Panemandwhyitwasactuallygovernedinthiscertainway.Behindtheactionand
crazinessthatgoesoninthenovel,thereisaromanceaswellbetweenthemain
characters.Iwouldsaythattheromanceiswhatkeepsthecuriositygoingafterthe
factthatweknowtheybothsurvivedTheHungerGames.Whatwouldhappennext
betweenKatnissandPeeta?

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WorksCited
Collins,Suzanne.TheHungerGames.NewYork:Scholastic,2008.Print.
Murty,Govindini.DecodingtheInfluencesin'HungerGames,'From'Spartacus'to
'Survivor'.www.

theatlantic.com.March26,2012.Web
Slager,Carrie.TheHungerGamesandAncientRome.Themadreviewer.com.March
10,2012.Web