Symbolism In Hunger (text analysis)

Author's Note: This is my text analysis piece, it is not an essay. I wrote about 3 symbols in the Hunger Games. The first paragraph and third paragraph relate to something in real life. 

In the book the Hunger Games, there are many different objects that the author uses to represent symbolism. For example the author uses 13 districts and each one represents something.  District 12, for example, is a coal mining community; District 11 is primarily agriculture and District 13 is the rebel region that the capitol obliterated during the “Dark Days,” to remind everyone that everyone in Panem must obey the power and rule of the Capitol. These 13 districts can be compared to the original 13 colonies in North America:  Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.  Similarly, these colonies were under the rule of the British Empire.

Another symbol that the author uses in the story is the mockingjay pin, worn by Katniss throughout the Hunger Games. This pin represents the free spirit Katniss portrays just like a Mockingjay. These birds are also a symbol of resistance and rebellion in the book.  Katniss gave the pin to her sister, Prim, to keep her safe hoping she would not get chosen to be part of the Hunger Games. When Prim was chosen to partake in the games, Katniss offered to take Prim’s place as a tribute and Prim returned the pin to her and whispered in her ear, “to keep you safe,” she said. This meant a lot to Katniss because she wanted to win for her sister, Prim.

The last symbol I found was “the double suicide.” Katniss realized that the only way she and Peeta may have a chance of both coming out alive, is to take the whole star-crossed lovers bit to its logical conclusion: tragedy. Like the doomed teenagers Romeo and Juliet, Peeta and Katniss decided not to fight each other to see who will win the Games, but instead to deny the Gamemakers any winner at all by downing some poisonous berries in a double suicide attempt. This symbol shows Katniss is a rebel and courageous, she will do anything to win with Peeta, and win for her sister.