1. Bibliography

Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, 1st edition 2009


2. Story

Katniss Everdeen had survived the Hunger Games. But in doing so she lit the spark that could cause an uprising against the Capitol. Now the Capitol, and especially President Snow, hates her. After the Games she and Peeta, the other winner, make the Victory Tour through the 12 districts of Panem. In 11 they see the beginning of an uprising, but it is quickly knocked down. President Snow forces Katniss to continue to act as if she is madly in love with Peeta, because that was their way of surviving the arena. He threatens to kill all her loved ones if she doesn’t. He thinks this will stop the uprising, but it doesn’t. Then it is time for the next Hunger Games. The third Quarter Quell, the 57th Hunger Games. To celebrate this anniversary the Capitol announces that the tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of Victors. This means Katniss and Peeta have to go back to the arena for another Games. In the arena they team up with Finnick and Mags from district 4, Beetee and Wiress from district 3 and Johanna from 7. All their teammates protect them and Finnick and Johanna even save their lives. Katniss doesn’t understand why. Later it turns out there was a plan to get them all out. Katniss has to become the Mockingjay, a bird she wore as a token during the previous games, that has become a symbol of rebellion. Wiress and Mags both die in the arena. At the end of the games Beetee gives his life to destroy the force field that surrounds the arena so the others can be picked up by the rebels and be brought to a safe place. Something goes wrong and Peeta and Johanna are captured by the Capitol. Finnick and Katniss are safe for the moment.


3. Characters

The main character is Katniss Everdeen. She is a 17-year-old girl. She is very brave and clever, and she is a marvellous hunter. She is willing to give her life for Peeta in the Hunger Games. That proves her character. She is willing to do anything she can to protect her friends and family. Even die. When she goes to the Hunger Games she doesn’t expect to return. “Before my first Games, I promised Prim I would do everything I could to win, and now I’ve sworn to myself to do all I can to keep Peeta alive. I will never reverse this journey again.” (page 226)

“I’ll be dead in a day. And that’s the best-case scenario, if I’m able to eliminate the rest of the field, including myself, and get Peeta crowned as the winner of the Quarter Quell.” (page 428)

Katniss has a great influence on others. She is the Mockingjay, the symbol of rebellion. She is not really the leader, but many people listen to her. She does not change during the story, except that her influence on other people grows.


4. Time

The story is set in the future. I don’t know exactly how far in the future, but it must be at least a hundred years. These games are the third Quarter Quell, a special Hunger Games that takes place every twenty-five years. It is the 75th Hunger Games, and the Games take place every year. I don’t know how far in the future the first Games are, but it must be at least 25 years, though that is nothing but a guess. Together that makes a hundred years, though it could just as easily be 500.

In this book there isn’t really something that tells you how far in the future the story is set, but I think I remember it from the first book. However, even in this book it is clear that it is in the future, because there is much more and much better technology.

This is a very pessimistic future, because all the people in the districts are starving and terrified and every year 24 children are forced to fight to the death.


5. Place

A part of the story takes place in the Victor’s Village, the place where Katniss and her family live after she won the Games.

One third of the story, the most important part, is set in the arena.

There are several other places, like the woods and the other districts, but it is not really important for the story what those places look like, only what happens there.

The name of the country, Panem, comes from "Panem et circenses" which is Latin for "bread and games". According to a Latin poet, those are the two things a ruler has to give his people to keep them happy: food and entertainment. Suzanne Collins has used this as inspiration for the books.


6. Structure

The story is told in chronological order. There are some flashbacks, but not many. Forexample: ”On top of that, even back then, he was a skilled trapper. But it wasn’t enough to keep a family of five without Hazelle working her fingers to the bone on that washboard. In winter her hands got so red and cracked, they bled at the slightest provocation. Still would if it wasn’t for a salve my mother concocted.” (page 9)

The story begins in the middle, because it is the second part of a trilogy.

It has an open ending. It ends like this: ‘I recognize that voice. It’s the same one he uses to approach wounded animals before he delivers a death blow. I instinctively raise my hand to block his words but he catches it and holds on tightly. “don’t,” I whisper. But Gale is not one to keep secrets from me. “Katniss, there is no District Twelve.”’ (page 472)


7. Point of view

The book is written in the I-perspective. This is very important for the story, because that way you know exactly what Katniss thinks. Those thoughts are an important part of the story and they make you understand her decisions better.


8. Title/subtitle

The trilogy is called The Hunger Games because that is what it is all about and what the whole story started with. The subtitle, Catching Fire is because Katniss is ‘the girl on fire’. She brings the spark of revolution to the people and the Capitol tries to capture and kill her.


9. Dedication/Motto

This book is dedicated to the authors parents, Jane and Michael Collins, and her parents-in-law, Dixie and Charles Pryor.

There is no motto.


10. Theme/opinion

I think the author has written this story to tell us that we all have the power to change things if we want, but that sometimes, if we act without knowing everything, it can turn out that we were being used by others, become a part of something we did not intent to be part of or not in the way we had planned. This book shows you how hard it is to survive if you are not free to live your own life.

This book has a lot of action in it. It is very exciting. Sometimes things are described elaborately, but sometimes a lot of things happen in a short time. Then there is no time to describe everything. This is what makes this book so good.

Katniss seemed very real to me. I think that if I was in her situation I might do the same as she did. But I am not by far as good at improvising as she is. She is also very strong and has a sharp instinct. I don’t.

The most important symbol it the book is the Mockingjay. It represents rebellion against the Capitol.

The book was rather easy to read, even though there were many words I didn’t know. If I could not make out the meaning of the words by looking at the context, I looked them up and put them in my word file. It was very exciting. I simply could not put the book down. I had to keep reading.