6. The Hunger Games Analysis

I'm back! So now we're on schedule again.

Summary: After Katniss and Peeta made a sensation at the Opening Ceremonies, they have dinner to discuss strategy with Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and Portia. Katniss recognizes one of the servants. The adults are alarmed by this and tell Katniss she can't know the servant, an Avox (someone whose tongue has been cut out), because the Avox is probably a traitor. Peeta covers for Katniss by saying that the Avox looks like a girl from District 12 they know. Katniss and Peeta leave while the adults talk, and Peeta gets the story of how Katniss recognized the girl out. Katniss and Gale had been hunting when a boy and girl ran for their lives and were caught by a hovercraft. Katniss and Gale might have helped them, but didn't.

Dialogue: When they're at the dinner table and Katniss brings up that she knows the Avox, the conversation is straight-forward. Haymitch says, Effie says, not much frills involved. This keeps the story moving, because the words are more important than the actions at this point. We've already been situated in the fact that they're having a meal together. Whereas when Katniss has a conversation with Peeta later on, the way the two of them are interacting is important. Collins is sure to describe that Peeta is "conversational" as he mentions Gale and that Katniss is "observing" him. All of these descriptions to add to the dialogue gives a clearer understanding of their relationship.

World-building: Collins continually builds up the structure of this society, and in this case it's the Avoxes. This detail adds to how grotesque and brutal the Capitol is, even to its own citizens. She fleshes out the layers of their world through these people, who are not the Effie's and the prep teams like we've seen before.

Relationships: I think that this bit with Katniss and Peeta is important to start their involvement with each other. Peeta covers for Katniss, and in turn she tells him something a bit more personal. She's careful about deciding whether or not to share with Peeta, but it opens a way for her to at least see him as someone she can talk to. It's small, but it's an important development in the relationship they have.

What to learn in a nutshell: Keep conversation moving when the setting and people are established. But be sure to describe the characters and actions when it builds their personalities, situations, relationships, etc. Always be on the look-out to give perspectives of the world from all people's lives in the world. When building a new relationship, start with something small to make what grows out of it organic.

5. The Hunger Games Analysis

Summary: Katniss's prep team from the Capitol scrubs her down and rids her of body hair. Then she meets her stylist, Cinna, who is very much unlike the rest of the people in the Capitol. For the Opening Ceremony, she and Peeta are dressed in identical outfits of a black unitard, cape, and headdress, that are lit with a synthetic fire. Cinna instructs Katniss and Peeta to hold hands, and then they go out on a chariot to the Opening Ceremony. Their outfits make a sensation, and the people love them. They leave the ceremony and their outfits are extinguished. Peeta says something nice to Katniss, but instead of ignoring it, she plays along and kisses his cheek.

Description: The Capitol is a complete contrast to the Districts, and so the colors here are vibrant--aqua, pea green, purple, pearly white. Of course, if the entire book had been written with this much in it, it would have become overbearing. But in the introductory chapter on the Capitol, all of the colors mark the difference in the drab world we've been in before.

World building: Much to what the description attests to, the Capitol is a complete 180 from what we've seen before. What really strikes us, though, (or at least it strikes me) is when Katniss tries to figure out how she'd make the meal she's had in the Capitol at home. On top of that, Katniss is being beautified. When she's going to her death. And her prep team notes how awful she'd been coming in, and how much better they made her. Collins shows us firsthand how horrible this place is. Not only do they starve their people and force them to participate in the Games, they also expect beauty from the Districts.


Characters:

• The prep team: A bit more good-hearted than Effie, but still, very shallow and they don't have their heads screwed on straight. Not all that smart. Katniss doesn't meet many Capitol people, and so the prep team is crucial in completing the characters in the Capitol. While Effie is a good character to have, it's wrong to judge a society based on one member alone. They confirm the attitudes of the Capitol people.
• Cinna: He's a character that neither we nor Katniss were expecting. It's been hard for Katniss so far. She's literally had no break in the awful things happening. Cinna, however, is her one blessing so far. He really helps her make a sensation, which will help her in the Games.

What we can learn in a nutshell: When dealing with a duplicitous world, make details that will vividly portray their differences. Portray a society through their actions and people, but make them layered as well. Give a fair amount (but not too many) characters of a society to show their common norms and values. And as much as we're told to create more and more conflict for the MC (which we definitely should continue doing) it's okay to give them a hand once or twice--especially by creating a character the readers can love. Give the reader and the character hope. 

3. The Hunger Games Analysis

Summary: Katniss is given an hour to say good-bye to loved ones. Her mother and Prim come in, and she instructs them how they're to survive without her. Peeta's father comes in, doesn't say much, but gives Katniss cookies and promises to look after Prim. Madge (the mayor's daughter) comes in and gives Katniss a pin of a mockingjay--a bird that is a cross between a Capitol-bred "muttation" bird called the jabberjay and mockingbirds. Gale comes in lasts and encourages Katniss to win, and that he'll take care of her family. He wants to say something but gets pulled away. She and Peeta are then taken to the train to go to the Capitol. We discover that Haymitch's job is to aid them in getting help once they are in the arena.

World-building: We come to see in this chapter that the Games aren't just a punishment for the districts, they're also entertainment for the Capitol. The Capitol hated the year when there was no wood so the tributes mostly froze to death, because of all the bloodless deaths that didn't stir any excitement. Then also Katniss starts to talk strategies, about her own refusal to cry and her thoughts leaping to why Peeta is crying, if it is to make himself look like he isn't a threat. We also hear about the children who train to enter these games and their fierceness. This puts the Games in a whole new perspective, that it isn't just to be thrown in and go, it's thought out. Katniss will have a lot more challenges than we thought, and this also reflects back on the society that not only made these Games, but made them competition and entertainment like the Olympics are today.

Characters: 

• Katniss: In this chapter we get the first sign of Katniss having any type of rebellious streak in her. It's small, but when she eats her food with her fingers to annoy Effie, it gives us a sense of what type of behavior Katniss may have later. And despite her doubt that she can win, we see Katniss using strategy, trying to figure out others' strategies, and determining how she can best survive. We've observed her survival skills in the woods, and now we're really seeing her mind at work.
• Effie: She's our only Capitol character at the moment, and she's characterized as an epitome of what the Capitol is. She worries about her appearance when they watch the footage of the reaping again, and when they eat dinner she talks about how last year's tributes, two starving children, had eaten so sloppily it upset her digestion. Yes, when she was taking them to their death.
• Rue: Well, we don't know her name is Rue yet. But we're connected with her as the girl from District 11, who reminds Katniss of Prim. We don't even know her yet, but we sympathize for her because unlike Prim, no one steps up for her. She is who Prim could have been. 

Tension: In this chapter we learn that Haymitch, the drunk, will be Katniss's lifeline in the games. Now the odds just keep stacking up against Katniss. We may see how capable she is, but we've also seen how incapable Haymitch is. Now knowing that she has to rely on him has created more tension.

What we can learn in a nutshell: Foreshadow your character's traits that will be important later on. Make sure that readers can find a seed in them what they're meant to do in the future. Also, be sure that your character fits the story you've put them into. Don't forget when world-building to also set up the society's morals, feelings, manners, etc. into perspective for the reader. And of course, with the tension, throw more boulders at your characters. Make them rely on something or someone that will hold them down.

1. The Hunger Games Analysis

 The all-important first chapter. This is the make-or-break-it for agents, editors, and sometimes readers. Let's see how it went down in THG.

Summary: Katniss wakes up on the day of the reaping. She lives in District 12, filled with the poor and hungry. For food, she illegally crosses into the forest and meets her friend Gale. They fish and gather food, trade it, and make a trade with the mayor's daughter. Katniss goes home and readies herself while also comforting her little sister Prim about the reaping. The mayor reads the history of their country, Panem: after many disasters that ended the civilization of North America, the Capitol rose to power and controlled its thirteen districts. The districts tried to rebel against the Capitol. District 13 was obliterated and as punishment for the other twelve, every year they participate in The Hunger Games. Each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be put in an arena and fight to the death until the last one stands. District 12 has only had two winners in 74 years, one of which is still alive, a drunken Haymitch Abernathy. A woman from the Capitol, Effie Trinket, pulls out the name for the female tribute--Primrose Everdeen.

The Hook: Right when Katniss wakes up we can tell that this isn't a good situation: the bed is cold, Prim probably had bad dreams. Then we find out it's "the day of the reaping." But Collins doesn't tell us why it's bad. We can just feel that it is and wants to know about it.

Characters:

• Katniss: We know Katniss's character almost immediately. We recognize that she loves Prim: she describes her kindly, she feeds her, she protects her however she can. But she only sees things as what their value is to her. At first, she tried to drown the cat, Buttercup, only to be stopped by Prim, but does comfort herself by saying that Buttercup turned out to be a "mouser." She braves beyond the fence, she hunts, she keeps the family afloat. We recognize her as a hard character, but can see why she acts the way she does, which gains our sympathy. We also see that she's capable of love through Prim, which softens us to her.
• Prim: We see her as her tender-hearted, innocent self. She protects an ugly cat, she gives her sister and Gale cheese instead of selling it, compliments Katniss. But she's helpless. Katniss keeps her fed, she's scared for the reaping and shows it. Even we want to protect Prim.
• Gale: We see him first in a relaxed situation, joking with Katniss, calling her "Catnip." We learn he's keeping nearly twice the amount of people alive as Katniss is. Then, we see that he's hardened just as much as Katniss by their situation, and that he harbors greater resentment to the Capitol and probably would rebel if given the chance. Also, we have to wonder about that whole "there's nothing romantic with me and Gale" thing Katniss says.

World-building: We get a load of it in this chapter. We learn about District 12, the classes, the class struggle, and the officials. We learn about Panem's history, a bit about the Capitol, and everyday life in District 12. It might be an overload, but Collins succeeds in it through incorporating these details in the story. The details are precise about the setting and the people in that world, so that just enough is given to imagine it, but not slow enough to bore anyone. An incident will lead Katniss to explain to the reader what exactly is going on underneath the surface, like when Gale snips at Madge for not having as many entries in the reaping. As for the history of Panem, it only takes a page to explain. Katniss gives us the cold facts and no fluff.

Tension: This entire situation is just full of tension. Collins starts it off by not telling us what "the reaping" is, only implies its meaning through the district and the characters' attitudes that it's bad. Then, once she's established that both Katniss and Gale have a high chance of getting "reaped" we're more worried. When we find out exactly what The Hunger Games are, we're glued. When we find out that Prim is the one reaped, the one person Katniss actually loves, we have to go on to the next chapter.

What we can learn in a nutshell: Don't give everything to a reader all at once. Make the tone to tantalize the reader to continue on and find out what's going on. Meanwhile, give us a character to care about: someone strong, someone with weaknesses, someone who we can understand, someone who has something to fight for.

Come back Friday as I look at the second chapter!