The Hunger Games - Essay Example

The young characters have been depicted as heroes and heroines when some of them are seen reflecting on happier moments in the past, a good example being the main character, Katniss. This essay will critically analyze the book, giving a breakdown of the main ideas found in each of the chapters. In the first chapter, the author introduces Katniss Everdeen, the narrator and the main character. The teenage girl sets out on a gathering and hunting expedition with her friend Gale as they await for the reaping in the afternoon.

Katniss has been forced to take part in a fighting tournament against other teenagers. The government has forced children to fight each other to death on TV, the winner taking home prizes. The fights are usually broadcasted to the entire world. Katniss does not enjoy the fights, but she kills with a lot of professionalism and finesse, just to stay alive. From the story in the book, it can be analytically noted that the author has used Katniss to show a transformation from a difficult life to one where she experiences pleasure.

Katniss lived a life that was full of poverty and suffering. Due to her efforts in hunting and gathering, she used her skills to later enjoy her life by experiencing pleasures which she never knew of before. These pleasures include pretty clothes, food and warmth. However, it is important to note that the author has not in any way depicted sexual pleasure. This shows that the book is very chaste and non-erotic, making it very appropriate for its target audience, young adults (Grossman 1). The story also focuses on the life of a teenage girl who gets stung to death by a mutant swarm of hornets.

The author has used violence in a very hypnotic way, unlike other books on violence which tend to be very repellent. This is because violence has been used amidst a fairy tale, making the book very unique. The violence is not merely a cheap thrill. It is something deeper in the sense that the author condemns violence and the actions that take place in the arena but invites readers to enjoy the violence that has been narrated in the story (Sperling 1). ‘The Hunger Games’ exposes children readers to the violence against which society tries so hard to shield them.

The author uses this strategy to show adults that they should not forget their experiences as children. They wanted to enjoy the same things against which they are shielding the children. The author supports the fact that children are not stupid, and they are physical creatures. This makes them aware of the fact that violence raw emotions, power and violence exist. The author is really saddened by the fact that adults choose to pretend that these things are not in existence and that children should not know about them (Grossman 1).

The book is a bloody, horrifying and chilling one because of the violence depicted through the actions of the characters. The author shows a lot of bloodshed and ruthless killing, especially among children. The setting of ‘The Hunger Games’ is an unspecified time in the future, where such violence seems to be the order of the day (Grossman 1). This shows just how bad the author thinks things will be for humanity in the future. The world that the author has depicted is one whereby a ruling caste dominates the people.

In the story, this ruling caste lives in a city known as Capitol (Sperling 1). The rest of the vulnerable population that is being dominated by