Zak Turner- The hunger games

"The Hunger Games"

Zak Turner

Our story takes place some time in the future in the country of Panem, formerly known as the continent of North America. Katniss Everdeen (whose point of view the story is told from) is hunting in the forest with fellow rebel and childhood best friend, Gale. Just by stepping out of her designated district's boundaries, Katniss risks a lot. You see, North America of the Hunger games is not the North America of today, where freedoms and basic human rights has come to be expected, at least in the United States. Katniss and Gale live in one of the 12 districts in Panem, the name of there particular district being, district 12. However this isn't the regular, illegal hunt in the woods, in the blind spots of the Government mandated cameras, for Katniss and Gale. This is there last hunt before the selection ceremony of the "Hunger Games".

 

The Hunger Games is a propaganda tactic that the government of Panem (commonly referred to as District 1 or the Capitol) uses as an annual reminder of the war of District 13 vs. the Capitol. The war begun when protests arose  in District 13  because of the over baring ways of the Capitol. Everyone in the district was killed as a result of the protests and was used to send a message to many of the other mistreated, poor districts in Panem,(such as District 12) as in "don't even think about it". The Hunger Games  consists of a girl and a boy between the age of 12 and 18 for each district. The contestants or "tributes" are essentially picked out of a hat, board the next train to the game's arena, and spend the next couple weeks of there life in a violent, terrifying, televised (and glorified) battle to the death. Winners bring pride and wealth to there district, and are treated like celebrities amongst the ruins of there vanquished peers.  In richer districts such as 1,2 or 3, competing is an honor while in poorer districts, a death sentence.

 

As Katniss and Gale finish up their hunt and their criticism towards the Capitol and their glorification at the loss of 23 lives, they must make there way back to there respective homes to prepare for the selection process of the Hunger Games. When  Katniss returns home she reassures her little sister, Prim, that it is only her first year of eligibility for the games and that they rarely pick "first years". After the two sisters have finished preparing, they walk alongside there mother where they are later lead to lineup on the girls side of kids who are eligible to compete. After a short video shown by the Capitol about the "unavoidable" tragedy in district 13 the drawings begin. Form the boys: Peeta Mallark. From the girls: Prim Everdeen. After a loud protest put up by Katniss, she ends up volunteering in place of her little sister. before Katniss departs for her first and most likely last time, she gets a quick 3 minute goodbye to her family.  As she boards the train she meets her co-hoard, Peeta and her mentor, Haymitch A.K.A the first and last person from district 12 to win the Hunger Games. After a parade of all the tributes takes place in he capitol, some training and a little bit of schmoozing the games have begun.

 

For Katniss, from he moment she touches ground in the arena, she is in an already hopeless situation. She is a scrawny girl (but gifted archer) competing against bigger stronger kids, many of whom have been training for this moment there entire life. AT the end of day one there are 11 deaths, none of which are Katniss, however with little food or  water death cannot be that far away. Katniss eventually takes shelter at the top of a near by tree only to be discovered by a group of tributes who have formed an alliance, one of which is none other than her fellow district-man, Peeta Mallark. Miraculously, Katniss manages to narrowly escape death by dumping a hive of genetically mutated wasps or "Tracker Jackers", on the band of tributes. Over the next couple of weeks, Katniss faces many obstacles such as fires, Tracker Jacker wounds and near starvation, while still managing to make a few friends on the way. She finds a little girl from district 11 named Rue, who she quickly befriends and is described to have reminded Katniss of her own little sister. The friendship does not last very long as Rue is later killed. One by one the tributes die off  and it is down to the final four when there is a major rule change in the middle of the games...

 

The rule explains that instead of the traditional one winner, if 2 tributes remain but are from the same district they may both walk out of the arena as winners, Katniss instinctively goes to find Peeta, and does so successfully while Peeta explains that he never intended to hurt Katniss, back with his original alliance. After Katniss aides Peeta in healing his wound, they spend the next few days hiding out in a cave while they fake a loves story (in order to gain the sympathy of sponsors, who may send them food, medicine or other supplies). Later, a proposal is made that the remaining tributes may retrieve supplies that they need in the center of the arena. Katniss and Peeta find themselves in the midst of a winner take-all battle vs. the now only other remaining tribute, Cato of district 2. Katniss uses her superb archery skills and kills Cato with Peeta and her the only remaining tributes who are now waiting for the victory music to start playing until...the speaker comes on  again and informs Peeta and Katniss that there has been another rule change and there can only be one winner now. In an act of defiance against the Capitol, Peeta and Katniss prepare to simultaneously eat a batch of poison berries, until they are once again interrupted and told that they are both winners.

 

The victory music plays throughout the arena and the 2 victors accomplished the impossible by returning home, however they cannot begin to process what this act of defiance against the Capitol will lead to, but for the time being they know, they're safe for the first time in a long time.