The Hunger Games

Comprehension:

• Describe the place where Katniss lives. Where is it located and what is it like?

• What illegal activity does Katniss participate in? Why does she do this if it’s illegal?

• What is the Hob? Why does Katniss go there?

• Explain how the reaping system works and why it’s inherently unfair.

• What are the Hunger Games and what is their purpose?

• Discuss what happens at the reaping. Why is this unusual?

• What is the dynamic between Katniss and Peeta? Why does Katniss wish Peeta’s name hadn’t been chosen?

Analysis:

• “And who hasn’t broken the law? I could be shot on a daily basis for hunting, but the appetites of those in charge protect me.” What does this quote from Chapter 1 tell you about the citizens and the Peacekeepers in District Twelve?

• Explain the purpose of the flashback in Chapter 2. What does it tell you about the characters?

• What clues so far in the story indicate that Panem is a dystopian society?

Personal:

• What other stories does the setting of The Hunger Games remind you of? Share any books, movies, shows, or games that remind you of Panem or District Twelve.

Comprehension:

• Who comes to visit Katniss after the reaping? What does each person do or say to Katniss?

• What are Katniss’s instructions for her mother and Prim? How will Katniss’s mother and Prim survive when Katniss is away?

• Describe the relationship between Katniss and Gale. Give text evidence to support your answer.

• We learn more in Chapter 3 about the location of District Twelve and the Capitol. Where are they each located?

• What is a mockingjay? What is its meaning to Katniss and to the Capitol?

• Describe Haymitch. Who is he and what is he like?

• What advice does Haymitch give to Katniss and Peeta? How did they respond to his advice? What deal do

• they make?

Analysis:

• In Chapter 3, Katniss indicates that she doesn’t spend much time thinking about the history of Panem. Why doesn’t she care more? How does this attitude help the Capitol?

• “A kind Peeta Mellark is far more dangerous to me than an unkind one.” What does Katniss mean by this statement? What does that tell you about Katniss as a person?

• Explain the following metaphor used in Chapter 4: “The woods became our savior, and each day I went a bit farther into its arms.”

Personal

• On the journey to the Capitol, Katniss has access to luxuries that she’s never experienced before—car and train rides, a hot shower, orange juice, hot chocolate—but these are things that many of us take for granted. What is a simple “luxury” that you would want to share with someone who had never experienced it?