Final Responce to the Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopia that has magnified modern day issues. The Hunger Games is so much more than the story of Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion she leads the nation of Panem in against the capital. The story projects what many people fear the future may bring us. It shows that we all fear things to come in the future and confronts us with the very real possibility that these things could happen.

The first place I saw modern day problems reflected in the book was when I found out that people that were born in certain districts could not move out of them and had to do the job assigned to that district. Katniss, the main female character, lives in District 12. In District 12, the only job is coal mining because District 12 exports coal. The idea of being limited not by how smart you are or how hard you are willing to work but by where you live is scary to me. The fact that women are destined to be housewives to coal miners and that that is all that they will ever be able to do is terrible, upsetting and just flat out wrong. Although defining people just by where they live is not a very big problem in America, I think that the issue of limiting or labeling people is magnified in this book. For example, I think some kids that grow up in bad neighborhoods may feel like they cannot do anything or be anyone. In many third world countries, women are treated poorly. Similarly in many of the poor districts of Panem women can not make a future for themselves and oppressed people have no future.

The next place I noticed modern day problems magnified in the book was when I learned that to keep the people of Panem in check the government holds annual Hunger Games, where they select a boy and girl from each districts and put them all in an arena to fight to the death. The last person left standing wins the game and great wealth for their district. I find it extremely scary to imagine a government that would kill teenagers and children so that they could make a point and scare people into listening to them. The Hunger Games are an extreme version of modern Capitol Punishment.

The last place that I noticed modern day problems reflected into the future was when I learned that Panem, a futuristic North America, is only 12 districts. Panem is only 12 districts because the rest of what used to be known as North America is mostly toxic wasteland or land that is unable to sustain life because it has been dug into and mined for fossil fuels and stripped of its resources, rendering it totally worthless. With all the nuclear development and factories producing toxic fluids and gases, almost two thirds of America were unable to sustain any form of life. This is something that scares me the most because we are completely aware of the consequences of toxic, nuclear and radioactive wastes, yet we continue to use nuclear wastes and fossil fuels and do not even properly dispose of them. We dump them into our oceans and parts of land polluting our wildlife and soon poisoning ourselves.

The Hunger Games is more then a story that keeps you interested. It makes you wonder what the future has in store for us if we do not make sure the government stays in balance, treat people fairly and humanely (regardless of their background), encourage people to achieve their potential and become more conscience about how the way we live affects our environment.

Extra Credit

Shakespeare Extra credit
William Shakespeare lived approximately 52 years. He was both born and died in April. During his life, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. Macbeth is one of the most popular plays. A performance begins approximately every four hours. Shakespeare’s plays have over 600 references to birds throughout all 37 of his plays. Shakespeare is said to be one of the greatest playwrights of all time.

In the 1600’s fashion had a lot to do with big lace or linen collars. Sleeves went from being very slim to quite big and puffy. Women wore dresses with floral patterned or jeweled bodices. Women wore full skirts with tight bodices. Upper class people wore their hair at collar length for men or put up for many women.

Hats with large brims were also very much in style. Men started to wear britches instead of hose in the 1600’s. Working class men and women in this time wore tall copatain hats. Men wore shirtwaists with britches. Some very fashionable men had one piece of hair called a “lovelock” over one of their shoulders.

Flat shoes were worn in England until about the 1610’s when a small lift (heel) became popular. Women’s stockings had patterns near the ankle, right where the shoe began. Many women’s shoes had decorative cloth pom-poms or flowers on top.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boots_and_Boot_Hose_1630s.jpg

Many men wore knee high turned down boots, made of many different types of leather.

Sonnet

Sonnet

The little boys eyes were deep blue like the sea
His hands were pale while, frail, wrinkled and small
He was alone with only a cracked cup for tea
He sat crumpled against a tall dirty wall

Men and women walk by without a look
He watches with envy as they ate rice
He stands and in his old book
A smile spreads from cheek to cheek, his face looks quite nice

His small dirty face looks so out of place
Watching and waiting looking down the lane
Passers by look at him like he is waste
He eyes the dogs locked up in chains

Another small boy comes over to say hi
And I am sad and want to day goodby

Reading Responce to the Hunger Games

Kate Macrae 814
The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopia that has magnified modern day issues. The Hunger Games is so much more then the story of Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion she leads the nation of Panem in against the capital. It is the story of what many people fear the future to bring us. It shows that we all fear things to come in the future and that there is a very real possibility that they will come true.

The first place I saw modern day problems reflected into the book was when I found out that people that were born in certain districts could not move out of them and had to do the job that the distracts were assigned. The distract Katniss lives in is 12. In 12 the only job is coal mining because distract 12 exports coal. The idea of being limited not by how smart you are or how hard you are willing to work but where you live, is scary to me. The fact that women are destined to be house wives to coal miners and that that is all they will ever be able to do is terrible, upsetting and just flat out wrong. This is not a big problem in America though I think some kids that grow up in bad neighborhoods feel like that can not do anything or be someone. In many third world countries women are treated like they are only good for having babies and like in many poor distracts of Panem do not receive the chance to make a future for themselves.

The next place I noticed modern day problems magnified in the book was when I learned that to keep the people of Panem in check they held an annual Hunger Games, where a boy and girl were selected from each distracts and put in an arena to fight to the death. The one left sanding would win the game and great wealth for their district. Something that is extremely scary is the idea that the government would kill teenagers and children so that they could make a point and scare people into listening to them. Though there is no one being killed to scare people in America there is many other places and our government does other things to scare us into acting the way they want.

The last place that I noticed modern day problems reflected into the future was when I learned that Panem is only 12 districts because the rest of the ruins of what used to be known as North America is mostly toxic waste land or land that has been mined and dug into for coal and oil that it is full of holes and totally worthless. With all the nuclear development and factories producing toxic fluids and gases almost two thirds of America and unable to sustain any form of life. This is something that scares me the most because we are completely aware of the consequences of toxic, nuclear and radioactive wastes, yet we continue to make things and dump them into our oceans and parts of land polluting our wildlife and soon poisoning ourselves.

The book is more then a story that keeps you interested. It is like seeing what the future has in store for us if we do not limit the power for people, make people know that no matter where the come from or who their parents were they can achieve anything and that not changing the way we treat our environment is going to get back at us soon.

Reding Responce

Kate Macrae 814
The Hunger Games, By: Suzanne Collins


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopia that has magnified modern day issues. The Hunger Games is so much more then the story of Katniss Everdeen and the rebellion she leads the nation of Panem in against the capital. It is the story of what many people fear the future to bring us. It shows that we all fear things to come in the future and that there is a very real possibility that they will come true.

The first place I saw modern day problems reflected into the book was when I found out that people that were born in certain districts could not move out of them and had to do the job that the distracts were assigned. The distract Katniss lives in is 12. In 12 the only job is coal mining because distract 12 exports coal. The idea of being limited not by how smart you are or how hard you are willing to work but where you live, is scary to me. The fact that women are destined to be house wives to coal miners and that that is all they will ever be able to do is terrible, upsetting and just flat out wrong. This is not a big problem in America though I think some kids that grow up in bad neighborhoods feel like that can not do anything or be someone. In many third world countries women are treated like they are only good for having babies and like in many poor distracts of Panem do not receive the chance to make a future for themselves.

The next place I noticed modern day problems magnified in the book was when I learned that to keep the people of Panem in check they held an annual Hunger Games, where a boy and girl were selected from each distracts and put in an arena to fight to the death. The one left sanding would win the game and great wealth for their district. Something that is extremely scary is the idea that the government would kill teenagers and children so that they could make a point and scare people into listening to them. Though there is no one being killed to scare people in America there is many other places and our government does other things to scare us into acting the way they want.

The last place that I noticed modern day problems reflected into the future was when I learned that Panem is only 12 districts because the rest of the ruins of what used to be known as North America is mostly toxic waste land or land that has been mined and dug into for coal and oil that it is full of holes and totally worthless. With all the nuclear development and factories producing toxic fluids and gases almost two thirds of America and unable to sustain any form of life. This is something that scares me the most because we are completely aware of the consequences of toxic, nuclear and radioactive wastes, yet we continue to make things and dump them into our oceans and parts of land polluting our wildlife and soon poisoning ourselves.

The book has vivid descriptions of landscape and adventure, describing things down to a leaf on a tree, or a strand of hair on an opponents head, making the book come alive in your mind. You are there with Katniss in the arena, struggling to survive. You feel what she feels and pant along with her after she has run a long distance. The book is more then a story that keeps you interested. It is like seeing what the future has in store for us if we do not limit the power for people, make people know that no matter where the come from or who their parents were they can achieve anything and that not changing the way we treat our environment is going to get back at us soon. This book though not challenging is a book that makes me think and challenges me in other ways then reading skills. With this book I am looking at symbolism and trying to find a deeper meaning for just ordinary things.