Power (President Snow)
One of the major themes of The Hunger Games is power. President Snow represents power because he is the president of Panem so he can tell everyone what to do. Nobody has a say because he rules over everyone. I think the Gamemakers also represent power because during the Hunger Games, they control everything. They can make it rain, storm, make the forest burst into flames, anything they feel like. One quote that supports this theme is "Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. 'Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you.'”
Humanity
Another big theme of The Hunger Games is humanity. Unlike most of the other tributes, Katniss was being humane because she wouldn't kill a tribute just for the fun of it. She killed two people while trying to save herself, one boy because he killed Rue, and Cato because she wanted him to stop suffering and die, so she and Peeta could go home. I think this is a good theme for this book because it is displayed all through the book. For example, Katniss was being humane when she bought Prim the goat, when she automatically didn't kill every tribute she saw in the arena, and when she stayed by Rue's side until she died.
Reality
The last theme is Reality. The Hunger Games is just like reality television. Only, instead of watching contestants lose weight, party, or marry strangers, they are watching innocent teenagers kill each other. For the fun of it. The Hunger Games is a form of punishment, from the Capitol. Ever since District 13 was destroyed, the Capitol has been hosting the Games to show every district who is really in charge. “There’s almost always some wood,” Gale says. “Since that year half of them died of cold. Not much entertainment in that.” It’s true. We spent one Hunger Games watching the players freeze to death at night. You could hardly see them because they were just huddled in ball and had no wood for fires or torches or anything. It was considered very anti-climactic in the Capitol, all those quiet bloodless deaths. Since then, there’s usually been wood to make fires.
What this quote is saying is that the Gamemakers didn't provide wood, so the Games were boring that year. The Gamemakers really try and make the Games as entertaining as possible, so each district will be entertained and have to suffer if their child died.
What this quote is saying is that the Gamemakers didn't provide wood, so the Games were boring that year. The Gamemakers really try and make the Games as entertaining as possible, so each district will be entertained and have to suffer if their child died.