The Hunger Games: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Hunger Games: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complex personalities and relationships of the characters within the dystopian world of Panem. Central to the narrative is Katniss Everdeen, a resourceful and determined heroine who volunteers in place of her sister at the Hunger Games, showcasing her fierce loyalty and survival instincts. Alongside her is Peeta Mellark, a compassionate yet vulnerable tribute whose deep feelings for Katniss drive much of the emotional tension. The analysis also highlights Gale Hawthorne, Katniss's close friend, who embodies a more militant approach to resistance against the Capitol's oppression.
Other significant characters include the cunning and caring Cinna, who supports Katniss through his creative styling, and President Snow, the ruthless leader of Panem, who uses fear to maintain control. The text explores the moral complexities and transformations of characters like President Alma Coin, whose authoritarian tendencies become apparent as the story unfolds. Additionally, tributes like Rue and Thresh exemplify the themes of compassion and loyalty amidst the brutality of the Games. Overall, the character analysis offers insights into how these interactions shape the broader themes of rebellion, sacrifice, and the consequences of power in the narrative.
The Hunger Games: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Suzanne Collins
First published: The Hunger Games, 2008; Catching Fire, 2009; Mockingjay, 2010
Genre: Novel
Locale: The fictional North American nation of Panem
Plot: Dystopian
Time: An unspecified future
Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from District 12 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games and a rebel fighter. Katniss is a cunning hero. She has olive skin, black hair, and gray eyes. She enjoys hunting in the woods with her childhood friend Gale, who nicknames her Catnip. Katniss is devoted to her family, and after a mining explosion killed her father when she was eleven, she became the main provider for her mother and her younger sister, Prim. She forages for food and provisions in order to sustain her family. When Katniss is sixteen years old, her younger sister is selected as a tribute for the deadly Hunger Games, and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss's street smarts and archery skills empower her to triumph over the other tributes she faces in the Games, even the “Career” tributes who have trained most their lives for the event. Though she values sincerity in others, she is capable of putting on a performance for the cameras when it is in her best interest. She knows what any given situation demands of her. Unafraid to use violence to fight oppression, she uses her talents to aid the rebel cause aimed at dismantling the oppressive dictatorship that rules Panem. She has a keen eye for injustice and is critical of oppressive power structures. When she realizes that the rebels are misguided and heading toward establishing a new dictatorship, she thinks for herself and turns against their leader, President Coin.
Peeta Mellark, a male tribute from District 12 and the son of a baker. He fights alongside Katniss in the Seventy-Fourth and Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. He is of average height but strong, with ash-blond hair. He is deeply generous and caring, which he displays to Katniss by providing her with loaves of bread at a time when she and her family are starving. More timid than Katniss, he has harbored feelings for her since they were five years old. He is artistic and dependable but is prone to accidents and requires support from Katniss and those around him. After sustaining a serious wound in the Hunger Games, Peeta is left with a prosthetic leg, which slows him down greatly. When he learns that Katniss, who knows that he is infatuated with her, pretended to return his feelings, he is deeply hurt and slow to forgive. Still, he is loyal to Katniss and eventually his feelings are reciprocated. His relationship with Katniss often makes him vulnerable to his enemy, as when he is kidnapped and psychologically tortured by the Capitol as a way of manipulating her. Many years after the war has ended, he and Katniss have two children together.
Gale Hawthorne, Katniss's best friend. He has been close with Katniss since they were teenagers. His father died in the same explosion that killed hers. He also lives in poverty in District 12. He has the same physical appearance as Katniss, including the olive skin, straight black hair, and gray eyes. He is attractive and can easily win the affection of most women. In their youth, Katniss and Gale hunted together daily and discussed the political climate of Panem. As he ages, he grows to be even more political and rallies against the oppressive actions of the Capitol. He is in favor of using war tactics that have been deemed inhumane in order to attack his enemies. A turning point in his relationship with Katniss comes after he designs a weapon that is most likely responsible for the deaths of dozens of rebel fighters and innocent civilians.
Primrose “Prim” Everdeen, Katniss's sister. Prim is much gentler and younger than her sister, which is why Katniss volunteers to replace her as District 12's female tribute for the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. Compassionate and intuitive, Prim takes care of her pet animals and grows to become a healer for the rebel District 13.
Haymitch Abernathy, the mentor of Katniss and Peeta in the Seventy-Fourth and Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. He is the victor of the Fiftieth Hunger Games and one of the few champions to hail from the impoverished District 12. As a means of repressing the horrible memories he has of his experiences in the Games, he turns to alcohol and is often extremely drunk. When he is named Katniss and Peeta's mentor, they feel they are at a disadvantage due to his slovenly behavior and alcoholism. After the two young tributes urge him to take his mentorship seriously, his character changes dramatically and he dedicates himself to their cause. Knowing the Games inside and out, he is a strategic mentor to his tributes and on point with all his advice. The gifts he purchases to send Katniss in the Hunger Games arena always arrive at the perfect time. After the rebellion, he returns to District 12 and resumes his drinking habit.
Plutarch Heavensbee, the newly appointed head game-maker who is charged with designing and controlling the arena for the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. Although he is working for the Capitol, he is secretly a rebel organizer and deeply involved in the underground rebellion. Upon meeting Katniss at President Snow's manor, he attempts to give her a clue about the arena that will aid her in the upcoming Games. He covertly plans the escape of Katniss and the other tributes from the Games, but he must keep his political views and plans secret to protect the rebel cause.
President Coriolanus Snow, the president of Panem. He uses scare tactics and brute military strength to achieve his power-hungry goals. From the beginning of his relationship with Katniss, he threatens to hurt her family and friends in order to keep her subservient to him. Not only does he order the imprisonment and torture of Peeta as a way to manipulate Katniss, he uses more subtle control mechanisms to remind Katniss that she is always being watched, like leaving his trademark, a white rose, at the site of her destroyed childhood home.
President Alma Coin, the president of rebel District 13. She is believed to have authorized the second wave of attacks on the Capitol, which would make her responsible for the deaths of countless children and members of the rebellion, including Prim. At one point, she appeared to be a promising leader, though her style changes and it becomes increasingly apparent that she will rule like a dictator. When Katniss learns her true intentions, she shoots and kills Coin with an arrow.
Cinna, the Hunger Games stylist for Katniss. Cinna is approachable and very caring. He has casually short hair and dresses modestly, even though the clothes he designs are quite edgy and provocative. Always rooting for the under-dog, he asked specifically to work with the District 12 tributes, who are typically the least favored to win the Games. He dresses Katniss in a manner that wins the audience's favor immediately. He is killed during a government interrogation due to his ties to Katniss and the rebel cause.
Rue, the female tribute of the Seventy-Fourth Hungers Games from District 11. She has dark skin and dark eyes. She is greatly disadvantaged in the Games because she is quite small and weak, but her rich knowledge of botany and her familiarity with the woods helps her survive longer than anyone expects. A very kind person, she aids Katniss by showing her the wasp nest that Katniss uses to kill two Career tributes. After Rue is killed by one of the Career tributes, Katniss covers her body with flowers as an act of defiance against the Games and the Capitol.
Cato, the leader of the Career tributes in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. He is the expected winner. He hails from District 2 and has trained for the Games his entire life. Ruthless and strong, he was bred to kill and volunteers himself for the Games. He succeeds in defeating numerous tributes. In the end, he fails to conquer the combined force of Katniss and Peeta.
Foxface, the female tribute from District 5 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. Her elusiveness and fox-like features win her the nickname Foxface from Katniss; her real name is unknown. She has the sly cunning nature of a fox as well. She makes it far into the Games but dies when she accidentally eats poisonous berries.
Thresh, the male tribute from District 11 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. He is known for his resourcefulness and raw strength. Coming from the same district of Rue, he spares Katniss's life to honor her alliance with Rue. He is one of the final five survivors in the Games, but he ultimately dies in the arena.
Clove, the female tribute from District 2 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. As one of the Career tributes, she is quick with a knife. Of all the tributes, she is the only one to get close to killing Katniss. She is killed by Thresh after he overhears her mocking Rue's death in front of Katniss.
Glimmer, the female tribute from District 1 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. One of the Career tributes, she is notably attractive. She is killed along with another Career tribute when Katniss drops a nest of wasps on them.
Marvel, the male tribute from District 1 in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. He is intimidating with his brute strength and training, and he successfully kills a tribute early on with a spear. He also kills Rue. He is Katniss's first direct kill: she shoots him in the throat with one of her arrows, recently stolen from the dead body of a Career tribute.
Finnick Odair, the male tribute from District 4 in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games and a rebel fighter. The victor of the Sixty-Fifth Games, he was one of the youngest champions in the history of the Games. Not only is he incredibly athletic and a talented fighter, but he is remarkably beautiful with green eyes, bronze hair, and perfect skin. He goes out of his way to win Katniss over, but his near-perfection makes her hesitant to trust him. Madly in love with Annie Cresta, he is subjected to psychological torture when a recording of her screaming is played for him in the arena. He is an essential ally to Katniss in the Games and turns out to be an undercover rebel fighter. Wholeheartedly dedicated to the rebel cause no matter the cost, he is killed during a mission to assassinate President Snow.
Annie Cresta, the victor of the Seventieth Hunger Games. She won the Games when a massive flood drowned all of the other tributes. As a talented swimmer with remarkable endurance, she survived in the water for the longest time. However, the sight of her district partner being beheaded in the arena drives her nearly insane. She is the love interest of Finnick Odair and is abducted by the Capitol as a prisoner. She marries Finnick upon her release. After Finnick is killed on a mission, she gives birth to their son.
Johanna Mason, the female tribute from District 7 in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. Still young, she was crowned victor of the Seventy-First Hunger Games. She won by tricking her competitors into leaving her alone by acting like a weakling until the later rounds, when she revealed her true skills as a vicious fighter. For her exhibitionism and other reasons, Katniss does not trust her and finds her difficult to read. Her loyalty lies in the rebel cause first and foremost. She is secretly aligned with them and helps Katniss only as part of the rebel mission.
Beetee, the male tribute from District 3 in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. Older and fidgety, he is the victor of the Thirty-Fifth Hunger Games. He is extremely warm to Katniss, exhibiting sincere friendliness. Despite not being very strong, he uses his intelligence to develop an ingenious plan involving a conductive wire to help his allies in the Games. After escaping from the arena during the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, he relocates to District 13 and designs weapons for the rebel cause.
Mags, the female tribute from District 4 in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. She is the former victor of the Ninth Hunger Games and is now around eighty years old. Volunteering for the Games in place of Annie Cresta, she quickly wins Katniss's favor due to her warmth and her agile hands. She dies early on in the Games when the group tries to escape toxic gas.
Wiress, the female tribute from District 3 in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. She was the former victor of the Thirty-Eighth Hunger Games. She comes from the same district as Beetee. Like Beetee, she is very efficient at problem solving. She is the first to figure out the clocklike layout of the arena in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, but she dies when the male tribute from District 1 slits her throat. It is later revealed that she was a member of the alliance attempting to rescue Katniss and Peeta from the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games.
Mrs. Everdeen, the mother of Katniss and Prim. Although she is very compassionate, she is not as strong willed as Katniss would hope for her to be. She is a healer and cares for the injured during the fighting in Panem.
Mr. Everdeen, the father of Katniss and Prim, who was killed during Katniss's childhood in a mining accident. Katniss's memory of him is the source of much inspiration for how best to overcome her foes in the Games.
Caesar Flickerman, the host for the Games. He has served the Games as the interviewer for decades. With the help of stylists and makeup, he has maintained an unchanging appearance except for the color of his hair. He is very animated and succeeds at making his guests feel comfortable.
Madge Undersee, the daughter of the mayor of District 12 and Katniss's childhood friend. Unaware of her class privilege, Madge looks forward to the Hunger Games given there is little chance of her being selected. When Katniss volunteers as the female tribute, however, Madge gifts her with a golden mockingjay pin that Katniss wears throughout the Games. Madge and her family are killed during the bombing of District 12 by the Capitol.
Effie Trinket, the escort of District 12 tributes. Sent by the Capitol, she selects the names of the District 12 tributes out of two large glass bowls in the town square, one for the boys and one for the girls. She has a bright and chipper personality, in direct contrast to her grim job, and she wears bold clothing and oddly colored wigs in the style of the Capitol elite. She accompanies Katniss and Peeta on their train ride to the Capitol.