The trilogy of "The Hunger Games" is part of a future time period, which is not defined. The geographical basis is the destruction of the current countries of North America.
Has been formed a country that goes by the name of “Panem", Made up of a Capitol, the seat of power, located in what were the Rocky Mountains, and twelve (previously thirteen) districts that surround it.
On one side are the poorest districts, serving the needs of the Capitol, on the other the richest, full of privileges, which are the most favored.
The last district (number thirteen) instigated a rebellion against the Capitol, which ended with the destruction of the district and the defeat of the remaining twelve.
The punishment for this rebellion is that each year a boy and a girl from each of the twelve remaining districts, between twelve and eighteen years of age, are selected by lottery and required to participate in The Hunger Games.
These games are televised for all of Panem. The participants (who are called “tributes”), have to fight to the death in an open-air stadium called "The Arena" until only one winner remains.
The winning tribute and its corresponding district will receive prizes in great wealth and amounts of food. But this only in theory.
The "Hunger Games" books
It is three books, a trilogy. Each of the books has 27 chapters and is divided into 3 sections, of 9 chapters each. Suzanne Collins wrote this trilogy of novels for a young audience.
The author stated that she would take this format from her own plays, which taught her writing in three acts.
The division of the Hunger Games books into groups of nine chapters forms a kind of spaces that seem to separate from the main plot. Collins calls the divisions "performance leaps."
As for the success of the novels, all three books had a good market entry. The ability of the first book to generate addiction to the series has been praised.
The second, "Catching Fire," has sparked comments that rank it as even better than the first.
Regarding the third, "Mockingjay", it has been commented that the representation of violence, the generation of a new, credible and realistic world, and romantic intrigue is sublime.
The author's inspiration
Collins has commented that He was inspired for the trilogy, by classical and contemporary sources. ANDThe main channel of inspiration was the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
In this myth, by way of punishment for past crimes, the forces of Athens sacrificed seven young men and seven maidens to the Minotaur, for those who died in a labyrinth.
Suzanne has stated that as a child this idea seemed terrible to her, the cruelty with which the Athenian forces sacrificed their own children.
There are also influences of gladiators in Rome. According to the writer, the elements necessary to create a cruel game, but followed by masses, are: «an all powerful and ruthless government, people forced to fight to the death, and being a source of popular entertainment«.
As for the inspiration of what surrounds us, reality shows have also inspired Collins.
People who compete for a prize and are capable of doing anything. Death and murder live can even be a great television incentive.
Some important characters in the saga
- Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of the series, competes in The Hunger Games in the first two novels. She is torn between her survival instincts and her love for Peeta and Gale.
She is the main face of the rebellion of the districts after, without being very aware of it, she challenges the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
- Peeta Mellark is the male tribute from District 12. He has carried his love a secret from Katniss since they were children.
His love for her is more than evident throughout the series. In the last novel, "Mockingjay", he is kidnapped by the Capitol, which transforms him and begins to hate Katniss, but ends up recovering.
- Haymitch Abernathy is mentor and friend to Katniss and Peeta in the games. He won The 50th Hunger Games and he was the only living victor from District 12 before Katniss and Peeta won The 74th Hunger Games. He is usually drunk to forget his past.
- Primrose Everdeen, we know her in the movies as simply "Prim." She is 12 years old (in Mockingjay she is 13), she is the sister of Katniss, who was chosen by the lottery to be in the Hunger Games.
Katniss volunteers to take her place. A very sweet girl who likes to help her mother heal the sick.
- President Snow. The main baddie of the saga. Head of power of the Capitol and of all the districts of Panem.
Triggered by the two surviving tributes in The Hunger Games, he forces Peeta and Katniss to prove that the cause of everything that happens is that they are deeply in love.
The first Hunger Games movie
"The Hunger Games" premiered in 2012. Its director was Gary Ross and the script was signed by the same director, along with Billy Ray and the writer of the novels, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray.
Beside Jennifer Lawrence, the title role, other household names were in the cast, including Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth, and many more.
Catching fire, second novel and movie
After Katniss's defiance during the 74 Hunger Games, the districts begin to rebel, leading to the ire of the Capitol against Katniss.
President Snow orders Katniss to convince the districts that everything has happened out of love.
To control the situation, Peeta and herself are forced to compete in the 75th edition of the Hunger Games with previous victors of the games with the intention of killing Katniss and Peeta.
The film was released in 2013.
Mockingjay, the end of the saga
The last book, and the last two films (released in 2014 and 2015 respectively), have their plot around Katniss and the rebellion of the districts against the Capitol.
Katniss has taken refuge in District 13, and is very tired of her experiences. But it will be used by the rebels as a propaganda tool to unite districts in the uprising against the Capitol and President Snow.