Sisterhood and Family in The Hunger Games

Mrs. Skotnicki

Motif and Theme

• Through her motif of sisterhood in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins develops the following theme: family, whether natural or adopted, is essential for survival.

Protecting Those We Love

• “I protect Prim in every way I can, but I’m powerless against the reaping” (15).

• Katniss does everything within her power to protect her little sister, including volunteering in her place.

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Inspiration

• “You will try, won’t you? Really, really try” (36)?

• Prim asks Katniss to fight to win the Hunger Games.

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Finding Strength

• “My thoughts turn to Prim… For her sake, I try to look as least desperate as I can” (169).

• Knowing that Prim is watching pushes Katniss to play her part better in the Games.

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Extended Family

• “Because she’s a survivor, and I trust, and why not admit it? She reminds me of Prim” (201).

• Katniss sees a connection between Rue and Prim. Their alliance helps her to survive the Games.

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Love

• “But if this is Prim’s, I mean Rue’s last request, I have to at least try” (234).

• Katniss conflates Rue and Prim, reminding the reader that Rue and Prim play a similar role: both motivate Katniss to do her best.

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Worth the Risk?

• “I know I’ll never marry, never risk bringing a child into the world. Because if there’s one thing that being a victor doesn’t guarantee, it’s your children’s safety” (311).

• Katniss acknowledges she may not always be able to protect her family.

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Analysis of Theme

• Through the motif of sisterhood, Collins illustrates how family is essential for survival. Katniss’s family is dependent upon her to survive, but Katniss also derives strength from them, pushing herself beyond what she believes she’s capable of. However, part of the strength of this novel lies in the fact that Collins does not settle for a Hollywood ending. During the Games, Katniss questions the risk of bringing life into such a bleak environment. The reader understands that family, while powerful, cannot protect against every antagonistic force. This leads to another one of Collins’s themes, the necessity of resistance against repressive regimes.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York, 2008. Print.