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Sacrifice is an action that few people consider because the trade-offs usually lead to unhappiness. It takes a great deal of love for another person in order to understand what sacrifice means. New York Times Bestselling Author Suzanne Collins portrays this definition well in her 2008 novel, The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen, the books ruthless heroine, learns a lot of life lessons throughout her first adventure. Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son, has developed a realization of how much power the Capitol really does have over the people of Panem.
Even Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ est friend and possible love interest, is used to putting his family before himself. The 74th Hunger Games allows these characters to open up and discover their purpose in life. Much of The Hunger Games is centered on Katniss Everdeen. Katniss- seventeen year old daughter, sister, friend, and hunter. Katniss illustrates sacrifice as a verb at the reaping before the Hunger Games. Katniss’ love for her younger sister, Prim, is fiercer than she could ever imagine.
When Effie Trinket, the pink-haired uptight escort for the tributes of District 12, pulls Prim’s name out of the rawing, Katniss feels her world closing in. She takes Prim’s place in the competition without hesitation. Not until after the adrenaline rush dies down is Katniss forced to accept the consequence of her decision. Saving Prim is the equivalent of handing her own life over to the Capital, as tribute. However, the harsh reality of this unfairness allows Katniss to collect her thoughts and focus on keeping herself alive in the arena.
Peeta Mellarks thoughts are not entirely explained in The Hunger Games because it is assumed that he already acquires a mature sense of his surroundings. Peeta Mellark: The Sacrificer. His love for an undeserving Katniss pushes all desire to save himself out the window. This is true because he had made a deal with Haymitch Abernathy, mentor and Quarter Quell all-star of District 12, prior to the Hunger Games to ensure that Katniss remains alive. Peeta’s incredible charm and flow with words earns him a spot in the reader’s mind.
The majority of the sacrifice in The Hunger Games is derived from accepting death. Out of 24 children only one can survive, and all this will be is a cruel entertainment for the Capital. Each tribute knew what they had been forced into. Little musician Rue, age 12, was the eldest of her siblings and extremely protective over all of them. It was the appeal of bringing a better life to them that kept her spirit alive in the area for as long as she did.
Alas, sacrificing was not only reserved for the tributes in the Hunger Games, there was plenty of it to go around. Described as the 18 year old good-looking best friend and one able to hunt, one of Gale Hawthorne’s sacrifices was Katniss Everdeen herself. His developed feelings for Katniss had to be locked away on the day of the reaping. Gale must have had to force himself to accept that he would never see his friend live again and remain emotionless as he worked in the coal mines to support his family.
He would have to get used to hunting alone to provide for his mother and younger siblings. Suzanne Collins wanted to create a story in which adolescents have an understanding of the world. She accomplished this in her novel, The Hunger Games. She chose not to sugar coat her words because she wanted her readers to acknowledge the lessons she was trying to get across. The Hunger Games’ views on sacrifice are expressed through individual characters that leave a positive effect on whoever meets them.