But, let me go back to try to understand this story more fully. In the first chapter, Collins gives us a picture of District 12, one of the twelve districts in a future country known as Panem. In my mind, when I hear the future, I suppose I envision much different things in my head than what is actually presented. Her description of Panem, with the level of poverty, and the hunger, and the struggling, makes me think more of a third world country than a futuristic world.
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| How I picture a city in the future. |
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| Bangladesh or District 12? |
We are introduced to the story on the day of the reaping, the day the twenty four tributes will be chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. I have previously tried to figure out why certain names were chosen such as Panem or the Hunger Games, but why reaping? Reaping, by definition, means to gather, to harvest, or to clear of a crop by reaping. It would make sense for it to mean to gather in this case, in that they are gathering their tributes. However, I wonder if it in fact makes more sense to go with the "clear of a crop" definition since the purpose of the Hunger Games is to prove a point that the Capitol has control and they do this essentially by killing off 23 children. It seems so barbaric and harsh, but in the case of the story, it seems this is a more fitting definition.
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| Reaping? |
I didn't expect a lot of things in this first chapter, nor did I expect a lot of things in the second. I did not expect the Hunger Games to be treated as a holiday. I did not expect all the citizens to get dressed up for the reaping. I did not expect the description of District 12. I did not expect Primrose's name to be called, though it makes sense now because it added the needed drama (as if the actual concept of the Hunger Games was not enough). This chapter and the following one were full of surprises which led to my increased use of re-reading and decreased use of prediction. Now I find myself needing to read on. Who will win? Who will die? What will become of Peeta and Katniss?
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| "And may the odds be ever in your favor" |
Happy Hunger Games!
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your last post on The Hunger Games. You mention very interesting points and ask really thought out questions about the novel's content. What you've stressed about most throughout your posts and in this one is the process of going back and rereading. As I progress in my studies as an education major in the English concentration, I have come across numerous articles, essays, and even in my own classroom observations of students' difficulties in trying to make meaning of texts. One thing that I've discovered is that most students DON'T go back and reread.
I find that this helps you to make meaning and it has helped me as well not only in reading your text, which was unfamiliar territory but reading my text as well. There is no other way, at least it's one of the most efficient ways. I'm sure there are other ways as we've discussed earlier. But rereading is crucial to make meaning of text.
What I particularly liked in your post is the relation you've made with Panem being described by Collins more as a third world country. The fact that you've made a personal connection because of your visit to Bangladesh gave you the advantage of having some prior knowledge to understand Panem and District 12 as a slum where people live in poverty. You've obviously haven't been to a country that looked like or felt like a "futuristic city" and therefore your connections, your meaning, and your predictions were more along what you were familiar with.
I always understand a text better when I know a little bit or have some experience with what is going on with the characters, plot, setting, etc.