Hunger Games Narrative

In this blog post, I will be writing about my ideas for my next paper assigned in my English 102 class. For this paper, students are required to select any character from the novel, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, then choose scenes from the novel to create a narrative based on the perspective of the chosen character. It is also required that students create their own additional scene. The narrative should reflect the personality and voice of the character and must also be written in the "Hunger Games style".

The character I have chosen for this assignment is Cato, the tribute from District Two. I have chosen Cato because I feel that he is presented as a main villain in the arena. As I read the novel, I found myself waiting for the moment that someone would eliminate him. When he dies at the end of the novel, I found myself feeling sorry for him. Following this train of thought, I wondered why I hadn't empathized with him before. All of the tributes are victims in the hands of the Capitol and the Gamemakers yet there is very little sympathy felt for those who are portrayed as "monsters" or those who seem unimportant. It is my goal to formulate a narrative in which the reader can empathize with the "bad guy". I want to remind the reader that all of the tributes, even the "monstrous" ones, are children who are forced together in a blood bath. By neglecting to introduce a back story for Cato and having Katniss constantly refer to him as the "monstrous boy", Suzanne Collins effectively dehumanizes him, making the reader feel very little sympathy toward him. With the help of the specific scenes I have chosen and the power of perspective, I hope to accomplish a sense of humanity in Cato.

I have chosen four scenes to accomplish this goal. One is the scene where Clove is killed by Thresh and Cato comes to her aid. This scene shows that he is not a complete monster and is capable of feeling. The second is the scene where Cato has Peeta in a headlock while they are standing on the Cornucopia. In this scene, I can dictate his thoughts as he faces a death threat at the hands of Katniss but also has an opportunity to kill Peeta. I also plan to use his final scene in the novel where Katniss mercifully ends his suffering with an arrow. The scene I plan to create is one where he has time alone while in the arena to contemplate on his life in District Two. I feel that this could be an effective technique in humanizing him. In fact, the biggest challenge I think I might face is finding the right words and images to gain the desired effect.

Through the use of writing techniques and scenes from the novel that support my ideas, I am hoping to recreate and redefine a character who is not very personable. I feel that this goal can be accomplished with the proper language and imagery.