Illustrations inspired by the Hunger Games
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The four images are designed to depict several themes running throughout the book "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. The first is the theme of bread. The name of the future America which provides the setting for the book is Panem, being Latin for bread, and as explained in a later book, the first part of the political phrase "Panem et Circensus" or "Bread and Circuses". Each image is designed around the shape of different loaf slices. The second theme is also highlighted in that phrase. Suzanne Collins derived her inspiration from Roman and Greek history, for instance the Caesars with their gladiators and gods with mortals are evident in the treatment of the children in the Hunger Games. The third theme picked out is that of survival or near death experiences. Each image shows a progression throughout the book of the lead character's (Katniss) development and response to each experience. There also seems to be throughout the book a strong theme with nature as plants and animals feature a lot, especially trees which often seem to be linked with Katniss' life. Water is another important theme for good and bad.
This image is taken from a part of the book describing a memory of the main character. She recalls a point in her life after her father has died and her mother has had a break down. She has found herself unable to provide for her mother and younger sister, is near starvation, and has been shouted at and turned away by the baker's wife with what the book describes as "ugly words". Katniss, the heroine, at this point sinks under a tree to accept whatever her fate may be, unable to deal with the situation. This is immediately prior to a turning point in her life. The colours are chosen to reflect the hopelessness. The warmth of the bakery is to create a contrast with the plight of Katniss, beneath a tree behind the pig shed, sitting in a puddle. The house was inspired by two different ancient Roman houses, and the oven based on a bakery oven in Pompeii. The passage behind this illustration describes the night before Katniss and her fellow district contestant Peeta are to enter the arena to face what they see as their probable demise. They have discussed the idea of proving to the Capitol that they control their own lives, but essentially accept what is going to happen to them. The city is described as being in celebration and Peeta who is already on the roof watching explains to Katniss that he didn't want to miss the party - "it is for us after all". The figures are silhouetted against the bright city to highlight the contrast between the contestants on the balcony and the shallow people of the city who celebrate without thinking of the consequences to the contestants. The railing was inspired by Roman viaducts, and other aspects of Roman architecture can be seen throughout the city. Katniss reaches a point in the book where she is injured and being pursued by other contestants. She manages to climb a tree but becomes trapped as the other contestants converge beneath the tree. Furthermore one of the girls has the only bow and arrows in the game, the ones which Katniss had wanted to run back for at the start of the games but didn't have time. When she sees them she recognises them as "my arrows". This section shows a new response in this theme of near death and survival. Whilst it initially appears that she is trapped. She realises that no one else is light enough to climb so high in the branches of the willow tree and climbs a little higher. Later on that evening she receives a parachute with medicine for her burn and is helped to discover a wasps nest which she can use against her pursuers. She has also been able to find water previously and has enough survival knowledge to realise that food is all around her, even in the bark of the pine trees. This illustration is designed to show the beginnings of hope and how she starts to fight back. This final illustration depicts a scene near the end of the book and the ultimate turning point. They have discovered earlier, some poisonous berries which they kept as a potential weapon. The game makers backtrack on their new rule that two contestants from the same district can win and now state that one will have to kill the other. Katniss decides to call their bluff by threatening their joint suicide and asks Peeta to trust her in this. The cornucopia where the games start and finish (also a theme from Roman and Greek mythology) is shown towards the foreground. Right at the front of the image, the poisonous berries are shown growing nearby, whilst the two trees, one broken off, and one thriving represent the balance between life and death that this choice poses. A new development to the theme of near death and survival is that Katniss now has the courage to turn it on its head to take back control of her life, even if only so far as when to end it. This completes the development in her character from oppressed and poverty stricken to the symbol of rebellion that she eventually becomes. |