The Hunger Games Persuasive Essay

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins By: Sophie When a society struggles, it often looks towards a strong leader for inspiration. In Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is looked at because of her courage, creative thinking and sacrificing personality. She risks her life many times to save the life of others. She is the perfect young heroine for her society. Katniss Everdeen demonstrates great courage even in the most difficult situations. After her father died in a mine explosion, she keeps her family together and alive by “Making sure there was always enough food on the table” (Collins 10).
This provides great courage because even though her family is going through a rough period, she still has to figure out a way to put the food on the table. It is not that many years past Katniss father’s death that she went into the Hunger Games. She has to use all her past skills from the wood to stay alive, and they helped her win “The annual Hunger Games, designed to discourage the districts from staging another rebellion against the Capitol” (Collins 26). She volunteers after her younger sisters name was drawn to be a tribute, because she knows she has much more of a chance winning than her sister, Prim.
During the Hunger Games, the two last survivors are Katniss and her so called ‘lover’ Peeta. Neither of them wanted to win enough to kill each other, as they could not think of life without one another. Therefore they decided they would die together and eat the poisonous berries, otherwise known as ‘night lock’ and rebel against the Capitol making them have no winner. “I lift my hand to my mouth taking one last look at the world” (Collins 345). The head Game Maker came on the announcements and pleads to not eat the berries and two people from the same District could win.

Katniss has showed Panem, that even in dangerous situations that were not always on your side, you can still turn it around and fight for what you want. Not only is Katniss Everdeen courageous, but she is also smart and tries to understand things in a completely different way. She looks beyond what the average person thinks. When Katniss has no food, she has to figure out a way get it for herself and her family. She decided to go on the other forbidden side of the District 12 fence and risk her life from the wild. “Inside the woods they roam freely and there are added concern like venomous snakes, rapid animals, and no real paths to follow.
But there’s also food if you know where to find it. My father knew and he taught me before he was blown to bits in a mine explosion” (Collins 5). Most of the women would have to move to the very last choice, but Katniss did not want that to be her lifestyle. She thought about it for a long time and realized she could do something that no one else had done, other than her father. Another point in the book would be when Haymitch, her and Peeta’s mentor, sent Katniss the soup after her and Peeta had their first kiss. She clued in and realized that one kiss equals one pot of soup. Haymitch couldn’t be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth. I can almost hear his snarl ‘You’re supposed to be in love sweetheart. They boy’s dying. Give me something I can work with’” (Collins 261). Katniss and Haymitch have a very similar mind and personality, and they don’t exactly get along, but they both understand each other and what they both are trying to say. In the end of the Hunger Games, after the rebellious act with the berries, she has to think of a way to get herself out of the Capitol’s mind as a ‘person who wants to start a rebellion. “Your only defense can be you were so madly in love you weren’t responsible for your actions” (Collins 357). She is home from the Capitol and all she can think about is not being punished in anyway for her actions. She has to be in character, one could say, every second because the Capitol is always watching. Katniss thinks outside of the box, and it can help you in the most difficult situations. Young woman should be their self and not have to think what everyone else thinks. They should have there own personal images in their heads. Katniss Everdeen is caring and sacrifices for others.
When her sister gets called up for the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers her own life to save Prim’s. “‘I volunteer! ’ I gasp. ‘I volunteer as tribute’” (Collins 22). Katniss feels it is her duty to protect her sister after her father dies. Katniss sacrifices her own life for her sisters sake. Katniss also risks her life when she killed the boy, Marvel, who killed her alley, Rue. He almost had his spear in hand, but Katniss reacted quickly and shot an arrow right through his neck. “The boy from District 1 died before he can pul out his next spear.
My arrow drives deeply into the center of his neck” (Collins 233). Even though Rue is already hit, she still came to try to save her, risking her own health and life. She cares for Rue and Rue also reminds Katniss of Prim. In the Hunger Games Peeta’s leg get sliced open by Cato’s sword. Katniss went looking for Peeta and found him camouflaged by the water with moss and mud. She takes him to a safe place in a cave that is hidden. During that week there is a feast, in which it has something each District desperately needs, and for Peeta it is the medicine.
Peeta didn’t want Katniss to go out for him because there was the risk that she would get killed. Later on that day she receives a package from Haymitch that included sleeping syrup. Therefore she gave Peeta the medicine that night and went to the feast. “‘They’re as sweet as syrup! ’ his eyes widen as he realizes the truth” (Collins 277). Even though Katniss knows if she is going to the feast there is a chance that she could die, she would risk that than watch her lover die. A sacrificial and caring personality is something to be proud of, even if it is the smallest things and young woman should attempt to.
Clearly Katniss Everdeen is beyond the ideal role model for Panem. Throughout many events she has showed that she has courage, brains, and generosity for others. Katniss is the sign of hope and the start of the rebellion. Young people of Panem consider her as a hero. Character Index: Katniss – District 12, main character Peeta – District 12, Katniss’s lover Prim – District 12, Katniss’s sister Haymitch – District 12, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor Rue – District 11, Katniss’s alley Marvel – District 1, killed Rue Cato – District 2, cut Peeta’s leg open, 3rd last tribute