Hunger Games Essay

The Hunger Games was an instant success when it was published in 2008, appealing particularly to adolescents, because of the teen protagonists, Katniss, Peeta, and, to some extent, Gale. The other obvious appeal is that the tale takes place as a reality television show, in the dystopia country Panem, after the destruction of North America. Thus the novel also has a science fiction “ring”.

Because the novel can be read on many different levels, a variety of Hunger Games essay topics can be considered by both students and instructors. As well, the book is relevant for both English and political science courses. If you are looking for a good topic for an essay about Hunger Games, here are some great ideas:

For English Classes

• Write an essay on The Hunger Games that explores the interest in suffering as entertainment, comparing it to one or more current reality television shows in which participants also suffer.
• Discuss the author’s development of defiance as a theme, giving specific examples of behaviors of characters.
• Choose any of the following Hunger Games essay questions and develop a 5-paragraph essay using specific examples from the book. 
• Compare and contrast the views and motivations of the wealthy and the poor with respect to the Tessera System.
• Discuss the issue of food insecurity as a motivation for participation in the Hunger Games Define the term “Dystopia” and discuss the characteristics of Panem that make it one.

For Political Science Classes

There are a substantial number of The Hunger Games essay topics that could be developed into great pieces of writing. Some might be as follows:

• Identify one or two countries in the world today which have some of the characteristics of the political system of Panem. Discuss the similarities of those characteristics.
• Income inequality is a major theme of The Hunger Games. It is also a major political issue in America today. What measures do you think should be taken to ease income inequality, and, if no measures are taken, do you think that we will reach a societal system like Panem?
• There is a saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Describe the residents of the Capitol of Panem in the light of this statement.
• In Panem, money is power. Does this hold true in our political system, given the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision and its aftermath?

General The Hunger Games essay questions. There are some essay questions/prompts that are general in nature and could be relevant to English, political science or sociology coursework. A few of them are as follows:

• How do the poor citizens of Panem contribute to the horror of the hunger games? Relate the Machiavellian statement, “The end justifies the means” to the behavior of the poor relative to the games.
• Discuss the role and influence of ancient civilizations on the concept of the games.
• What methods does the Capitol use to control the citizens in the 12 poor districts? How does it prevent citizens from different districts from communicating with each other? Relate that to the Roman idea of “divide and conquer”.

Clearly, The Hunger Games is much more than a science fiction adventure tale. Developing a sound essay on any topic will require some research, in order to relate the plot, setting, and themes to social and political systems past and present. If you have any anxiety about producing a scholarly essay, please know that TrustMyPaper can help you. Get in touch with us about some expert assistance.