A Comparison Of Katniss And Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games

In 2012, Gary Ross made a movie version of Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games. Both the book and movie are set in the nation of Panem and tell the story of a young heroine named Katniss. In both versions, Katniss volunteers to take her sisters place in the annual Hunger Games. This televised competition forces two tributes from each district to fight to the death, resulting in only one survivor. Throughout the film The Hunger Games, what happens to Katniss is very similar to what happens to her in Collins’s novel. However, the movie is different from the book because it lacks character development, has altered scenes, and is told mostly through dialogue instead of narration. The novel The Hunger Games spends plenty of time developing its characters, unlike the movie. For example, the novel goes into great detail on Katniss’s upbringing and the difficulties she has faced growing up in District 12. In the book, …show more content…
In the novel, Rue, the youngest “tribute” in the game, quickly becomes a friend and ally to Katniss. When Rue is viciously killed, Katniss creates a memorial for her by covering her body in flowers and singing her a song. In return, District 11 sends Katniss a loaf of bread as a token of their appreciation for her kindness. However in the movie, Katniss does not receive a loaf of bread from District 11. After watching their tribute die the people of District 11 are furious and begin to riot. This scene is changed so that Rue’s death is what triggers the start of the rebellion against the Capitol. Yet in the books, there is no mention of a rebellion until the sequel, Catching Fire. In Catching Fire, it is not Rue’s death that initiates the rebellion but Katniss’s defiance against the Capitol during the games. This slight alteration adds a level of excitement to the movie which keeps the audience entertained and sets things in motion for the