Meeting 9

Teri Tosspon

Humanities

Agenda• “The Hunger Games” presentation• Culture in the Hunger Games• Symbol in The Hunger Games• Metaphor in The Hunger Games• Final benchmark work• Film – “V for Vendetta”

Culture in The Hunger Games

What contributes to culture (handout)Divide and Conquer! Complete this handout with a group. Assign people to different #’s.

• Values, attitudes, beliefs, respect• Government• Food & attitude toward food• Art, Music, Religion!

• Note: each individual in a culture will display variances in beliefs, habits, etc. In other words, you can be a part of a culture and not entirely agree with it.

Metaphor/Analogy vs Symbol

• A metaphor is an example, or different way of explaining a concept, to better understand an the concept or idea.

• A symbol is an object that on its surface is its real self but hidden inside, there could be hidden meanings and implications not known to the readers.

The life cycle of a butterfly could be a metaphor for the career of a ballerina. Butterfly adds meaning to a portrayal of ballerina. Both ballerina and butterfly are taken to have significant meaning, and the author is showing how these separate concepts share aspects.

If Katniss stumbled on a rock, that rock could symbolize Peeta: that he is strong or maybe he is very vulnerable inside and causes her to “stumble”. Or it can symbolize that he’s slow to change and trips her up. Etc.

In Hunger Games

Metaphors• The Games – metaphor for

today’s reality television• Star-Crossed Lovers –

metaphor that reminds us of Romeo & Juliet – can’t be together…

Symbols• Mocking Jay Pin –

symbolizes rebellion/resistance

• Tracker Jackers - symbol of the Capitol's willingness to do anything – and everything – to maintain their power over ever living creature in Panem.

• Rue’s flowers - symbol of Rue's humanity and a tribute to her short life

FOOD Symbols

Food symbolizes wealth, plenty, and comfort in The Hunger Games; it is the dividing line between the Haves and the Have Nots. (That is, the rich and the poor.)– In the Capitol, food – decadent, sumptuous, and delicious food – is

simply everywhere• people in the Capitol are consumers – they thoughtlessly and

wastefully consume tons of food, just like they carelessly consume the lives of the people in the districts.

• The constant availability of food is mind-boggling to someone like Katniss:– What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at

the press of a button? How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? (5.27)

• As Katniss tells us here, food is quite scarce in the poorer districts of the country where starvation is a serious threat.

Food Assignment• Focus on the chapters you presented/will present for class

(if you haven’t read any, focus on another chapter).

• Complete the food symbolism handout. Write all the food items Katniss and other characters eat. Research (using the internet, etc.) for references in literature and if that particular food item has any symbolic importance. Make a connection to your findings with the novel. Why is it symbolic? Keep in mind that most meals will only have one or two food items with symbolic significance.

Food/MealEaten

Symbolism of FoodItems

Relation to Novel

Day of the Reaping:Katniss &GaleReapingDay

EXAMP L EBreakfast:• Goat cheese

with basil leaf• Blackberries• Bakery bread

• Goats represent sacrifice.• Basil can mean both hatred and

best wishes.• Blackberries represent bad

omens.• Bread is symbolic of life

(sustenance) and is a symbol of metamorphosis.

• Goat cheese: All children 12-18 are eligible for “sacrifice” to the Capitol. Katniss will sacrifice herself for her sister.

• Basil: Both Katniss & Gale loathe the Capitol (hatred represented by the basil); both hope that their names aren’t called. It could also foreshadow Katniss having to go to the “hated” place, and her family and friends wishing her the best.

• Blackberries: These represent the bad omen that Prim’s name will be called.

• Bread: Bread/food is important for survival and we learn how precious & rare bakery bread is for Seam residents; Katniss will have to undergo a transformation, as well.

Putting your work together

• Work on your Benchmark!• Peer Review – Suggest improvements,

more quotes to use, etc. • Break down each question you are answering

• Make a clear statement that answer each sub-question

• Give a clear example from the book (quote, using page #’s)

• Tell why you are using that example and what it shows.

• Create MLA work’s cited page.