#pre-class assignment

The world depicted in the Hunger Games reflects the experiences of young adults aged 14-21 today much more than you'd initially expect. Both Katniss and “Generation K,” as the author has dubbed them, feel the world they are surrounded by is, in the words of the article, “dystopian, unequal, and harsh.” The youth in today’s modern soiceties face much more anxiety, whether it be about appearance, finances, terrorism, or schoolwork, and distrust, mostly directed at institutions and corporations, than previous generations mostly due to the environment in which they’ve grown up. The interconnectedness of today’s world means immediate access to information about the increasing horrors of terrorism taking place. Yet, these individuals feel more and more desperate for real human connections as opposed to the manufactured, artificial, and airbrushed depictions of life they’re so frequently exposed to.  Financial optimism is scraping the bottom of the barrel and most of the world’s youth sees a political and institutional arena that has been tilted in favor of corrupt greater powers. Sound familiar? This, albeit somewhat broad, description of Generation K’s reality reads eerily similar to that of Katniss Everdeen. The value of this series is its ability to reach out to an audiences that is typically portrayed incorrectly or misunderstood. The Hunger Games shows young adults a world that seems similar to their own and a heroine that shares their frustration, distress, and sense of mistrust in the world around her. Importantly, the books show Katniss fighting back against the world order that’s wronged her, a probable desire of the readers, and ultimately seeing success - a source of hope for the disillusioned audience. 

I think it is interesting that America has a long history of giving and The National Museum of American History highlights that extremely well with both historical and modern examples. I especially loved the boots worn by Earl Shaffer on his Appalachian Trail Hike, because they represent the hard work and cooperation of both private and public partners. 

I think the new world is shown in such a disjointed manner, because the world is disjointed. There are no families or exclusive relationships, so no one has anyone they can really rely on. Everyone’s life is always changing. There is no stability even though that’s what the leaders wanted when creating the new world. 

Narrative is incredibly important when telling a life-story, because the narration carries the whole story. Gatsby’s life story is incredibly diverse and he finds himself in many different places throughout his life. Nick Carraway is Gatsby’s narrator and this helps, because he can be somewhat objective when talking about Gatsby’s life. Nick even says in the beginning of the book, "I'm inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me.” He is nonjudgemental when relaying his story to the reader. However, he can be unreliable, because he does not know everything about Gatsby and sometimes his reliability can be compromised, because he’s so infatuated with Gatsby’s wealth, such as when he’s in the yellow car with Gatsby. 

I would not lend Bassanio money, because he was foolish enough to lose my money in the first place. I would not take a second chance on him, because he would do exactly the same thing with my money that he did the first time: lose it. 

I think one can be sentimental about money when it has to do with family. Let’s say someone gains a large sum of money from their dead father’s will. They may not be willing to spend it, because they were close to their father and feel that spending this money will not give him the honor he deserves. 

Coates knew that he had to write to survive. He didn’t have another choice or he would be homeless or obese. Also, once he overcome these two things, he knew he could do it again if he had to. He knew he was a stronger writer, because of these difficulties. 

3. The Hunger Games has helped Liongate to become known among the industry. The Hunger Games already has a huge following and for a small company like Lionsgate that is important, because they know the audience will come to see the movie no matter what.