The Hunger Games Appearances

Welcome to the Hunger Games, a world of celebrity where image is everything. A former hayseed, Katniss must now be concerned with how people in the cosmopolitan Capitol perceive her. Katniss will learn that manipulating her persona and public image can be a powerful thing. As such, she is assigned a whole team of beauty technicians and a fabulous stylist named Cinna who will help her carefully craft the perfect look for all of the Hunger Games televised events. Will changing Katniss's physical appearance change who she really is? Or how she feels? Can Katniss really walk the tightrope between how things look and how they really are? Or will she come crashing down?

Questions About Appearances

1. Why do you think the people from the Capitol are so superficial? Are they all shallow?
2. Why does the image of Katniss and Peeta on fire work so well? What message are Cinna and Portia trying to send the viewers of the Hunger Games?
3. If Cinna weren't such an awesome stylist, would that have hurt Katniss's chance of winning the Games? Why or why not? How much of a tribute's success is based on appearance versus skills?
4. After the Games, how does Cinna's strategy for Katniss's style change? Does his clever work on her appearance help her survive outside of the arena?
5. What is the significance of Katniss's braided hair?