The Hunger Games Fate and Free Will

If Katniss Everdeen thought her life's road was laid out for her before the Games, once she gets to the Capitol it's paved over in concrete. She's going to fight and probably die, or else survive by killing other equally helpless kids. That's about the extent of her choices.

But, in The Hunger Games, there are points where she can change the game, not only in terms of what the Capitol wants, but what everyone in this future world expects. The story's in part a parable about fate vs. free will. Fate sends Katniss to the Hunger Games, but Katniss has a few things to say about the exact direction her road will take.

Questions About Fate and Free Will

1. At what points do Katniss's personal choices affect her fate? At what points does her fate seem inevitable?
2. How much does the Capitol play the role of fate, using its power to determine people's future?
3. How do Katniss's choices determine her fate? What paths are closed off to her once she makes a choice?

Chew on This

The Reaping is the ultimate symbol of fate in the film.

Katniss's choices defy or at least defer the inevitable.