The Hunger Games Friendship

Katniss gets by with a little help from her friends.

Okay, a lot of help.

It comes not only in the arena, but in the Capitol too, where people like Haymitch and Cinna have her back. In fact, friendship separates the film's good guys from the bad guys. Bad guys, from the Careers to President Snow, don't have friends, only allies who they get rid of when it's convenient. But Katniss has real buddies: people who she's willing to make sacrifices for. In the end, that gives her an edge against the people who are only interested in themselves and their survival.

In The Hunger Games, Collins's message seems to be that we should find friends when we can; our survival depends on it.

Questions About Friendship

1. How do Katniss's allies express their friendship?
2. How do Katniss's friendships help her to survive in ways the Careers can't?
3. How do Katniss's friends in the arena differ from her friends outside?
4. What makes people want to befriend Katniss even though she can be pretty reclusive?

Chew on This

Friendships in the arena only matter because of what you can get out of them.

The moral bonds of friendship transcend self-interest and help Katniss to survive.