It may almost seem arcane... the Capitol of Panem. It's a two-faced beast, a lullaby of cocktails and champagne to it's own, but the roar of gunfire and the cracking of whips to the citizens it claims to protect. It can crown you as a great king. It can swipe your breath from you with as much as a passing shadow. One district has already 'fallen' to it's power, and another is next.

Despite his background in one of the most desolate, desperate areas of Panem, one man has found his way of coping with the iron fist that grips his nation in a choke-hold.


Haymitch Abernathy is a man to marvel at during the length of the Hunger Games series (by Suzanne Collins). He is a veteran of the system, winning the Hunger Games during the Second Quarter Quell (50th anniversary of the Hunger Games), and mentoring countless other children from District 12 as they rise from the Reaping, essentially becoming tributes to the slaughter. He was the man who taught and fought for the victors of the 74th Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, before and during their time in the arena. Moreso, he has the knowledge of what land mines to avoid, politically as well as legally, to be able to maintain a peaceful existence within Panem. This comes with a price though, as most can see the aftereffects of the Games on his problematic addiction to alcohol comsumption.

"Nobody ever wins the games. Period. There are survivors. There's no winners."
-Haymitch Abernathy, Catching Fire

Since finding the name of the course on Archway, and reading the books myself after discovering a close friend was attending the SIS, I found myself quite attached to the Hunger Games series. I feel that the books (not forgetting the movies) provide one hell of a thrill to the reader, constantly engaging their senses with the thrill of the hunt, combined with the danger of being hunted. Collins illustrates each scene so precisely and adeptly that I feel as if I am either in the Games arena, or looking through the eyes of Katniss herself.

There are many interesting concepts within the series, each lying within its own realm, yet connected by one medium: The Hunger Games. Whether it is the politics of the Capitol, behind closed doors or open to the public, strategy employed by each Tribute (especially with the Careers) in the arena, even the interpretations of every subtle move made by the Girl on Fire herself, Collins spares no expense as she delves into connecting many different fields. To discover these is to look into the mind of the one who created this masterwork, and to bring even more value to literary works that have already shaped the world of literature.