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What is an example of a character that changes in The Hunger Games? How does the change help you better understand the character?

In the beginning of The Hunger Games, Katniss is someone who is completely dedicated to taking care of her family, doesn't have many friends, and is used to living a very harsh lifestyle, albeit with small pleasures. She lives in District 12, where she is known by many as someone who illegally hunts and sells meat in the district. One major change in her character involves Katniss changing from someone who utilizes genuine, no-holds-barred frankness, to someone who learns how to be more tactful and likable (at least when on television).


When Katniss volunteers as tribute in the Games to protect Prim, she suddenly finds herself on public television for the first time. The whole world is watching her, but this is just the beginning. When she arrives at the Capital, she has to prepare for an interview, as do the rest of the tributes. She is nervous, and Haymitch has her try on all sorts of personalities to try to make her likable and appealing to the crowd in some way, but nothing works. This is the first aspect of the change. Katniss has never had to act fake before - or had any need to make people like her, but now she is learning. Even though it doesn't come naturally, she knows that the amount of sponsors she impresses could determine her life or death in the arena. Before she goes on camera, Cinna, her stylist, reassures her and tells her she should look for him in the audience and pretend she is speaking directly to him. She pulls off the interview and manages to seem approachable and witty, if somewhat shy. Another instance where Katniss is forced to develop a false persona is as the girl in love with Peeta. When Peeta declares his love for her in front of everyone in Panem, she has no choice but to go along with it to win sponsors. 


Katniss's obvious dislike of her newfound need to be polite and liked by the people in the Capital only underscores how deeply rooted her need to be herself is. She rebels against this change in character because she is a person who doesn't feel the need to make other people like her. This change shows us that while this does not come naturally to Katniss, she will do whatever she has to to survive and return to Prim like she promised—even if it is pretending to be in love with Peeta on camera, which Katniss finds distasteful and confusing initially. It shows Katniss more than ever as a person who is willing to do anything to survive—even if it might mean leading Peeta, the boy who saved her and her family's lives, on.

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