The Games People Play: Information and Media Literacies in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

Hunger Games, The (Book : Collins); Collins, Suzanne, 1962-; Everdeen, Katniss (Fictional character); Dystopias in literature; Games in literature

Katniss Everdeen, the narrator and protagonist of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy, survives the grueling ordeal of forced participation in two games to the death through both physical prowess and mental agility. Both within and outside of the Games, she demonstrates information and media literacies. By becoming adept at interpreting and using information and the media, she not only survives, but also outwits the Gamemakers, undermines the power of the Capitol, and sparks a revolution. Collins' novels thus reflect, model, and critique the information and media practices of the society in which Katniss lives-and, by extension, those of our own society. In addition, the books suggest that information and media literacies can be powerful tools of resistance for people oppressed by totalitarian governments. For Katniss, surviving the Games requires these literacies; at the same time, the Games themselves, and more broadly speaking the oppressive government of the Capitol, facilitate their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]