The subject of romance in literature
The subject of romance has consistently emerged as a popular and relatable one throughout literature's history.
This theme in "The Hunger Games"
The poor are nominated to participate in annual fighting contests that are hosted by wealthy citizens in Suzanne Collins' book "The Hunger Games," which is set in a dystopian society. One of the major themes in "The Hunger Games" is the concept of unrequited teenage love, which is also one of the elements that greatly influenced the book's popularity and financial success.
Katniss Everdeen and her interactions
Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl, is the book's primary character. Katniss is portrayed as an individual who is not keen on establishing close relationships with other people in the district in which she resides. However, her interactions with one Gale are indicative of the idea that she is romantically interested in the eighteen-year-old. For instance, while going to hunt, Katniss thinks to herself about how Gale is the only person with whom she can be herself (Collins 7). She, however, also notes that "there’s never been anything between Gale and me" (Collins 11).
Jealousy and Peeta's love
Katniss experiences feelings of jealousy when she notices that other girls are interested in Gale. However, she tells herself that such eventualities only take place because "good hunting partners are hard to find" (Collins 11). It remains unclear how exactly Gale feels about Katniss. The character whose feelings about Katniss are evident is Peeta Mellark who makes his love for the girl known to the public during a televised interview before the commencement of the fighting competition.
Haymitch's strategy
It is also without a doubt that Peeta's love for Katniss is unrequited as the teenager is in love with Gale. Their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, takes advantage of this situation and urges Katniss to pretend that she is romantically interested in Peeta. According to Haymitch, doing so would favor both teenagers as the audience, which comprises wealthy spectators from the Capitol, will be convinced that the two are "star-crossed lovers" (Collins 135). Consequently, District 12 will be able to receive food and supplies following a win by the two. Katniss uses this strategy, and both she and Peeta end up being declared winners.
The influence of teenage romance
The theme of teenage romance contributed significantly towards the success of the novel. Considering that the book's target audience comprises mostly young adults, it can be said that the idea of having the main character involved in romance was one of the factors that helped gain the interest of readers. It has been observed that the author's decision to include a romantic twist as part of the narrative was one of the main techniques that helped develop the story's other themes and attract the attention of teenage readers (Woloshyn, Taber and Lane 153).
Relatability and appeal
In adolescence, many individuals get to experience their first attempts at romance. Some of such attempts end up failing to materialize as the feelings of adoration go unrequited. As such, many teenage readers would find the story involving Katniss, Gale, and Peeta as being relatable. One would, for instance, ask themselves whether it was wrong for the girl to pretend that she was in love with Peeta. Such examples appeal to the interests of many of the book's target audience and are what contributed to its success (Woloshyn et al. 154).
Conclusion
In sum, it is evident that the inclusion of the theme of teenage romance in "The Hunger Games" is one of the major reasons as to why the novel gained immense popularity. The concept is relatable to many of the book's target readers, and it is one of the factors that resulted in it being a favorite for many.
Works Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2012.
Woloshyn, Vera, Nancy Taber, and Laura Lane. "Discourses of Masculinity and Femininity in The Hunger Games:" Scarred,"" Bloody," and" Stunning"." International Journal of Social Science Studies 1.1 (2013): 150-160.
