ENGLISH ESSAY izzie l.

Izzie Ledet

June 7, 2012

English 9 

If you were from District 12 and chosen as tribute, you know you don't have a good chance of winning. You were never feed well enough, you don't have any meat or strength in your bones. When Katniss was chosen as tribute she did not think she could win either, but the people close to her disagreed. She was different from most. She had the skills of using a bow and arrow, and she had courage. Courage is a key strength in the Hunger Games. The career tributes usually win, and they are the ones with the courage, they know what they have to do to win. Katniss' courage is a very important trait to have in the Hunger Games, and her skills with a bow and arrow help her stay alive till the end.

Without the bow and arrow Katniss wouldn't have survived. The bow and arrow was key for feeding her family.

“Who would fill those mouths that are always asking for more?”

Katniss is asking this to Gale when he mentioned escaping into the woods with her. Without her and Gale, their siblings would be starved and probably dead by now.

“My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers.”

In this quote Katniss realizes how lucky she she is to have a bow and arrow. Most people in District 12 only have a knife and don't have the courage to venture out into the woods. 

Katniss was so familiar with the bow and arrow that she used it impulsively to vent her anger towards the gamemakers. 

“I smooth my hair, set my sholders back, and walk into the gymnasium. Instantly, I know I'm in trouble. They've been here too long, the gamemakers.” 

Katniss, infuriated that the gamemakers were more focused on the free buffet rather that watching her, shot an arrow straight into the apple in the pig's mouth. Even though it did not hit one of the gamemakers she was still nervous that they would punish her. Later that night when everybody was watching the announcement of the scores, she pulled up an eleven out of twelve! Haymitch had said to her after:

“I guess they liked your temper.”

By using her skills with bow and arrow to express her anger, she actually got many sponsers which really helped her during the games when she needed medicin to treat her wounds. 

Why does Katniss ignore Haymitch’s advice to head directly away from the Cornucopia? She knew she had the skill of a bow and arrow, she just needed to get a hold of one. So she put her worries of the bloodbath behind her and headed for the cornucopia. Even though she did not manage to get a bow and arrow, it was still worth it for her to ignore Haymitch's advice. Out of her pack she got a sleeping bag, rope and a water bottle. All key things for survival. All though she was putting her life in danger to go close to the cornucopia, it was all worth it in the end.

In conclusion Katniss’ skills with the bow and arrow help her survive life before the games and also helped her win them. It was her key to survival. Her courage also helped keep her family safe. If she hadn’t volunteered for her sister at the reaping, her sister wouldn’t have survived and her mum would have “blacked out” again, just like when her father died.