What is the difference between a celebrity and a prisoner? To a tribute in the Hunger Games, there is none. Katniss Everdeen realizes this completely as she is saying goodbye to her friends and family in the Justice Building. The strongest point occurs when she speaks with Gale. Through Gale's interaction with Katniss before she is taken to the Capitol, one can see Gale's character expanded which many readers do not take into account, because they are distracted by the anticipation of what is to come as well as the would-be romance between the two. This is important because it actually reveals the opposing perspectives the two friends have as a result of their dehumanizing oppression under the Capitol. While Katniss actually gained an appreciation for the value of life, Gale instinctively degrades it to make coping less painful.

Most readers easily lose the importance of this scene, because they are caught up in the romance that might come from Katniss and Gale. He is the only boy she has been around up to this point. He has to be the one.  Katniss rushes to him for comfort when he offers her an embrace, while simultaneously denying she might have deeper feelings for him (Collins 38). To the presumptuous reader, this is a definite sign of love to come. The pair is rushing to have their conversation, and they are not allowed to finish before their time is up. Only when they are torn apart does Katniss truly begin to panic (Collins 40).  Likewise, Gale has been telling Katniss that her best chance is to get a bow, and she has been arguing she has no hope (Collins 39). When the Peacekeepers pull Gale away from her at the end of the scene, she shouts to him to take care of her family (Collins 40). She does not think she will be coming home from the Games. Gruesome details from past Hunger Games are also being revealed, serving as another distraction. Suzanne Collins masterfully distracts her audience into breezing over the important details which will captivate them later in the series.
 
The importance of this discussion is not held by the short-term advice Gale is offering Katniss, but by the long-term conflicts it poses to the reader. Gale is a representation of the rage that comes with oppression. Although he is reassuring her, he maintains a cold ironic humor about the content of the Games. When referring to one year he says, "Since that year half of them died of cold. Not much entertainment in that." (Collins 39) This also shows his understanding of the Capitol's view. Although primarily angry, Gale is not without understanding of the world around him. He verges on thinking similarly to the very people he hates. His next reassurance is telling her, " it's just hunting." (Collins 40) Ultimately, Gale has more than one purpose. First, he is Katniss's confidant and one of her oldest friends. Likewise, he represents the aggressive, more animal side of Katniss. She proves this by agreeing with him about the ease of hunting people, if she can put aside the fact they are humans as well (Collins 40). He furthermore represents the Capitol's mindset. Finally, he is one of the primary representations of the emotional state of not just the subjugated people of Panem, but also of anyone who has ever been in such a broken state.

Although there are many dynamics in this one scene, the most significant conflict is posed near the end when Gale and Katniss are discussing murder. He asks, "How different can it be, really?"(Collins 40) In this pivotal moment, the reader is confronted with the comparison of humans to animals. Collins' viewpoint is noticeable, because Gale's statement that murdering people is the same as killing animals reinforces the idea in the reader's mind that the opposite is true. Katniss does not argue this point further; she almost agrees, but maintains the idea that this murder is a terrible prospect. 

This conflict of dehumanization is also demonstrated by Katniss's circumstance. She is about to enter an arena to kill other children for the sport and entertainment of the Capitol. Within the space of a few words, she has remembered three separate occasions where other young people were killed. The Capitol considered the best Hunger Games those that had bloodshed and gore; the instances with more natural deaths were boring (Collins 39). Gale is here once again representing the Capitol viewpoint, because they do not see this as offensive. Both sides of the spectrum are represented here. The elite who control the situation do not recognize its significance. They have been exposed to it for so long without a negative impact on themselves. On the other hand, there are the average citizens who endure hardships every day. However, they have no ability to control it or improve their standard of living. Unfortunately, they have given up hope. Katniss represents them with her constant surety of loss. For every positive tip Gale tries to give her, she mentally turns it down as unachievable (Collins 39-40).

This section of dialogue is comparable to other analogies of the past. It serves its purpose in the fantasy, while at the same time representing a greater resolution. The impatient reader may miss this, as he is preoccupied by what he thinks will unfold or by what he wants to occur. However, this novel is not driven to be a story for entertainment alone, and especially not to please its readers. Its design is to impact its audience to recognize issues in the modern world. Not only does this audience realize them, they are automatically drawn to a side. Humans are precious, unique creations, not animals for slaughter. Although Gale serves as the means by which this message is stated, his character is not to be underestimated as only having this purpose. Collins uses him as a tool to distract the reader. Also, he represents the emotional state of oppression. Through this one scene of text, the fervent reader can deduce information that pertains not only to the novel but also to the greater purpose of the work. To do this, however, they must recognize who Gale really is and his place in The Hunger Games.


