There are many obvious reasons as to why Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games has rapidly swept across the nation. The basic premise is enough to draw in even the most apathetic of readers. However, a novel idea is not enough to permit books flying off the shelf at such an expeditious pace. What sets, The Hunger Games, apart from many other novels are the brilliant levels of complexity Collins has built into every aspect of her writing. Not only does she go into great detail about their world and surroundings, but also about the person that lies within every character she creates. One sequence that truly reveals the complexity within the primary character Katniss Everdeen are the events that unfold during the feast at the cornucopia. By looking at the contradictions and similarities that exist within Katniss' demeanor, we gain immeasurable insight into the truth that underlies her character; this is important because the different levels that exist within basic human nature and instinct are unfolded.

Anyone that knows of Katniss Everdeen knows her to be a fighter, one who is driven by the will to survive. For the first part of the passage it is abundantly clear that a survivor is how Collins meant for her to be portrayed. There are not many who could run and "position [their] next arrow automatically."(284) Yet, when it comes to a character like Katniss, the will to survive is a second nature. One could argue that her ability to position an arrow and run simultaneously is merely proof of her ability to hunt.  In spite of this, the ability to apply hunting skills while you yourself are being hunted, proves nothing short of a keen human instinct to utilize any and every chance you have of survival. Even when death under the blade of a knife seems inevitable, her will to keep up the fight fails to subside "as long as we're talking I'm alive. Peeta!"(284.) Katniss screams. When her physical strength failed her, Katniss immediately switched gears and used her wit in an attempt to unsettle and outsmart Clove. The ability to use her intelligence in the face of an almost certain death indicates she is determined to keep up the fight. Only a certain kind of person is able to demonstrate such immense control over their emotions in the face of death. Katniss' ability to maintain self-discipline is possible because of her obsession with the need to fight until the last second, "I will stare her down I will not cry out, I will die undefeated."(286) Her fixation on surviving, keeping up the fight, and making a final act of rebellion is a testament to her instinct. For most, this would be the point of complete and utter panic. Even though her only means of rebellion are not to scream out in agony when she is stabbed, that one act of defiance allows her to make the statement that she will never give up. All of the self-control and will to live that Katniss has shown demonstrates her motivation is survival. Every thought that passes through her mind is available to us. The fact that Katniss acts solely on her instinct is obvious because she knows her time to be limited, the only weapons she has are those that come as a second nature to her. 

It is fairly obvious that Suzanne Collins has portrayed Katniss as a person with an immense human instinct for survival. Up until this point, it is possible that one might think Katniss' human nature is indistinguishable from her instinct. However, when Katniss' fate falls from the hands of Clove and into the hands of Thresh, Katniss looses her entire sense of control and her instinct to fight for survival. In comparison to her interactions with Clove, her interactions with Thresh reveal a deeper part of her character, her human nature. Throughout her interaction with Clove, Katniss clearly took advantage of every opportunity she had to fight, both mentally and physically. On the contrary, Katniss' interactions with Thresh show her relying on what can only be assumed is the true human nature within her character, emotion. 
Collins truly unravels the depth that lies within Katniss character when she writes of the events that unfold after Thresh arrives at the Cornucopia. The first indication she gives that something within Katniss has changed, comes during the brief period of interaction between Clove and Thresh. Based on her instinct to survive, the readers would assume Katniss to take off running, not to stop and question why her life was spared. Instead, Katniss uncharacteristically stays and commentates on the situation, "When he shouts, I jump."(286) What makes this simple line so important is that it demonstrates that Katniss is lacking her basic survival instinct. The survivor instinct within Katniss would never allow her to stay around long enough to be startled, much less show it by jumping. Failing to take full advantage of her situation immediately indicates that Katniss is no longer relying on her instinct to survive. 

More important than Katniss' lack of instinct, is the moment when she allows the true emotional nature of her character to ring through. What may be the most surprising sentence of the passage, "Tears spring in my eyes," (288) gives way to the emotions that outshine Katniss tough survivalist exterior. It is apparent to the reader that Katniss has lost her grip when she explains her overflow of emotions, "I'm overwhelmed by Rue, the pain in my head, and my fear of Thresh." (288) The line alone gives proof of the immense change that has taken place in Katniss' demeanor since her interaction with Clove. In addition to Rue's death, Clove also brought up Peeta and threw the knife causing the pain in her head. Logically, the reader would expect Katniss' last interaction with Clove to be the one to cause an emotional outpour. However, the underlying cause goes far beyond logic and touches on basic human nature, emotion. When Katniss was saved from what she felt certain was her fate, she was stripped of her instinct and left with nothing but her basic human nature. This basic human nature explains why Katniss was overcome with such an overflow of emotions.  The shock Katniss experienced was so drastic that it threw her entire survivalist mindset, leaving her with nothing to hold her guard up. The final indication Collins gives us of Katniss' instability comes from Katniss herself. As she is leaving the scene that she felt sure she would never come out of alive, Katniss describes herself as, "fleeing like the wild, wounded creature I am."(289) This line is so pivotal because it reveals the magnitude of difference that exists between Katniss and her former self.  With Clove, one thing that always remained clear, was that Katniss would never give in or admit defeat. In contrast, Katniss has just left the scene and proclaimed she was indeed defeated. 

Emotions are a basic part of human nature and Collins makes it apparent that Katniss allows hers to get the best of her. Initially Katniss' will to survive enabled her to channel those emotions in a constructive way. Collins showed us that Katniss was a character who had grown to expect to struggle and to have to fight for survival. Therefore, fighting came as a basic instinct for her. On the contrary, one thing Katniss did not expect was for her life to be saved by another. Clearly Collins wanted the readers to realize that what unsettled Katniss was her disbelief that she was alive. This instance enabled Collins to reveal so much insight into the emotional side of Katniss character, allowing her to be someone that the readers could relate to. Ultimately the message is that there are many levels that exist within every person. When it comes down to it, the one thing that is common among all humans is emotion.


