By looking at the confusion of Katniss when she is placed in the Quarter Quell arena and her transformation into a fierce and determined competitor, we can see the effects of a person entering into an unknown territory and being forced to fight for their life, this is important because the experience relates to the D-day invasion which helps explain Katniss' transformation in the Quarter Quell in relation to an American soldier fighting for their country and thus gives the scene a more dramatic and important flare.  
	
Throughout the first two books in The Hunger Games series Katniss Everdeen has always been portrayed as a levelheaded competitor who is not flustered by many of the capital's distractions and is very resourceful and aware of her surroundings.  Katniss was able to understand Haymitch's subtle hints throughout the first hunger games and because of her superior deciphering skills was crowned one of the victors of the Hunger Games.  However in the second book when Katniss learns she must go into the Quarter Quell and fight for her life again, Katniss appears to lose control of the situation and her sanity.  The loss of control is illustrated throughout the second novel, especially during the scene where Katniss is placed into the Quarter Quell arena. "Where are you? I can still make no sense of my surroundings.  Where are you?! I demand an answer from myself and slowly the world comes into focus" (Collins 267-68).   This line illustrates the distracted side of Katniss and her inability to concentrate on what is important-the fact that she is in an arena fighting for her life and ultimately trying to protect Peeta.  Eventually Katniss regains control of the situation and begins to use her hunter/survival instinct and discovers that she is surrounded by water, Peeta is blocked from view, and the main arena is the island in the middle of the water and that land mass contains the cornucopia. Immediately after Katniss assesses the scene and emerges onto the island she becomes a fierce competitor with a killer instinct.  The line, "I'm thinking like a career now, and the first thing I want is to get my hands on a weapon" (Collins 269) illustrates Katniss' ferocity and the new side of Katniss that was not illustrated previously in the novels.  The change in the mentality of Katniss is related to that of an American soldier being dumped onto the beach of Normandy and being forced to fight for their life.  Katniss emerged into the new environment confused and bewildered; however, after few seconds she was able to regain control and grasp onto reality and realize that she must fight for her life and to protect Peeta.  This is similar to the American troops who were fighting to save their life and their country.  
	
The D-Day invasion occurred on June 6, 1944 when the allied forces invaded the beaches of Normandy and brought the World War II fighting to Europe.  Almost a hundred thousand soldiers attacked the beaches of Normandy and nearly ten thousand died during the attack.  The allied forces attacked the beach by land, air, and water.  Hundreds of boats and tanks emerged along the coastline and attacked the opposing side. The soldiers were placed into a new environment; especially the soldiers who emerged from the water.  Roy Arnn gives a personal narrative of his experience when he invades Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion. Mr. Arnn recalls being told that he is going to be a part of Boat Crew # 8 and the training he had to receive before the invasion; however the training he received could not even prepare him for what he was really being put into.  This is similar to Katniss because in the beginning of the second novel Katniss is being trained in order that she might win the Quarter Quell however none of the training could have prepared her for being thrown into an island in the middle of the ocean on a foreign terrain.   Roy Arnn recalls being in the boat and soldiers having puke bags around their necks because they were unaccustomed to the rock of the waves.  However as soon as the first gunfire was shot and the battle/invasion began all the soldiers sprang into action and none were worried about the new environment.  This is also similar to Katniss, she comes into the arena and is in shock and does not understand where she is but within seconds of being placed in the arena Katniss regains control and determines where she is.  Then shortly after she figures out where she is, she immediately becomes a girl with a killer instinct.  
	
Both Katniss and the soldiers fighting during World War II in the Normandy Invasion where thrown into an environment that was unfamiliar to them and neither one knew how to handle the situation at first.  However after coming to the realization that they were being forced to fight for their life and to protect something they love a transformation occurred among Katniss and the soldiers.  The similarities between the transformations of Katniss and soldiers shaped the reading of the Hunger Games and made the scene where Katniss was introduced into the arena more powerful.  Katniss is like a confused soldier however she realized what is important to her and transformed into a determined person who was set on the idea to save the person she loves.  


