The Hunger Game's Archetypes

The Hunger Games is no stereotypical book because it does not possess the abundance of archetypes most off us readers have grown accustomed to. There is no damsel in distress, no temptress, no Young Man from the Provinces, and etc. But of the few archetypes it does possess they are used to progress the story excellently. The Unhealable Wound comes at the end of the story after Peeta and Katniss win the games and the reader believes them to be on their way home and fully recovered however, during a post-games interview it is revealed to Katniss and the reader that the damage to Peeta’s leg had been so great that the doctors had to replace it with a prosthetic. This prosthetic for Peeta and Katniss meant they could never escape what they had experienced during those games because for every time and every moment they looked at Peeta’s prosthetic leg they would be reminded of the horrors they faced in the arena. Haymitch is also a good example of an archetype present in The Hunger Games because he served as The Mentor for Peeta and Katniss. Haymitch was the only winner in all of the previous Hunger Games to hail from District 12 and therefore he was the only option Peeta and Katniss had to be their teacher. Although they were not thrilled at first Haymitch seemed to grow on him by the end of the story as they listened to his advice and obeyed his commands. The Forest in The Hunger Games served as a place of safe haven for Katniss in her home of District 12 but then once she had entered the games it became a place of mystery and fear as she was unsure what was lurking around the corner ready to deal to her her very own demise. However, using her previous knowledge of the forest she was able to overcome said forest and win the games.