The answer to this question can be found in the first
chapter of this gripping dystopian novel. As part of the general background that Katniss
gives her about District Twelve and the kind of lives of hardship and poverty that she
and so many others lead, she also tells us about the creation of the Hunger Games and
how they are designed to maintain control over the Districts and ensure that no other
rebellion occurs. The ever-present memory of the complete destruction of District
Thirteen thus acts as a powerful reminder of the price to pay for any who dissent. Note
what Katniss tells us about the benefits that Districts can gain if one of their
children wins the games:
To make it humiliating as well as torturous, the
Capitol requires us to treat the Hunger Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting
every district against the others. The last tribute alive receives a life of ease back
home, and their district will be showered with prizes, largely consisting of food. All
year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even
delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle
starvation.
Thus we can see
that having a representative from your District winning the Hunger Games yields immense
rewards to the District, and they gain extra food rations and even luxury items such as
sugar as a result.
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