Lionsgate
What’s a dystopian novel without a post-apocalyptic world? The world of Panem is a dog-eat-dog place, but some of the Districts do a little better for themselves than others. In case you needed a refresher, Panem is split up into 12 districts (we don’t talk about district 13) and a glittering and wealthy capital city.
Taking a page from The Colbert Report, this ongoing “Better Know a District” series will take a look at the districts that make up the brutal world of The Hunger Games.
Welcome To District 11: The Starving Farmers!
Location: District 11 is located near Atlanta, where the warm climate helps the district grow food for a longer period of time.
Industry: District 11 is known for agriculture.
Notable Residents: The best known residents are probably Rue and Thresh, who both survived late into the Games with Katniss. Katniss befriended Rue in the Games, who reminded her of her own younger sister Prim. Rue survived by hiding amongst the trees, and taught Katniss a four-note whistle to help them communicate. Rue’s death was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the first film.
How Hungry? In Panem, the further away from the Capitol you’re located, the hungrier you are. The people of District 11 might even be more miserable and poverty-stricken than District 12, although possibly less likely to die of black lung. Despite the fact District 11 is responsible for food production for much of Panem, the people of the district are often undernourished.
Capitol Control: Since District 11 is in charge of food production, the Capitol doesn’t take any chances with rebellion in this District. In fact, the “peacekeepers” in District 11 are particularly brutal. In the books, Rue mentions a boy was once killed for trying to keep a pair of night vision goggles to play with. And unlike the fence in District 12, the District 11 fence is always electrified so the citizens can’t escape.
Hunger Games Prospects: The tributes from District 11 usually don’t do very well in the Games. This is because they’re underfed and not particularly well-trained for battle. Some of the skills picked up from working in the District have, however, proved useful. Rue knew how to climb trees and treat trackerjacker venom because of her time in District 11. And some tributes from the district, like Thresh, are incredibly strong because of all their hard farming labor.
Which District is your favorite? Sound off in the comments!
