It is modified by the Gamemakers to make it even more lethal than it already is, and contains several traps that can trick tributes to their deaths.
What is the Hunger Games Arena?
The Hunger Games Arena is a large outdoor area bound by a force field and used to host the Hunger Games. Each year, the arena is a different place. It is also designed differently by the Gamemakers. Thus, it can range anywhere between treacherous forests to a beautiful meadow, or concentrated underwater to a scorching desert.
The natural topography, climate, and biological creatures of the arenas pose a challenge to the tributes who struggle to stay alive against these elements. The arenas also contain several traps laid by the Gamemakers, most of which are placed to provide additional entertainment for the citizens of the Capitol.
Climactic, Geological, And Geographic Features
The arena of the Hunger Games is different each year. Thus, the climatic, geological, and geographical features of the arenas vary from one Hunger Games to the other. The 74th Hunger Games, for example, consisted of a vast flatland with several forests, meadows, caves, springs, pools, and even a wheat field. The days were warm in the arena while the nights were freezing cold.
The 75th Hunger Games, on the other hand, was designed around a body of saltwater that covered the Cornucopia in the middle. The body of water was surrounded by dense tropical forests. The climate was extremely hot and humid, and there was very little fresh water available.
Before the invention of arenas as we know it, the Hunger Games was hosted in the dilapidated Capitol Arena. Before the First Rebellion, the Capitol Arena was an amphitheater that hosted events and performances.
Cornucopia
The Cornucopia is the center of the arena in the Hunger Games. It is a giant horn-shaped cone, golden in color and possessing a curved tail. The mouth of the cone contains supplies that vary from food, water, equipment, and weapons, all of which are important for the tributes to survive in the arena.
Before the start of the Hunger Games, tributes are launched into the arena in a semicircle equidistant from the Cornucopia. The Cornucopia is the site of the initial bloodbath, and almost always the place where the most tributes get killed. This is due to the large number of desirable objects found in and around it.
Food and Water Sources
Some of the most important aspects of the arena are the food and water sources it provides to the tributes. Sometimes, food and water are provided in the Cornucopia along with weapons. Other times, tributes are required to go in search of food and water on their own if they are to survive the Hunger Games.
The 75th Hunger Games, for instance, did not provide any food or water in the Cornucopia. Tributes survived off nuts that grew on the ground, as well as creatures such as tree-rats. Fish and oysters were available in the saltwater around the Cornucopia. Freshwater, on the other hand, was scarce. The only water that could be drunk safely was available in tree saps and had to be extracted with a piece of metal called a spile. This is in direct contrast to the 74th Hunger games which provided plenty of sources of water, in the form of streams and pools, and sources of food.
Force Fields
Arenas in the Hunger Games are bordered by force fields, which are invisible electric fields that prevent tributes from escaping from the arena. The force fields are put in place by the Gamemakers and are nearly impossible to detect by the human eye and ear.
Force fields are designed to throw anything that hits it back to its original position. As such, it is used to prevent tributes from killing themselves by jumping off the Training Centre as well as to protect the Gamemakers from attacks by tributes. Notably, Haymitch Abernathy won the 50th Hunger Games by using the force field to his advantage. Katniss Everdeen sparks the beginning of the Second Rebellion by blowing apart the force field in the 75th Hunger Games.
Injuries to Tributes
It is inevitable for tributes to sustain all kinds of injuries in the arena. The injuries can be the result of natural forces or the carefully laid traps of the Gamemakers. For instance, Katniss’ leg is burned severely by the artificial fire created by the Gamemakers in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss also loses hearing in her left ear due to an explosion in the Cornucopia. Similarly, Peeta sustains several injuries as well, including a long burn across his chest, a cut inflicted by another tribute, Tracker Jacker stings as well as a bad bruise. The injuries sometimes hastened the death of tributes. As such, they also provided a gruesome form of entertainment to the Capitol citizens.
Injuries sustained by Victors in the Hunger Games were taken care of by Capitol doctors, who operate on them with advanced technology. This is how Katniss was able to regain her hearing in the left ear.
FAQs
What was the arena for the 74th Hunger Games?
The arena for The 74th Hunger Games was a large flatland with forests, meadows, caves, a field of wheat, and several water bodies.
What was the 75th Hunger Games arena?
The arena for The 75th Hunger Games was designed like a clock. Divided into 12 sections, the arena presented a new horror to the tributes for every hour of the clock.
Where are the arenas built in the Hunger Games?
The arenas for the Hunger Games are most likely built on the borders of Panem. Every year, a different location is chosen for the arena.
How big are the arenas in the Hunger Games?
The arenas in the Hunger Games vary vastly in size every year. For instance, it would have taken a tribute several days to walk from one end of the arena to the other in the 74th Hunger Games while just a few hours would have been sufficient to cover the arena in the 75th Hunger Games.
Where is the Hunger Games arena?
The Hunger Games arena is built in a different location each year. Since they are not built in the Capitol or the districts, we can conclude that the arenas are located around the borders of Panem.
What was different about the 7th Hunger Games arena?
The 7th Hunger Games arena was different because it consisted mainly of concentrated underwater or floods. Several water creatures including whales, sharks, and octopi proved a challenge to the tributes.
What was the arena for the first Hunger Games?
The arena for the first Hunger Games was the Capitol Arena. The Capitol Arena was an amphitheater that hosted various performances before the First Rebellion. Having fallen into disrepair since the rebellion, it was used to host the Hunger Games until at least the 10th Hunger Games.
How is the arena described in the Hunger Games?
The description of the arena changes for each Hunger Games. For instance, the arena in the 50th Hunger Games is described beautifully as a breathtaking meadow with a picturesque mountain.
What is the arena called in the Hunger Games?
The place where the Hunger Games take place each year is called the arena. It is a mass of land/water bordered by a force field.
