The Hunger Games Theme of Love
Hey, everyone. Meet Katniss: the girl who cannot love. Katniss has spent her whole life just trying to survive and because of that she does not, repeat, does not get attached to people. There is this one boy, though, named Gale that she kinda sorta likes. Then there's Peeta who she's just pretending to be in love with. Right? Hm. Sounds like it could get complicated.
Oh, and wait. There's another problem too. Love is a battlefield, sure, but we also learn that in the Hunger Games romance can be a really great way to survive on the battlefield. By snogging on her co-tribute Peeta, Katniss is able to score support and gifts from her sponsors. Unfortunately, none of this helps Katniss figure out how she really feels
Love proves to be integral towards keeping Katniss alive. She survived the difficult times following her father's death because she had Prim to look after. Her love for her sister (and her mother, though less explicitly) is what helps her to stay strong as a provider for the family. Likewise, Peeta's act of kindness with the bread, which she credits as having given her strength in that period, was dictated by his love for her, though she didn't know that at the time.
Further, her growing love for Peeta in the arena continually helps her. The most obvious way is by encouraging Haymitch to send her sponsor gifts. Though she claims she expresses affection only for the sake of the gifts, it can easily be argued that her true feelings for him are what help her survive the final phases of the Games.
