There are various examples of people throughout history who got the upper hand on others and abused the power they had to negatively impact or control other people's lives. Power is defined as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events and abuse, or the use of something to achieve negative effects or for a bad purpose. Suzanne Collins exemplifies power and abuse in various ways in her novel “The Hunger Games.” This intense novel is set after a rebellion in North America left the country destroyed, divided into 12 districts and controlled by the Capitol. Katniss Everdeen is the main protagonist and comes from the poverty-stricken District 12, completely opposite to the Capitol, which is the place full of wealth and power over the 12 districts. Each year one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are chosen and sent to the Capitol to compete in the bloodbath called "The Hunger Games", to prove that the Capitol is the one with the power and to stop a rebellion against them. This essay will explore the themes of power and abuse that are demonstrated in The Hunger Games. Society and class play an important role in The Huger Games. The Capitol, being the richest "district", has all the power to maintain control over everyone. There are also privileged districts that can train their tributes to have a better chance of winning: “The 1, 2 and 4 tributes traditionally look like this. It's technically against the rules to train the tributes before they reach the Capitol, but it happens every year. In District 12 we call them Career Tributes, or simply Careers. And of course, the winner with...... half of the card......em” (ch. – page -) This shows that Katniss had a greater impact than expected for attracting 'Star Crossed Lovers ' he recites at the end with the night lock. The novel demonstrated the variety of ways in which power can be harnessed for selfish gain and used to benefit the well-being of others. The Capitol intentionally used its wealth and power to manipulate and control the districts, thus stopping any retaliation. Katniss used power in the form of sacrifice and loyalty to save those close to her. This unwittingly caused her to become the leader of a new uprising. These two examples shown in the novel illustrate the different reins of power, one driven by money and control, the other by camaraderie and full of hope. The novel demonstrated that power is not always lasting and can be easily transferred to another who demonstrates the strength to dominate .