“The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games” (Collins). 

This shows that the Hunger Games were a direct result of the uprisings that were known as the Dark Days, where the government lost control of their people. This lead to the government holding the Hunger Games to find ways for them to regain their power and ensure they never lose that power again.

This demonstrates the powerlessness of the the citizens, and the immense power that the Capitol holds. It is an explanation as to why the Hunger Games exists and a reminder of the ongoing punishment upon many. There is a huge emphasis on the consequences of past actions, on the people of the present.

This shows that the games serve as a form of punishment; every citizen shows up and accepts that their name may be called and they must participate. If they don’t participate, something terrible might happen. The citizens accept that people will be sacrificed, and there is no choice.

"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch — this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion"

This policy demonstrates the power of the Capitol and its commitment to maintaining a subordinate class of citizens. By literally separating kids from families and forcing them to participate in the Hunger Games, the Capitol is showing that they can do anything they want without any consequences. The Capitol is personally attacking its people while reinforcing the idea that it was the initial rebellion that has put them in that situation. In this way, there is an inherent fear to attempt any kind of change because they know the Capitol does not care about them.

“The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games” (Collins). 

This demonstrates that the Hunger Games is not going away.The Dark Days were a time when the Capitol was being threatened, and they make it clear with this annual reminder that they will not be threatened again or else the ramifications will be even more brutal. The “new laws and guaranteed peace” are not for the people of the Districts, but are a control and fear-based tactic that uses violence and the deprivation of the basic needs of it's citizens. The yearly reminder implies that if you live in the Districts, you need to fear something constantly, you can’t forget your position. The Hunger Games sounds like a game, and it is anything but since it revolves around death and violence, it’s not fun. It all stems from government control and the fact that they have complete power to kill the citizens of the district in the name of "remembrance." 

"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch — this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion."

The Hunger Games was a punishment and a tool to prevent further uprisings.