In The Hunger Games, what does Katniss Everdeen say before taking her sister’s place?
Answer
I volunteer as tribute!
In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen says, “I volunteer as tribute!” before taking her sister’s place.
During the reaping ceremony in District 12, Katniss’s younger sister Primrose is selected to compete in the Hunger Games. Katniss immediately steps forward and volunteers, preventing Prim from being sent into the deadly televised competition.
The declaration establishes Katniss’s central role in the story: she is motivated first by loyalty to her family rather than by a desire for fame or political leadership. Jennifer Lawrence delivered the line in the 2012 film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s 2008 novel.
The phrase is sometimes paraphrased as “I volunteer,” but the complete iconic quotation identifies the role Katniss accepts. The fictional Games are organized by the Capitol and require two young participants from each district.