In The Hunger Games, Katniss is seen as a character rooted in the survival mindset.
This is seen in her District 12 life when she tried drowning her cat so she didn’t have to feed it and when she goes out hunting for food despite the possibility of facing punishment if caught.
While at the capitol, she shows her survival instincts, with the help of Cinna, by playing to the crowd in hopes of winning some sponsorships.
During the games, Katniss’s trait of self preservation is also seen. At the beginning of the game, she is seen to run away from the cornucopia instead of trying to find weapons and supplies located here. She takes the safe option of running away from people in order to survive, instead of getting weapons that could help her win the game.
However, the games have an effect on Katniss and she becomes an aggressor instead of a passive survivor. The high stress of The Hunger Games has resulted in Katniss into developing a lethal plan to the careers: “ A plan that isn’t motivated by the need for flight and evasion. An offensive plan.” (287)
I think that high levels of stress can also change people in real life. This is shown in the long workdays many people have. In fact, some studies have shown that a four day work week have been just as productive as a five day week. This shows that the stressful 5 day work week can make people less productive since the same amount of work can be done in a 4 day work week.