My poor, dear friends are probably sick and tired of hearing me rehash again and again my qualms about and my support for The Hunger Games. And I can't say that I blame them. Round and round I go. The Hunger Games Trilogy has captured my attention and make me contend with it. I love digging for the worldview behind a story. But, THG is something more; it is quite complex and worthy of even further discussion. For that reason alone, I adore this series. After reading this review however, you may ask yourself: "This is what she calls adoration?" What can I say? This series challenged me to ruminate further.
If I were describing myself to you, I would confide that I view myself as optimistic. Not that I necessarily am... my family and best friends who understand me, often better than I understand myself, might confess a different story. Regardless, this idea of optimism may be what draws me toward dystopia. A strange notion - I grant you. But, those grim futures captivate me. Worlds characterized by mankind's mistakes amplified and examined. Within the pages of these stories, I maintain hope. The reason for this hope is unmistakable. God is sovereign; there is no need to despair for the future.
Despite having finished
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and seen the movie come to life, my jury is deadlocked. Half the jury is soundly in favor of The Hunger Games; they cheer loudly for dystopia, love a well-written, fast-paced story, and relish the philosophical knots. The other half is conflicted; they worry for those who don't consider deeply enough, believe the message isn't clear enough, and suspect that
THG attempts to justify murder. In the end, my thoughts, at times, seem too muddled to make a comprehensible decision. While the moral philosophy of these books is in question, I have not encountered a series this poignant since
The Lord of the Rings. Certain elements of the book trouble my conscience, but Collins communicates the evils of despotic government in an unforgettable way.
 |
| Katniss and Prim |
WARNING: Spoilers.
The Story:
Sometime in the future, the North American political landscape has changed. In the country Panem, the dictatorial Capitol rules over the Districts. Years ago, the thirteen Districts attempted to overthrow the Capitol. In crushing the rebellion, the Capitol destroyed District 13 and instituted the annual Hunger Games to remind the Districts of the price of disobedience. Each year, two adolescent tributes, one male and female, are chosen in the Reaping and sent to fight to the death in the arena for the entertainment of the Capitol citizenry. During the Reaping, Katniss Everdeen watches as her twelve-year-old sister, Prim, is selected. Without hesitation, Katniss steps forward and volunteers. The game has begun.
Pondering the moral philosophy of the Hunger Games:
Katniss' sacrifice for Prim seems noble (and is). However, by agreeing to participate in the game, she has implicitly acknowledged their rules as morally upright - or at the very least, morally neutral - like painting your room yellow. Yet, Katniss' soul is vexed; tormented, she ruminates about the atrocities that the Capitol forces her and her fellow tributes to commit. However, the truth is that "The Devil Made Me Do It" is not acceptable. We are ultimately responsible for our own actions - regardless of what the higher authority requires of us. The Capitol's arena requires one to kill another so that the former might live. Yet, the desire that others should die in your stead isn't following the Biblical model of self-sacrifice (excluding self-dense and the like). In fact, this idea flows from Satan's seed and the Fall. I determine good and evil. It is ultimately an outworking of self-worship.
 |
| President Snow |
The question then becomes, what is the correct or morally appropriate choice? After being chosen at the Reaping, should the Tributes participate? If not what should they do? Most of them recognize that the game is evil, but none of them acts. As Christians, we understand that if the government commands us to sin, we must refuse. We answer to a higher authority. The Hunger Games are a choice. It seems, at first, as if the first book attempts to argue that the tributes are forced to capitulate to the Capitol's demands. This, on the surface, seems to make sense.
Play or
Die. However, there is still a
choice. Why is death a bad decision? Why is standing for righteousness not considered? Death may come, but there is nothing wrong with being a martyr for righteousness.
The above being said, Suzanne Collins has a knack for manifesting the effects of sin. Katniss and Peeta may have survived the arena, but they are not without scars. Suffering from nightmares, these teenagers are traumatized by the atrocities they saw and committed. Peeta himself confesses that no one leaves the arena unless they are a murderer. Our heroes capitulated to the Capitol; they fought in the games. But they do not rejoice over it. It reminds me of
The Lord of the Rings. At the end of the story. Do you remember? Middle Earth isn't the same. The characters have been affected by the evil they saw and experienced. Frodo said it best, "How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend... some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold." (As an aside, it makes me think of heaven. Where there will be no more pain. Or tears.)
 |
| Peeta |
Part of the pain that Katniss experiences is a realization that the potential, new government system is worse than the Capitol. District 13 is communistic. Like the government of the French Revolution or Communist Russia before it, District 13 dubs its people ("citizens"), rules with an iron fist, and forces the people to conform to their daily, government-regimented schedules. What a powerful example of why we don't look to government parties or powers to save us!
Collins' series is not primarily a commentary on communism, however. In fact, it's primarily a commentary on the similarities between our culture and Roman culture. (More on that subject below...) And she's not subtle about it. From character's names (Caesar, Cato, Plutarch - to name a few...) to the "arena", to the direct statement of "panem et circenses", she hits you over the head with a two-by-four. Frankly, I admire her for that. There is a time for subtlety, and there is a time for bluntness.
Collins has much about which to be blunt. Katniss oldest friend, Gale, believes that in order to battle a repressive government, like the Capitol, you must play their game. But, Katniss has played their game - literally. And she experiences the heartbreak and tragedy that come the hard way. Fighting evil with evil is not the answer. A resounding statement in the
THG made grimly obvious by terrible consequences.
 |
| Gale |
Even within the sadness of Panem, however, there are glimmers of hope. Peeta, the love interest of Katniss, is one such glimmer. Ever the morally upright character, Peeta is selfless. Willing to sacrifice himself at every turn for others. By the end of the series, Katniss realizes she needs this one. The one who would give up everything...
Thoughts on the film:
The best compliment that the movie deserves is its faithfulness to the source material. (I can see cheers and glares all directed at me. Just from that one statement. :) But, as I watched the movie, I grew increasingly disturbed. It was one thing, I found, to read this book and examine its worldview, and entirely another thing to watch it on the big screen.
Suzanne Collins compares the Capitol citizens watching the arena to American watching reality TV shows. Both groups delight in the pain, anguish, and torment of others. Cultures of death and destruction - all neatly packaged as entertainment. As I sat through The Hunger Games film, I couldn't help but wonder if the joke was on me. After all, I paid my money. Purchased my ticket. All to see the show.
Conclusion:
Sometimes, it is clear to me that I am too hard on
THG. A story must have a beginning. A place where the characters may not necessarily understand the truth. Or perhaps they comprise where they should stand firm. But this is not a reason to reject a story outright. Within the Christian worldview, we understand progress. Growth. Maturation. (Dare I say sanctification?) So we must ask questions such as: How does the author treat the failures of his creations? With applause? Or condemnation? Do the characters learn from their mistakes and sins? Do they develop? Collins doesn't leave Katniss stagnant. Katniss grows in wisdom and understanding. For this reason, the Katniss' journey is remarkable and worthy of a second look.
________________________________________________
Other thoughts on The Hunger Games Trilogy:
WORLD Magazine on the movie
Redeemed Reader on the book
Redeemed Reader on the movie
Doug Wilson. Again.
Kevin Swanson - Generations with Vision
Again:
