Recently, I've reread The Hunger Games. I found myself, while less emotionally tossed with the characters as the first time, getting a lot more out of it the second time through. What one ends up having to surmise is that this is an extremely well executed Young Adult's book. Disregard the sequels- I'll talk about them in other posts- and view this book on its own. It has a strong yet flawed protagonist, the action and romance necessary to rein in much of the teenage market used with purpose, and a biting satire on reality. The one unfortunate thing that happens with The Hunger Games is that much of the audience falls into the very trap Suzanne Collins is warning us of. She's trying to make us realize how awful it is that people find entertainment in this awful violence the media glorifies, how twisted our sense of reality has become, and yet people are drawn to this book (and film) for this very reason. The violence and emotional trauma it parodies become its trademarks.
Don't get me wrong. With the correct mix of seriousness, the type of entertainment these books condone is not detrimental. There are a lot of positive things that come out of reading about another's trials and reveling in the excitement of the book. But treating the violence itself with lightheartedness and interest is the very thing Collins is asking us to keep away from. What's gone wrong with our society when we put people in these situations to make us feel excited? Sure, literature and films give us simulated feelings such as empathy and triumph, which strengthens us as people instead of turning us into something more primal. But when the adrenaline violence creates is itself the desired product, we're in trouble.
Let's begin a look at the actual story. I find Katniss and Gale's conversation at the beginning a great look into who these characters are, and what their storylines will be like. As we start on the character arc for Katniss, we see she's apathetic to anything bigger than her family. Partly, this is because her childhood has forced her to act logically and realistically. But there is a problem with not caring about a corrupt system because she can't change it at all. She's bitter, but she won't focus on anything more than herself for a while. Gale, on the other hand, is an idealist. Instead of being merely bitter about the Capitol, he's built up a rage. However, he's also seriously thought about just running away, which says a few things. While he hates the system, he would rather leave it than change it for everyone else. One might be tempted to say he was selfish, but he also has sacrificed his life for his family. I think he just likes the idea of an escape from the daunting life ahead of him. He also seems to already like Katniss. He'd be willing to run away and live with only her, and makes a small remark that if he lived somewhere else, he'd want kids.
Now, for the most part, I want to stay outside the love triangle of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. I think that deserves a separate post on its own, based on its intricacies. So I'll skip to some of the other characters we know by the first few chapters. Prim needs a lot of development. Sure, she mostly symbolizes the innocence and family Katniss is trying to protect, but she has to make her own impression on the story. I'm a little mad about how she acts so far. What does it say, that she's twelve? She giggles and quacks when Katniss says she's a little duck. She acts like she's five. Similarly, the mother playing the role of the scared and useless parent may be all she's meant to be, but I turns her into a plot device instead of a character. Katniss refuses to forgive her, which is a hurdle she'll need to jump before the trilogy is over for full character development.
Which brings us to the Reaping. After Katniss volunteers in the stead of Prim, there's the scene where all of District 12 refuses to clap, instead doing the classic three finger salute. This is a fantastic moment, especially considering the other books, where you get an idea of how dangerous that is. It's also impressive that not a single person was cowed into applauding. District 12 is much stronger than we first see, that they're fed up with The Hunger Games. I'm partly surprised that President Snow didn't punish them in some way.
We also meet Peeta. The kindness he brings the story is a breath of fresh air. Except Peeta, this book is lacking in legitimately kind people. In a book bemoaning society's brutality, this kind of character is essential- the other side. Honestly, I think I'd enjoy him being the narrator. What would it be like to fall in love with a girl, and ten years later you're forced to fight to the death with her? That's a strong hook right there, even without the rest of the book's premise. I'm curious as to what his thought process is during this whole thing, especially at how he came to the conclusion of pitching the star-crossed lovers. There he was, about to die with the girl he had a crush on since he was five. So he makes a plan to announce it to the world, for sponsors. Being the shy guy he was, this way he could see how she reacted while he still had a back-up. But let's back up a bit to talk about the Capitol.
When Katniss and Peeta go to the Capitol, we see Collins' satire on our society in full. We are self-obsessed gluts who conform our lives to trends and fads. I think this is where the message of the book hits me hardest- when Katniss comes from her awful living conditions to find the sickening glamor of the upper class. And while we may enjoy the thrilling storyline, or the love triangle, the book seems to be asking us, "How dare we live like this? How dare we leave others starving to live in such pomp, how dare we find entertainment in people's tribulations?" We are the ultimate consumerist society, and it's becoming utterly corrupt. However, part of this seems inevitable. Discontentment is contagious. You see Katniss slightly changing over her short time in the Capitol. For instance, it talks of her snacking in her room, then feeling "starved" when Effie calls her down to dinner. So recently she really was starving. We will naturally change our lifestyles to fit the expectations others hold around us.
Another lesson I took away at this point of the lesson was, if our lives didn't revolve around entertainment, what could we be doing in our free time? There was so much Katniss wasn't able to do back home because she had to always hunt. Without that necessity, people fill in the time gaps with the media. I think managing our time wisely is important. At the same time, however, I think society is overloading us with activities and useless obligations that clutter our lives more than is necessary. I think priorities are important to sort out, and while many of our life obligations can't be helped- school, friends, sports, jobs, and service- I think much of our lives' organization could be adjusted. Back on topic.
When Peeta announces his love for Katniss, I feel bad for the poor guy. The worst reaction you can possibly get is to have the girl of your dreams beat you up when you tell her you love her. And then when you explain that it was a plot to save your lives, she says sorry, she thought you were serious. His final scene on the rooftop before they go into the games is his strongest moment of the book.
The moment they enter the games, the book turns into literary candy for a while. While it's exciting to read about Katniss' adventures in the games, it takes a break from the harsh criticism of the world and turns into more of what you'd expect from a Young Adult book. It was still highly enjoyable, and well executed. My one complaint is that if Katniss could shoot the eye out of a squirrel, you'd think once she got a bow, the others would be as good as dead. There are multiple opportunities for her to shoot her opponents. perhaps if she had explained that shendidn't feel comfortable killing people yet?
Once Rue dies, the power of the book reaches its apex. As far as I'm concerned, this was the climax of the book, where we feel most acutely what Katniss is up against and why it's evil. Plus, we get some heavy foreshadowing on Prim's eventual death. Or at least on how difficult it will be for Katniss. She mentally thought of Rue as Prim, which was partly why the death was so difficult for her. In order for her to be pushed all the way, she'll have to let Prim go, too.
As she begins to work with Peeta, I can't stop wishing I could see the other characters' storylines. Is Haymitch breaking out of his alcoholic habits, so caught up in the games and finally feeling like he has a purpose? Is Gale watching, unable to look away but unable to bear that Katniss is making out with Peeta on television? Is Katniss' mom shocked to find out that the Peeta's dad was in love with her, or did he tell her when they were young? There's a lot going on, and we only see a sliver of it.
In the final showdown, the muttations were a magnificent card to play, with the "ghosts" of the previous tributes come to haunt the final players. Logically, I've got a complaint on Cato and Katniss not killing each other even with the danger of the dogs right on them. As soon as they kill the other team, the game is over, as will be the danger. So when Cato barrels through Peeta and Katniss to escape the hounds, he could have slashed them both and won.
And then the berries! I'm surprised nothing like this has happened in the 73 previous years of the Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta pretend to do suicide by eating the berries, thinking somehow that it would me more of a slap in the face of the government for there to be no contestant than to give in and allow multiple. But it works, and Peeta and Katniss are out. We see one final example of Katniss being a jerk, drawing her bow on Peeta, before she feels guilty about deciding to kill her friend, and thinks of a way out. And a way out she finds! Out of The Hunger Games they go, and into the problems of the real world.
Haymitch is becoming a stronger character, fighting with the Capitol who wanted to sexualize Katniss (also an eerie echo of the real world's media). Aside from him, however, no one seems to have changed as a character throughout this book. I guess we'll have to wait for the next books.
As I've said before, this was a wonderfully done Young Adult book. It has strong themes, characters that feel real, and a plot that'll keep teens attached. However, it was definitely only a first step. Though it succeeded in being a strong solitary book, it also had a lot of promise that she'll have to carry through. In my opinion, however, those promises are broken. In a trilogy, the first book should not be the strongest. In this case, it was, and the quality of the books go downhill from here.
