Thoughts on The Hunger Games

By now everyone and his brother has read and/or watched The Hunger Games, so here’s another book review to add to the pile...

Plot summary:

The story takes place in what was formerly the United States. Panem is its new name, a tyrannical government with 12 vassal districts that are predominantly controlled by slow starvation and martial law. As punishment for a past rebellion and to keep the populace under its thumb, two “tributes”, a girl and boy, are chosen at random from the children in each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games. These are fights to the death in a specially prepared arena for the televised entertainment of the Capitol’s hedonistic citizens and the torture of the districts. The victor’s reward is fame, money, and above all no fear of starvation ever again. The heroine, Katniss Everdeen, from District 12 volunteers to take her 12-year-old sister’s place to save her from almost certain death. Her fellow tribute is Peeta Mellark, the son of a baker, who saved Katniss and her family from starvation. As the story unfolds, Katniss and Peeta must fight for their lives until only one tribute is left. Who will be the victor?

[Warning: Spoiler alert.]

Author Suzanne Collins knows how to spin a gripping tale. The reader is drawn immediately into the horror of the games and the anguish of families who are forced to send their children to be murdered at the hands of other children year after year. You feel the battle in Katniss’ soul as she hates the Capitol’s machinations but is drawn to the idea of returning as a victor so her family will never want again. Katniss also knows she and her family owes Peeta their lives, yet it is kill or be killed. The story is violent but Collins is not overly graphic. However, I admit to quickly skimming over several sections.

Collins has also created a character that captures the imagination and admiration of her target audience. Katniss is everything the typical American 16-year-old girl is not. You won’t find a bored, whiny, emotionally fragile mall-crawler but an Amazon with a bow and arrow. She’s an outdoorsman who can survive in the wild but younger and much more attractive than Euell Gibbons. She takes charge of her family after her father’s death and mother’s descent into depression. To top it all off, she’s the love interest of two male characters.

Even though this was a page-turner, some things didn’t click for me. There were many events that seemed glossed over and others which were described in great detail particularly descriptions of food and clothing. However, the story is told from Katniss’ perspective, so perhaps these are things that would grab the attention of a poor young girl. At times I was frustrated with the first person narration as I wanted an omniscient narrator to make sense of this twisted world.

I didn’t find the stunt with the berries believable. The idea that the jaded, sensation-seeking, bloodthirsty Capitol would cave for a double suicide in order to keep the climax of the games from falling flat fell flat IMO. But perhaps the author is trying to portray a society that is so amoral and so entertainment-driven that it could flit from eagerly watching a boy being eaten alive to swooning over a pair of star-crossed lovers.

Now for the moral implications:

The games are sick and morally repugnant. As a mother, I could feel the anger rising in my gut at the thought of children being forced to kill or be killed. To make it worse, the event is touted as the media event of the year which the populace must pretend to enjoy. The tributes are given stylists to turn them into the latest celebrities even though they will be murdered or become murderers.

While many readers are ready to canonize Katniss for her self sacrifice, I’m not ready to do that. She is living in a godless world and is true to that worldview. She has nothing to live for other than her immediate existence and the possibility of furthering her family’s existence. Katniss has no one she can trust beyond herself. Friendship is built on the expediency of the moment, such as the brief alliance between Katniss and Thresh. He saves her life and lets her go because she tried to save his friend, but if they cross paths again, all bets are off. 

Would I recommend reading this with your older teen? Yes, and here's why:

1. Moral relativism has gagged us to the point where teachers were counseled to not make moral judgments about the terrorists on the first anniversary of 9/11. The Hunger Games portrays evil. We need to learn to recognize it and call it for what it is.

2. Whether its books or movies, Christians can by Pollyannaish. We want to find a good guy in every story. We latch onto one positive characteristic and then connect the dots and fill in the blanks to satisfy that need. While it may make us feel good, we aren't learning discernment. THG isn’t black and white but black with a whole lot of gray IMO. This is an opportunity to practice discerment by examining character and actions in the light of scripture. This book gives examples of total depravity and common grace.

3. The games are nothing more than glorified and gory-fied reality TV. The entertainment culture wants to become part of our souls in a far greater way than when I was a kid. Will we let it?

4. As Christians we have something to live and die for that is outside of ourselves and beyond this life. How does this change our view of suffereing? Why does that give us hope?

5. God is sovereign and in control even over the most catastrophic and horrific events in world history. Can we trust Him and trust His purposes even when it doesn't make sense to us? What is my purpose for living?

Do you agree or disagree? Regardless this is a good opportunity to teach ourselves and our kids to think clearly and biblically, to examine what the culture is saying, and to push back with the truth.