I struggled with The Hunger Games.
Still do, in many ways.
In general, I do not like to read post-apocalyptic or science fiction, so I didn’t want to read it.
But I did.
And I liked it.
I liked it a lot.
The premise of the book horrified me—a society so narcissistic and entitled, and a government so totalitarian—which forces children to kill children. I vacillated between whether or not it’s right to let my children watch the movie last weekend.
Maybe you did, too.
In the end, I let them.
And overall, I believe I made the right choice.
Here’s why.
First, I considered many movies and books of our time: Lord of the Flies is an obvious one; Star Wars when the evil Anakin kills younglings; Harry Potter; and The Patriot, to name just a few. Others where innocent lives are threatened and defended like To Kill a Mockingbird came to mind.
Second, I considered real-life examples of children forced to kill children in our world. The Holocaust is an obvious example, in particular the Nazi youth movements and the 11,000 French children who were slaughtered in the Vel D’Hiv round-up of 7 July 1942, and portrayed so movingly in the recent novel, Sarah’s Key.
“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us,” William Golding writes in Lord of the Flies.
Finally, I considered people in our world today who choose and force children to kill each other. In our own backyards, kids sell deadly drugs to other kids, and many believe unborn babies are a choice.
And men like Joseph Kony roam the planet.
You might have heard of Kony. He’s been on the news and a frequent trending topic on social media sites like Twitter, thanks to an organization called Invisible Children, Inc. headquartered in San Diego. Their work focuses on fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a militant group in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, and forcing children to kill. You can learn more about Kony and the movement to stop him at http://www.kony2012.com/.
So what’s all this have to do with The Hunger Games? Without giving away the movie, I believe its popularity comes from the knowing each of us has in our deepest parts that human beings are capable of—and indeed have committed—such atrocities.
In 1973, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote, “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart.”
On March 22, Chuck Colson wrote, “. . . although we are capable of the most sublime acts of charity, goodness and beauty, we are also capable of the most outrageous acts of depravity.”
What’s so good about The Hunger Games is how it portrays outrageous depravity. The power of the movie lies in the the courage of the few good and innocent ones left who rise up to try and stop the evil. Who fight for each other and fight for justice. Who still have heart and aren’t afraid and make us believe the world can be changed.
“I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games,” says Peeta Mellark, a main character in the series.
What’s so good about The Hunger Games is that it shows each of us has the potential to be more than just a piece.
Each of us has the potential to bring justice to the whole.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
Amy, I just found this post through The High Calling. This was great. I, too, enjoyed The Hunger Games, but I hadn’t fully thought through a defense of the book. Your post was very helpful. Thank you for writing it.
Thanks for visiting, Josh. A good defense is a good offense, right?
Powerful thoughts here today, Amy! I liked the book and the deeper message(s) behind the book as well. I like how you interpreted some here.
~ Wendy
Thanks, Wendy! So glad you visited!!!
Im also not a sci fi person, but i loved the book. On the other hand, i actually like apocalyptic film and books.
This series has really crossed over into a lot of folks who enjoy different genres. I think because it’s just plain good storytelling, at its core. Thanks, Jeyna!
I think it also brings to light interesting questions about reality TV. In the Hunger Games, all of the people who are oppressed by the Capital watch the games live in their homes. Even though their own loved ones are being forced to participate. Simply by watching, every citizen is participating in the madness. How far are we away from this? Are we on the slippery slope with reality TV?
Yeah, the reality TV thing really, really bothers me, too.
Amy, I struggled with HG immediately after I read it. I even vowed NOT to see the movie or read the next two books. Well, it took me less than 24 hours after the movie came out to see it.
Check out why: http://www.randomwritingrants.com
(Blog for teens. I hope. Soon.)
Great post. It’s fun to read the different perspectives and I can’t get my mind off of little Primrose or Gale. Are you a Gale or Peeta fan? Gotta know.
Indeed, I love all the discussion around it, and I do see both sides. I just think any time we can reflect parts of society in art which makes us really think–and even have heated discussions about it–it’s valuable and worth it to take notice. Thanks for visiting today!
I loved the comparing it to the Lord of the Flies! Thought about that as I read it. I find that we are coming close to this in our world. This was truly a book worthy of the hype. Believing that there is a goodness and innocence in people is what keeps me going. It was so refreshing to see it in the character of Rue. I also really loved the rebelling scenes in the movie. So powerful! So relevant!
I know, right? So many times throughout history it’s the art that disturbs society the most that impacts it the most. I love Rue, too!!!
The storyline didn’t appeal to me, but I’m reading it because of Jeff Goin’s blog post from earlier this week. He thinks THG is the future of writing and a style that writers must use if they want to be successful. I don’t agree with him, but I did want to see the writing that caused him to make such a statement. I wrote an article that links to his post, if you’re interested. As for the book, I’m about one-third of the way through it and, while I’m reading about the preparations for the game, the fine dining, interviews, etc., I find myself shaking my head often and saying, “They’re getting ready to kill each other.” It’s an odd read. But, like you say, this is happening everywhere, and it’s been happening since the beginning, really. Depravity, indeed. Thanks for your take on this. Maybe I’ll see the movie after all.
Hi Darla–I’ll have to check out Jeff’s post. I missed it. Interesting take–I didn’t really notice the writing style, which is unusual for me because I always have my internal editor on.
Anyway, I knew it was a good read when I was able to turn my internal editor off without noticing. Thanks for your take & for visiting!
Amy, I think you did a great job analyzing the movie. Sometimes it’s hard to see the positives in something that can be so dark. I like to believe that we all have the initiative to rise above what seems like the impossible. Thank you for your insight. I am glad to know you
Belated thanks for your message, Tanja. Glad to know you, too!
So glad to read a commentary from someone who GETS IT. When my 16 year old daughter asked me to read the books before we went to see the midnight premiere, I was ambivalent. After reading them, and seeing the movie – in my opinion, the arena is just a backdrop for the real story, which is the oppression of the government and the silencing of humanity. The districts dare not speak out against the government or else they are silenced forever. And just to remind them each year of the government’s total power, the games are held.
This is a great story, with lots of discussion fodder for its readers. And not just who’s cuter: Peeta or Gale.