The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

I'm sure I'm not the first person to draw a connection between The Hunger Games and the Japanese film Battle Royale – a movie in which a class of students are forced to fight to the death. When I told a friend that I was taking this course at the start of the semester, she said, “Oh, I bet you're reading The Hunger Games, aren't you?” Somehow I had managed to avoid ever hearing about this book, even though it is apparently massively popular. When I read it, I quickly figured out why.

The book is exciting and has a powerful and compelling plot. Though the tone of the novel is inherently dark, I would draw parallels to other compelling texts such as Harry Potter; the kind of texts that make non-readers read.

That said, I'm not sure I would be comfortable incorporating this text into my classroom (though I would present it as an option for choice reading). The use of violence throughout the text, in my mind, does not serve a purpose; it is not representative of any greater political message, and it doesn't further the plot. Rather, violence – or violence and survival – forms the crux of the plot.

Perhaps this speaks to my lack of ability as a reader, but I had difficulty unpacking the text. There was an overarching theme of an over-controlling government, violating individual liberties to exert authoritarian control and exact what amounts to petty revenge in the form of making an example out of those who rebel. However, if this theme was somehow supposed to apply as a commentary on a modern-day situation, I personally had difficulties drawing any parallel.

Ultimately, what drew me in to this book were the interpersonal relationships between the characters. While others may draw on the romantic aspects of the text regarding Katniss and Peeta, I found the relationship between Katniss and Rue particularly engaging. It seemed less cliché; it wasn't a relationship born out of romance (contrived or otherwise), nor could both Katniss and Rue both win, making the allegiance futile over the long term. Yet it spoke to the desperation of human nature as well as the roll that sentimentality can play in the face of danger.

The text struck me as well written, engaging, and at times heartbreaking. This one will go on my list to read again when I can approach it for my own benefit rather than in an academic context.