Okay, so we could discuss lots of things that makes The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and now Mockingjay so popular. The inventive plot. The quick pacing. The fact that it strikes a fear in our hearts, makes us realize what our world could become.
For me, it's the characters. Let's examine.
Katniss Everdeen: She's brave, even when she doesn't want to be. Everything she does, she's not sure about. (Who doesn't feel like that?) When she thinks she's screwed up, or when she's just doing what's natural, it comes across as being heroic, beautiful. (Who doesn't want their normal, everyday actions to influence people's lives?) She's loyal and caring, but at the same time she's got her opinions and she's not afraid to let anyone know.
She's brilliant.
Peeta Mellark: He's quiet, reserved, and undoubtedly in love with Katniss. His motives are purely to make sure she stays safe--or as safe as possible. (Who doesn't want someone like that in their life?) He's talented with paint and flour, sensitive, yet ferocious. (Who doesn't want a man who can cook as well as offer protection?)
He's adorable.
Gale Hawthorne: He's the childhood friend, the strong silent one through the first two books. (Don't worry, no spoilers here.) He's Katniss's equal in strength, in cunning, in temperament. (Who doesn't want someone who completes them in every way?) Even though he's not around much during the Games, he worms his way into the arena, into the reader's hearts.
He's swoonworthy. (Yeah, okay, I'm on Team Gale.)
President Snow: He's evil personified. The way he threatens Katniss in those subtle ways, the way he takes the individual pieces of her life and crunches them before her eyes. *shudder*
He's the perfect antagonist.
I could go on and on about Cinna and Haymitch and Rue and about a dozen others. I won't. Instead, I turn it over to you. Who do you love in The Hunger Games or Catching Fire? Why do you love them so much?
Also, if you think there's another reason for The Hunger Games coolness factor, spill spill! I'd love to discuss what makes this book (series) so successful.
Showing posts with label Suzanne Collins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suzanne Collins. Show all posts
Are the Games Believable?
Recently, author Nancy Kress—of whom I’m a big fan, btw—blogged that THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy disturbed her. She praised many things about the books: good writing, excitement, and an appealing heroine. And, the violence didn't particularly disturb her. What got Kress was the "psychological implausibility" of the premise:
Does she have a point? Wouldn’t parents do everything to protect their kids? We’d certainly like to think we’d go all “Mama Grizzly” when anyone came after our cubs.
So, why didn’t the parents become enraged she-bears in THE HUNGER GAMES?
Let's start with the back story. The Capital has thrust the games on the populace as a measure of control. The games are supposed to demoralize the people, who are already living at subsistence levels (at least in most of the districts). And, an earlier uprising resulted in the obliteration of District 13. So, under the fear of reprisals—which may also include becoming voiceless slaves in the Capital—parents grudgingly stand by while their child is selected for the Games. Certainly, some parents must fight back or hide their children, but hungry and scared people will do things we well-fed citizens of democracy may shudder at—just to keep the rest of their family alive.
What about our world? Kress writes that “not even Rome had child gladiators.” Maybe not. But here and now, thousands upon thousands of children are trafficked for:
So, I'm willing to suspend disbelief and buy the premise of the Games. And so are many, many other adult readers.
However, does it really matter if THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy is psychologically believable from our perspective? Is the experience of the Games really about what might happen in the future? Or is the story more about being a teenager now? Maybe the story resonates—and is thus psychologically believable—because it’s about the feeling trapped in a system outside your own control (like school) and being forced to compete with your peers.
What do you all think? Is the premise of Suzanne Collins’ fantastic trilogy plausible—psychologically or otherwise? Do the Games need to be believable for both adults and teens? Discuss.
We're expected to believe that torturing their children keeps parents passive, rather than as enraged as a she-bear with cubs.
I don't believe it. Parents would not passively send twelve-year-olds, year after year, to torture. An entire population would not watch these televised Games without a resistance movement arising sooner than 75 years.
Does she have a point? Wouldn’t parents do everything to protect their kids? We’d certainly like to think we’d go all “Mama Grizzly” when anyone came after our cubs.So, why didn’t the parents become enraged she-bears in THE HUNGER GAMES?
Let's start with the back story. The Capital has thrust the games on the populace as a measure of control. The games are supposed to demoralize the people, who are already living at subsistence levels (at least in most of the districts). And, an earlier uprising resulted in the obliteration of District 13. So, under the fear of reprisals—which may also include becoming voiceless slaves in the Capital—parents grudgingly stand by while their child is selected for the Games. Certainly, some parents must fight back or hide their children, but hungry and scared people will do things we well-fed citizens of democracy may shudder at—just to keep the rest of their family alive.
What about our world? Kress writes that “not even Rome had child gladiators.” Maybe not. But here and now, thousands upon thousands of children are trafficked for:
- Soldiers
- Sex slaves
- Labor (e.g., diamond mines)
- Sports (e.g., camel jockeys)
So, I'm willing to suspend disbelief and buy the premise of the Games. And so are many, many other adult readers.
However, does it really matter if THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy is psychologically believable from our perspective? Is the experience of the Games really about what might happen in the future? Or is the story more about being a teenager now? Maybe the story resonates—and is thus psychologically believable—because it’s about the feeling trapped in a system outside your own control (like school) and being forced to compete with your peers.
What do you all think? Is the premise of Suzanne Collins’ fantastic trilogy plausible—psychologically or otherwise? Do the Games need to be believable for both adults and teens? Discuss.
Are We Getting Close to The Hunger Games?
No, seriously--Jersey Shore, The Real Housewives of NJ, Keeping up with the Kardashians, the one where that vile woman hooks millionaires up with bimbos--they make me crazy. I know, I know, I shouldn't take them so seriously but they key off this knee jerk anger in me.
Why?
Well for one, see above. That's a picture of the aftermath when Jersey Shore Cast member Nicole Polizzi (Snooki) was punched in the face by some agro meathead at a bar while filming the show. Reality TV is a form that revels in this kind of ugliness. When the inevitable violence breaks out there's some pro forma handwringing (generally done over a video loop of said violence) and then it's back to business. I've never considered myself to be of delicate sensibilities, but I just can't take it.
The other reason is the manipulation involved. It's not exactly breaking news that reality TV isn't real. That reality TV is a misnomer isn't what bothers me though, what bothers me is how the form takes real three dimensional human beings gives them nicknames and reduces them to a stock series of (usually ugly) personality traits and contrived story arcs. Not only does this dehumanize the participants but it asks us to look at other people as objects that exist for our amusement.
Young girl punched in the face at a bar? That's not Nicole Polizzi, 22 year old from New York. That's just Snooki. That's entertainment. Doesn't that dehumanize us too?
As Beth discussed yesterday, one of Suzanne Collins' inspirations for The Hunger Games was classical myths. Well the other one was, you guessed it, reality TV. Collins said she was watching TV late one night, flipping past a barrage of reality TV shows that got mixed in with news of the Iraq war and Katniss and The Hunger Games was born from that combination.
I think one way to look at the series is as a very biting comment on this kind of "reality" spectacle. Sure, maybe we don't watch young people kill each other, but we do watch humiliation and violence (again, see above) and horrendous misogyny. Sometimes we pause for a moment of uplift, but then it's right back in the gutter.
Maybe what we see in the Hunger Games is an escalation of all the programs that show us hordes of the most abhorrent people imaginable--the vain, the intolerant, the deluded, the rageaholics--trapped in shore houses and McMansions clawing at each other on their way to....what?
A little bit of money? Fame? The validation that comes from being seen?
I mean, geez, at least Katniss was fighting for her life!
In what way do you guys see Collins using Katniss and the struggles of her fellow tributes to comment on reality TV? How does the fact that all these people are on a reality TV show effect the plot of the story? Also what does this sort of reality game say about the government that sponsors it and the people who watch it?
(PS: Ok maybe not all reality TV is awful. I have to admit that I'm a big Project Runway and Top Chef fan. At least nobody is getting punched out on those.)
Getting Ready for Book Club (and Mockingjay)
Next week, we’ll be discussing Suzanne Collins’ books THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE. (And don’t forget the MOCKINGJAY giveaway!) So, this week I thought I’d give everyone who hasn’t read them (or needs a little reminder) a brief run-down on both books. I’ll try to stay clear of the spoilers as much as possible.
Hunger Games
In the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem is divided into twelve districts, with the Capital controlling all with a very tight fist. Katniss Everdeen (16) lives in the 12th district. She and her friend Gale hunt and forage for food in the forest surrounding their impoverished mining district. Both of them provide the main source of food for their families. Life is hard in most of the districts, and the Capital makes it even harder once a year. During the Reaping, two teenage tributes from each district are chosen by lottery to fight to death in the Hunger Games. When her baby sister, Prim, is chosen from District 12, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Along with Peeta, the baker’s son, she travels to the Capital and competes in the games.
C
atching Fire (Spoilers!)
Katniss wins the Hunger Games (and saves Peeta) with an act of defiance against the Capital. She and Peeta travel back to District 12 as victors. However, the Capital isn’t done with them. The President sends them on a rather cruel Victory Tour of the districts. And, every 25 years, the Capital can add a special twist to the Hunger Games. The Capital announces that the 75th Hunger Games will pit past victors of the games against each other. Katniss and Peeta will have to fight in the games again. Meanwhile, talk of rebellion is spreading through the districts.
For those of you who have read the books, what District would you represent? (Being from Southwest Virginia, I’m pretty sure I’d be in District 12, aka the Seam.) What were your favorite parts of either book? Why do you think these books have become so extraordinarily popular?
btw, don't forget to register for the Mockingjay giveaway! Please don't sign up more than once, though.
Hunger Games
In the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem is divided into twelve districts, with the Capital controlling all with a very tight fist. Katniss Everdeen (16) lives in the 12th district. She and her friend Gale hunt and forage for food in the forest surrounding their impoverished mining district. Both of them provide the main source of food for their families. Life is hard in most of the districts, and the Capital makes it even harder once a year. During the Reaping, two teenage tributes from each district are chosen by lottery to fight to death in the Hunger Games. When her baby sister, Prim, is chosen from District 12, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Along with Peeta, the baker’s son, she travels to the Capital and competes in the games.
C
atching Fire (Spoilers!)Katniss wins the Hunger Games (and saves Peeta) with an act of defiance against the Capital. She and Peeta travel back to District 12 as victors. However, the Capital isn’t done with them. The President sends them on a rather cruel Victory Tour of the districts. And, every 25 years, the Capital can add a special twist to the Hunger Games. The Capital announces that the 75th Hunger Games will pit past victors of the games against each other. Katniss and Peeta will have to fight in the games again. Meanwhile, talk of rebellion is spreading through the districts.
For those of you who have read the books, what District would you represent? (Being from Southwest Virginia, I’m pretty sure I’d be in District 12, aka the Seam.) What were your favorite parts of either book? Why do you think these books have become so extraordinarily popular?
btw, don't forget to register for the Mockingjay giveaway! Please don't sign up more than once, though.
August Book Club Selection
Since MOCKINGJAY will be coming out at the end of the month, August's Book Club selection is the HUNGER GAMES / CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins. So, read one or both books (as if you haven't already), and swing by the blog during the week of August 23rd to discuss!
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