Just a Hunger Games rant

So I just finished reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series for the second time. And yes I'll admit it took me the weekend to finish all three. They're that good. And I'm still somewhat engrossed in the tragic feeling that comes after you've finished an exceptional series (In the case of the Hunger Games, it's not quite as bad as Harry Potter but it's dang close). I don't know if this rings true for anyone else but when I'm in the midst of a novel, I find myself literally IN the story. The characters' pain is my pain. Their joy, my joy. So when I finish a book I have to remind myself that I didn't just participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games. It's an almost painful feeling; coming back to the bland and thrill-free reality I find in Provo, Utah. Ah well. The grass is always greener I suppose.

Anyhow. The first time I read the series, I was so completely obsessed with it that I flew through without taking much time to dissect them. However, this second round, since I already knew the story, I was able to spend a little bit more time (yeah I know, all of three days. But in my defense, once you get going it's nearly impossible to stop). I've officially come to the conclusion that I loved all three books and am totally satisfied with how they ended. Most of what I've heard is the complete opposite and Collins has received some terrible reviews for the last two. Here's why I'm right.

Ok first of all *****SPOILER ALERT***** I tried really hard to be as general as possible and still give a convincing argument. All you really learn from the next few paragraphs is that a lot of people die and many find the end depressing- which if you know the synopsis at all, I'm sure you could have guessed that much. Regardless, you have been warned. Any exposure to unwanted knowledge about the series hereafter is no fault of mine.

Most of the arguments circle around the fact that the series has a "depressing" ending and most of the likable characters end up dead. These books are no Dr. Seuss rhymes. They're not supposed to be! If you pick up a book and the synopsis on the back tells you that a bunch of kids get put in an arena and have to fight to the death, please don't delude yourself into thinking it's going to end in rainbows and unicorns. The book is meant to reflect a dark reality. Obviously not our own reality, a possible one for our descendants. Collins wants her reader to reflect on their most inner selves and ask what kind of person they would be if put in the arena. Would they be a Career and rip other tributes' throats out with their teeth? Would they be the one forgetting who they are and doing any despicable act to stay alive? Or would they be the one who finds an opportunity to help someone else survive even if it means their own certain death?

While the idea of a modern day version of the Hunger Games arena seems extravagantly far-fetched to the modern American, acts of this horrific nature are not too far in our past. The Hunger Games series blatantly points to ancient Rome- when human beings deemed of a lesser quality were thrown into the Colosseum (a giant arena) and killed in gruesome manners for the entertainment of others. Nearly every Capitol member has a Roman name (Cinna, Flavius, Caesar, Octavia, etc.). Even the name of the nation (Panem) refers to an old Roman phrase describing the over-indulgence and desensitization of Roman citizens that led to the corruption of the governmental system (sound familiar?). Humans have proven that they have the capability to be as mindless and cruel as the characters in the book. Collins reminds us that if we're not vigilant, it's possible to descend to that level of barbarism again.

As far as the number of likable characters that die, I found it sad yet necessary. How many of us didn't gasp out loud when Sirius died? And I know I had a moment of silence after Dumbledore fell out of the astronomy tower. While it's a good literary technique that keeps the reader enraptured, each death means something as well. And while individually, they have their own symbolism, overall they point to the fact that when two forces oppose each other, there are always heart breaking tragedies on the lower levels. Now I'm no hippie and I know that sometimes war is necessary in order to prevent an even worse outcome. But it's callous to dismiss casualties because you don't know their name and don't want to know because caring can be painful. Collins brings these characters into her story and cuts them out viciously because she wants you to care and recognize that indifference is the first step towards cruelty.

Honestly, I could go on forever. I have nothing but praise for these books. There are a lot of other points from the opposing side that I'd like to address but it's midnight and I have to be getting to bed. Yet another day in Provo awaits me. Not Panem, not ancient Rome, not a third world country.... How blessed we all are.

May the odds be ever in your favor.