Hob, Reaping Day/the Hunger Games, mining, and Valentine's Day. Hunger Games - Rated: K - English - Hurt/Comfort/Drama - Chapters: 7 - Words: 1. Reviews: 2. 1 - Favs: 1. Follows: 4 - Updated: 4/4/2. Published: 2/9/2. Katniss E., Gale H. The official website for The Hunger Games, featuring book, film and author information, plus free downloads and games. THE HUNGER GAMES SUZANNE COLLINS. Home; The Author; The Books; Press & Reviews; Downloads; Games; Hungry. I think she is falling more for Peeta. In the first book 'Hunger Games' she obviously doesn't even know Peeta exists in the beginning but at the same time she doesn't LOVE Gale. Focus: Books Hunger Games, Since. Hunger Games - Rated: K+ - English - Hurt. Prim is Gale's little sister, and Rory is Katniss's little brother. Hunger Games - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama. Greek Myth, Big Brother, and the Love Triangle. The Hunger Games series is among the most successful franchises in the past decade, and its success is well deserved. Suzanne Collins does more than tell the story of tragic star- crossed lovers or the much maligned teen love triangle, she created a world with a brutal bloodsport and a lurking rebellion against totalitarianism. At the center of it is the very strong heroine, Katniss Everdeen. The games are at the core of the first novel and the series. It is a classical tribute system based on the labyrinth of King Minos. Young men and women were forced to enter the large labyrinth only to be devoured by the Minotaur. It wasn’t until Theseus defeated the Minotaur that the nightmare ended. Katniss’s unlikely victories in the first and second games largely accomplishes the same thing. After his victory, Theseus didn’t kill King Minos, rather he escaped with the other tributes back home. The famous mythology expert Joseph Campbell would say the myth of Theseus, the labyrinth and the minotaur has a certain spiritual and psychological truth that appeals to humanity no matter what era. This would explain why the Hunger Games series is so successful today. It is the triumph of the hero over barbarism and primal violence (the beastly minotaur that is half- man and half- beast). Suzanne Collins utilizes reality TV and a totalitarian/big brother government similar to the Soviet Union, in place of King Minos and Crete. The people of the Capitol of Panem are so desensitized to violence, they enjoy watching children murder each other on television. The scenes of parents giving children fake weapons similar to those wielded by the victors or their favorite tributes demonstrates the detachment in a deeply disturbing way. This sort of cognitive dissonance and lack of empathy has happened many times in history. The gladiatorial games and execution of Christians in the Colosseum of Rome is the best known example. One would think we’ve progressed past such things but with what is on TV today one has to wonder. People are fascinated with the serial killer in Dexter, watch drunk idiots fight with one another on countless reality shows, and enjoy violent movies of all kinds. The UFC is among the most popular sports. Football is America’s sport, replacing the much more gentle baseball. We are still a long way from Panem or Rome, but the trends in today’s society show we are capable of becoming desensitized. For some, the Hunger Games highlights a very serious concern about American society and where it may be heading. Personally, I share some of these concerns but don’t think we are on the verge of watching real fights to the death on TV. The totalitarian state of Panem is extremely terrifying. It reminds me very much of George Orwell’s 1. It is also very similar to the experiences of many people in the former Soviet Union. Such a system did not exist in Greek or Roman times. Collins brought a modern terror, a brutal police state, and incorporated it into the ancient myth. It is really a very impressive innovation on her part. Her descriptions of district 1. Katniss’s experiences in the Capitol, and the discussions of rebellion in a police state feel incredibly real.
I think its hard for Americans to relate to this part of the book because we live in a free society. No matter how much we bitch and moan, the United States is five hundred times freer than the Soviet Union, Communist China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Ancient Rome, for that matter. The love triangle certainly creates an appeal among teenage girls. This third ingredient expands the franchise’s appeal to probably the most lucrative demographic. It’s easy for guys to scoff at this, but one cannot ignore the popularity of complicated teenage romances. It shouldn’t discourage people from seeing the movies or reading the books. The Hunger Games is not like Twilight. Twilight is an example of an indulgent love triangle pasted into a fantasy story involving vampires, the sexiest monsters in history. Their really isn’t anything else relevant in the series. Bella Swan is neither attractive nor smart. She is no heroine, instead she is often the victim or target. The heroes of the series aren’t that impressive either. There is nothing really interesting or amazing about Edward or Jacob. Their charm comes form their supernatural power, not really anything else. Twilight is just a teenage girl’s romantic fantasy. Bella Swan is meant to be an average girl, perhaps even a little on the unattractive side. Yet in the story two incredibly attractive and powerful guys are desperate for her affection. It has given rise to the internet meme “Still a better love story than Twilight.”The Hunger Games has a similar love triangle, two love- struck guys one girl, but there are some key differences. First, Katniss Everdeen is an actual heroine, not a helpless prize. She is a strong character with plenty of admirable qualities. She is the one who saves others, including her male counterpart Peeta. Katniss doesn’t have unattractive teenage girl problems, she has life- and- death problems. She is the symbol of rebellion for a reason, and it’s not because of her “special” blood. Still, Peeta is in love with Katniss, but nobody can explain why. Katniss is abrasive, cold, and has admitted no interest in boys other than as hunting buddies. His affections post- games makes sense but he was supposedly in love with her before that. Her affection for Peeta was more or less a trick to survive. Peeta accepted this, then still gushes about her left and right. The Katniss- Gale side of the triangle is the only one that makes sense. I love the series, largely because of the vivid descriptions of the games and the horrific totalitarian police state. Katniss’s internal monologues are also fascinating. She bears little resemblance to the typical teenage American girl. In other words, she doesn’t have first- world white girl problems. It is really refreshing in the wake of Twilight. I’ve finished the second book and plan to see the movie. The final book is on my to- read list for next year. J. This entry was posted in Science Fiction/Fantasy, Writing and tagged dystopia, mythology, science fiction, The Hunger Games, totalitarianism, Twilight. Bookmark the permalink.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2016
Categories |