The Hunger Games?

SO, I started and have almost finished The Hunger Games, in a span of about three days. The other night was when I read the bulk of it and the words had a complete grip over my every thought and action, which amounted to my ever so constant thought, "I wonder what is going to happen next?" and my continuous cycled actions of reading and turning the pages. After reading most of the book I started to think why it was so intriguing, and this is what I came to conclude:

Characters: I usually prefer the main character of a book to be male, not because I'm sexist or anything of the sort, but because I can relate to them better. Katniss completely blew my stereotype out of the water though. This is the first book where I've ever felt empathy and really connected to a female character. Her will to fight, not always for herself, but her for her family is something I can really relate too. Her sense of self worth and pride as she always tries to pay back her debt and allows her word to be her bond and oath. Her extreme determination to keep trying even though the odds are against her, and especially, her outbursts of rage as she struggles against the world. I could even relate to her confusion with all the political scheming and her conflicting emotions about who she really liked and about her future. Katniss is truly an admirable character and an embodiment of a fighter, I look forward to reading more in the next book, Catching Fire.

Plot: The plot, although extreme, is right on the money about life for me. Everyday people are struggling and you see all the good that you could do in the world but its hard enough to get by without helping others. Your priorities are sorted by necessity and thus you end up just looking out for yourself and family. One person can only do so much in the place their put in and sometimes its an accomplishment just to survive. This is how life is in District 12. Then the games begin and I see characters being thrown into turmoil and tricky situations. There is a nonstop cycle of trying to beat someone out or trying to impress an important person so maybe they'll help you in the future. The more the characters, and essentially us, try to escape the more fate bears down on them and forces them to realize that this is their path and its better to embrace it then to fight it. After fate knocks the characters down they realize there is no escape, just wiggle room in which to plant rebellion. Limited space and time in which sticking it to the man is possible and while they may not be able to escape, they can bend the rules to their favor. In the end of the games its not really who is better, its who can think the best. Society today is exactly the same. Governments and bosses and teachers and administrators all try and get you to do what they want. Do the job you've been assigned to. Not everyone is given an equally hard assignment but everyone has to follow the rules or be punished in some way, whether it be a poor grade, expulsion, or even being fired, everyone has to suffer their consequence. Those who succeed aren't always those who get the best grades or score highest in the SAT, its who outsmarts everyone else. The one kid who sucks up to the teacher might just be given that extra grade bump at the end of the semester, the guy who brings in donuts and works hard, staying late sometimes gets the promotion over the guy with the better ideas. Just as Katniss sows her small signs of rebellion throughout the games: the pin, volunteering for a job nobody wants, winning in a losing district, or appearing to commit suicide with Peeta at the end of the games; we must approach life with the same type of attitude. We ought to use the little freedoms that we have under the rules to be creative and change the rules to our favor. Show the "Capitols" of life that we have just as much right to make the rules as they do and that were free to do what we want.


This has been a long post but I can't stop talking about this book and the impact it can have if you look below the surface at all the symbols. I would strongly recommend reading it and hope that I'll find the last few chapters as riveting as the previous pages.