“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead.The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.”
Catch me if you can. It’s a game almost all of us have played at some point in our lives, as children, siblings, adults running behind children, or even adults wanting to relive their childhood. But, how much of it is really a game? Life as a universal entity, is nothing but a game of catching up; all of us are running behind something - money, fame, revenge, people, ideals, happiness. It’s not a coincidence that Thomas Jefferson included the phrase ‘pursuit of happiness’ in the Declaration of Independence, it was true back then, it is true now and this inherent need to fill a constant gaping void in life is what will ensure that this maxim will remain true in the future, be it utopian or dystopian. What will change, however, is the very definition of what makes us happy.
“The Hunger Games” trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins belongs to that era of YA fiction where fantasy wasn’t fantastical, and where imagination reeled the readers into a world so unlike their own, but that felt even closer than home. Set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian America, now known as Panem, this series follows the protagonist Katniss Everdeen, as she navigates her way through volunteering as a tribute in place of her sister to compete in the annual Hunger Games against 23 others from the 12 districts of Panem. As the series progresses, it follows the journey of Katniss eventually becoming the personification of a revolution that brings the entire system to its knees.
The first in the series, “The Hunger Games” sets the stage to ensure that the readers fall in love with Katniss. Her ruthlessness is just as captivating as her protectiveness for those whom she loves. Narrated in first person, the novel allows us a glimpse into Katniss’ analytical mind as she fights against all odds to ultimately not just survive, but also ensure that her partner Peeta lives too, effectively beating the Capitol at their own game.
This provocation leads to the second book, “Catching Fire” which, in our opinion, is the highlight of the series. It serves as a transitory narrative from a submissive Panem, to a revolution that ensures the complete destruction of the Capitol. Though a little drawn out, the narrative picks up when everyone is back in the arena with little to no hope of survival. Although “Catching Fire” has been dismissed for being too much of a plot facilitating bridge, however, it is also the book where there is a great deal of evolution among characters and their personal story lines, fleshing out the story a little more.
The culmination of this trilogy is “Mockingjay” which frankly may not quite match up to its predecessors, despite being the finale. A consistent point of criticism for “The Hunger Games” is that the first person narrative often makes things contrived to fit the notion that the readers gain information at the same time as Katniss; this is a double-edged sword because in “Mockingjay” since Katniss is not constantly involved in the action, several crucial parts of the revolution are imply reported to the reader. The final book also draws a lot of flak for its ending, but while the ending is hardly emotionally fulfilling, it does feel quite appropriate.
“The Hunger Games”, unlike several others in the genre, is not a book that necessarily requires falling in love with its characters, rooting for or hating any of them. The experience of reading this series is enhanced when one takes a look at the deeper, overarching theme of this story - rebellion against gross injustice, and perhaps that is why themes such as Katniss’ love triangle and other character-driven points may feel disoriented at times. These points, however, can also be the solace for readers who do not necessarily wish to confront the darker, deeper implications of these books, hence can’t be held as a flaw.
What sets “The Hunger Games” trilogy apart from the other YA fiction, is that, like “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the basic premise is one that has already been witnessed by the world in real life. A dictator wanting to douse out any spark of rebellion by trapping a few people as symbols and pitting them against each other for the whole world to watch? Take out the arena and the human version of cock fighting, and we are left with an eerily familiar reflection in our own world. It is a somber reminder as to what the future could look like, if we don’t get our house in order. Despite how devastating the ending of this series was, we feel it is fitting in a sense. The moral questions that “The Hunger Games” raises do not allow for easy answers. In fact, many of those questions are ones we'd rather not ever think of. But the end of the series pushes them to the forefront, not in a confronting manner, but one that gently coaxes the answers out. Perhaps this is the reason why you must have seen more and more young people speaking out against injustice, because the books they’ve read, including this trilogy have given them the chance to understand these realities for themselves.
War is not pleasant, but they erupt out of necessity. The devastating impact of war is much more visible than its positive outcome. "Mockingjay" ends with children playing in a graveyard, a disturbing image indeed, but it is also a symbol of hope for the future generations. Had it not been for the revolution, those very children would not have been running carefree, but instead living each day in fear of whether their name would be picked out of the fish bowl of chits...chits that seal a person's fate. The positive outcomes do not emerge immediately after a war, they are entangled with the burden of loss, grief and heartbreak. The cost of war; however, does not mean it does not bring about change. The revolution led to the downfall of Panem, the collapse of an institution that throughout the series seemed infallible. Thus, it makes a lot of sense that the conclusion of “The Hunger Games” was painful and the epilogue was a band-aid over a bullet wound; these are not things the characters or their society can heal from soon. The consequences of revolution and war will not guarantee immediate reform in that very generation, but it will teach a poignant lesson- one day those struggles will be the foundation of what makes lives worth living for many.
What everything eventually comes down to is what brings happiness to people. The dictator is happy with absolute control, the people are happy when they have the right to self-determination. There may be many instances where “The Hunger Games” doesn’t quite reach the mark, but it has never pretended to be more than the self-centred motivations of Katniss, which later snowballed into something much larger than the protagonist. Some may argue that the political themes aren’t executed as desired in the series but to us, “The Hunger Games” is a reminder of the heavy price of injustice, the toll that war takes on a society, and that moving from surviving to living one’s life is a long and complex path. Overall, it is a story that reminds readers why it is not just important to question those in power, but to question everything; real or not real.