The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, Catholic

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='Rowan d'Alexandre' timestamp='1338050672' post='2435158']
I've read all three books, watched the movie and debated whether or not Christians should be reading these books on a few other forums. I've never really looked at them through a Catholic viewpoint, so this is all real interesting. =)

@Catholic symbolism: I think the first page pretty much covered most of the Catholic parallels. In my opinion, Collins didn't intend to draw subtle elements of Christianity into the series. But that makes it so much more intriguing -- the fact that parallels to Christ, love and truth will show up in writing aimed at secular audiences.



Amen. This is why I wouldn't recommend the trilogy to younger teens, or even some older. Collins gives us a horrifically gritty, bloody setting, and then gives us a heroine who's trapped in this society with little chance of escape.

The element of minors being forced to kill each other is meant as a warning, IMHO, and not some gladiator-like entertainment. But [i]since [/i]Katniss is so helpless in her situation, and Collins doesn't give us a black-and-white distinction of Bad Guys and Good Guys, I think these books should be saved for kids/teens who can fully understand how the violence is truly being portrayed.



**SPOILERS**

But that's why Collins is such a great author. You don't throw away the non-important characters. You kill the characters your readers are attached to. Yeah, everyone loves Finnick because he's freakin epic. And you [i]cared[/i] when he died.

It might make you mad, but at least that's emotion. No emotion = bad storytelling.
[/quote]

I'm just saying I wish Katniss had died instead. She's so annoying as opposed to Finnick who was a really razzle dazzle guy.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I enjoyed the story and had only three real things I didn't like about the last book, and they were all at the end.

1) She killed coin and they had a trial, but she never spoke about why she did it to anybody. Collins went through such length to show how even district 13 wasn't all good, and the people never find out

2) Katniss voted FOR another hunger games..."for Prim" when she had already "vindicated" Prim

3) Coin from District 13 who never participated in the Hunger Games was the one who wanted another Hunger Game??? what sense does that make?

That being said. I liked the books. The scars of killing/war I think are realistically portrayed for extreme cases (which this was), but even somebody like me who is still functional and not suffering from PTSD still carry around some bad war time experiences. I relate to the victors in a personal way and I like that. I think I understand the characters in another way whether intentionally written that way or not.

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='PadrePioOfPietrelcino' timestamp='1338096668' post='2435645']

1) She killed coin and they had a trial, but she never spoke about why she did it to anybody. Collins went through such length to show how even district 13 wasn't all good, and the people never find out
[/quote]

It's not stated that the people never found out. Keeping in mind the first-person narration, Katniss seems to be in an almost amnestic state following the execution. But seeing as she was cleared of all charges, people must have known.

[quote]2) Katniss voted FOR another hunger games..."for Prim" when she had already "vindicated" Prim[/quote]
This really bothered me at first too, but after re-reading it and discussing it with some folk the general consensus was this: she had figured out the same machine that ran the hunger games was being set-up again (sound familiar? Let me interest you to the new boss, just the same as the old boss). Moreover she was still working out whether it was Snow or Coin who killed Prim. And remember she was deciding why Coin would send Prim to the Capitol? (to either finally break Katniss OR get her on her side). Well, showing resistance to Coin at that point would not have been beneficial or strategic, AND having another Hunger Games would be a clear way to show that the new leader (Coin) was just as evil.

There's no way Katniss really wanted another Hunger Games. Remember the little girl in the yellow coat being cut across by Rebel gunfire and how deeply that affected her? I think she was merely playing to Coin's hope that Prim's death would solidify her alliance. And it was a good hope because Katniss was really a vengeful and violent person. The good and the bad were always warring loud within her in, and the good finally inched out (tho not by much).

[quote]3) Coin from District 13 who never participated in the Hunger Games was the one who wanted another Hunger Game??? what sense does that make?[/quote]

District 13 suffered at the hands of the Capitol. They were driven underground, almost to extinction. Coin was interested in revenge and humiliating the enemy as to exert control.