I read The Hunger Games for this week’s blog. This coming-of-age story is about Katniss Everdeen, a girl who lives in a dystopian world called Panem. As a result of a civil war, they divided the country into 12 districts and one Capital. Each district pays a commission to the Capital for protection. As a sanction for earlier rebellion against the Capitol, a lottery selected two adolescents to compete in an annual competition called the Hunger Games. That sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Well, in this week’s book review, I will elaborate on why I would recommend this novel to adolescents because of its theme, symbols, genre, and unifying idea.
The recurring themes of this story are disappointment, disillusion, and survival are suitable for an adolescent audience since it is equivalent to the self-perception of adolescents. According to Appleyard (1991), adolescents, aged from 12 to 18, are sensitive and feel misunderstood by the outside world. Moreover, “as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, teens may begin to feel confused or insecure about themselves and how they fit into society” (Erikson, 1970, p.4). As a result, many young people in the search for their identity do not feel part of society. In a similar way, the principal characters of this publication express their feelings against popular culture and society. The books show that even though you have to face disappointments in your adolescent hood, with determination, you can still become a person who succeeds in life. While participating in The Hunger Games, Katniss fights to survive, shows courage, devotion, compassion, and makes sacrifices. Although she is portrayed as an outsider, because of her courage, they paint her as a heroine, “a central figure who by competence and initiative can solve the problems of a disordered world” (Appleyard, 1991C, p. 2). To illustrate:
“(..) This is upsetting me, and I don’t want to cry. When they televise the replay of the reaping tonight, everyone will make a note of my tears, and I’ll be marked as an easy target. A weakling. I will give no one that satisfaction” (Collins, 2009, p. 23).
This example shows despite obstacles, Katniss shows perseverance which could be linked to Erikson’s theory. Namely, he indicates a hero or heroine has a “strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control” (Erikson, 1970, p. 4). Katniss’s character covers all heroic features and also is very popular among adolescents because in her daily life she seems to be a plane jane which anticipates the cognitive egocentrism phenomenon. To clarify, “adolescents want characters like themselves or their ideal selves, with inner lives, but those characters also have to be recognizable and therefore conventional by their standards” (Appleyard, 1991, p. 11). Therefore, due to Katniss’s heroic features but on the other hand, being conventional enough for adolescents to relate to, she is a very popular pop-culture character. Which adolescents nowadays, still idolize.
In addition, the most prominent symbol of the book which can also be seen as a recurring theme is a Mockingjay bird. To the public, this bird is important since they played a pivotal role during the rebellion.
“They’re funny birds and something of a slap in the face to the Capitol. (..) During the rebellion, the Capitol bred a series of genetically altered animals as weapons. They were homing birds, exclusively male, that were released into regions where the Capitol’s enemies were known to be hiding. After the birds gathered words, they’d fly back to centers to be recorded” (Collins, 2009, p. 42-43).
After the discovery of the Capital’s spying on them with birds, the rebellions came up with a return attack that made the birds useless. Therefore, the Capitol set them free, which resulted in them mating with female mockingbirds. A new breed arose, the Mockingjay bird. A breed that survived the Capitol and now, a symbol that represents rebellion.
Apart from this, the genre of the book suits the target group since dystopian stories are adored by most adolescents. According to Appleyard (1991), adolescents like this genre, because it corresponds to their world-view. Namely, “(..) the adolescent’s realization that the real world is not the green world of romance but a much darker and more dangerous place” (Appleyard, 1991, p.15). This realization is according to Erikson (1970) a direct result of the previous developmental stage. A pre-adolescent phase in which schoolchildren acquire new information about the world and its problems. Moreover, according to Nadworny (2017), the dystopian genre matches this world-view because it shows how messed up grownups are and how grownups ruined the world. For example, in the story, adults still believe in the magic of The Hunger Games.
Just like the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, in The Hunger Games, people are restricted by traditions. Although young people would like to see change, people of age are more conservative, they averse to change or innovation. While adolescents are discovering their own identity, they form opinions and think for themselves about what they value in life. According to Appleyard (1991), young adults are drawn to books that make the reader think and reflect on life. The moral issues presented in the book push the readers to take their norms and values into question and therefore, this book is a must for adolescents who are discovering their own identity.
During class, we discussed how Katniss changes the system and inspires others to stand up for what they believed in. This powerful message could make us reflect on current events and our society. For this reason, the statement ‘we can change the world’ could be seen as the underlying message of this book.
To conclude, the Hunger Games is an adventure story in which a heroine’s character is being tested. A book that covers the topics of disillusion and disappointment. Therefore, it comes as no surprise a great number of adolescents adore this book.
Bibliography
Appleyard, J. A. (1991). Becoming a reader: the experience of fiction from childhood to adulthood. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.
Erikson, E.H. (1970). Reflections on the dissent of contemporary youth. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 51, 11-22.
Lionsgate Films (2019). A ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Book Is Officially Coming Out In 2020 [image]. Retrieved on March 12, 2020, from https://www.bustle.com/p/a-hunger-games-prequel-book-is-officially-coming-out-in-2020-18009974
Nadworny, E. (2017, December 18). Why Teens Find Stories About The End Of The World So Appealing. Retrieved on March 20, 2020, from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/49902/why-teens-find-stories-about-the-end-of-the-world-so-appealing
Literature II: Youth Literature 