As the unemployment rate soars and many NEIU students struggle just to pay for their classes, people might begin to wonder what they would do if they became homeless or couldn’t afford food. In “The Hunger Games” the citizens of Panem have to deal with scenarios that would make the poorest NEIU student look like they were living a life of luxury.
The main character, is a self-reliant 16-year-old tomboy, Katniss Everdeen. Panem is divided into 13 districts, with each district getting progressively poorer. The Capitol, as it is called in the book, is the epitome of affluence whereas most of the other districts struggle economically. Katniss lives in district 12 with her younger sister and mother. Her mother hasn’t worked since Katniss’s father died, so Katniss has to hunt for food. The government considers leaving the city limits to hunt for food an illegal offense punishable by death. Because of this, Katniss and her hunting partner, 18-year-old Gale Hawthorne, have to be extra careful when bringing in the spoils of their hunt.
“The Hunger Games” is the name of a yearly event in the book where the name of a boy and a girl are drawn from each district. Those who were unfortunate enough to get their names drawn are pitted against each other in an arena, with no separation of the older and younger kids. If someone wins the battle, they and their family are taken care of for the rest of their lives, living in luxury like the members of the Capitol. The only problem is that there is only one way to win: kill all the other contestants. In a “1984”-esque twist, the competitors are being constantly followed by video cameras. The rest of the nation is forced to watch the highlights of the day’s battles every night until there is one victor.
When the names are drawn, Katniss does something that makes her stand out in the crowd and causes the people who run the Hunger Games in the Capitol to pay special attention to her. They believe that even if she doesn’t stand a chance of winning, she still would make for an entertaining contestant. Throughout her time in the arena, Katniss keeps doing attention-grabbing things that makes her gain more fans. By having more fans, she gains access to special weapons and items that help her in the battle. Even though this is considered a young adult novel, it has topics that today’s adults can understand and relate to. The issues of politics and a totalitarian government are something many young adults haven’t had the chance to learn about. However, college students who have learned about or seen totalitarian regimes throughout history might have a better grasp on how horrible a government can become.
The first book in a three-book series, “The Hunger Games” is well written, has topical issues, and is easy to relate to for people between the ages of 14-26. One wonders why “The Hunger Games” has not become another “Harry Potter.” The main reason for this may be that the main character is a young female who breaks many stereotypes set by the media. She is independent, intelligent, and can fight as well as boys her age. Or perhaps it’s possible that the reason is because the last line in the first book was “To be continued in book 2…”