Blog: The Hunger Games -Christie Houck

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                Overall, I enjoyed this book as much as the last.  I think the start of the book was a bit slow.  I had a hard time getting into the storyline because of sheer amount of background detail.  Fortunately, once the reaping started, I got much more involved in the book.  Once again, I ended up reading the entire thing within a few days.
                The reading itself was pretty easy to follow.  The language was simple as well, so I had no real problems with the language or reading.  I do have certain questions pertaining to the story of Panem.  I understand the idea that this book takes place in what seems to be a post apocalyptic era, but I’m curious as to how that time came around, and how these people survived.  Also, since each district had a designated job to keep them from being independent, how did the removal of the 13th district affect the rest of Panem?
                I loved the character of Katniss.  Her personality reminds me a lot of myself when I was a bit younger.  I was very aloof and quite the introvert.  I get this perspective of Katniss from when Haymitch was attempting to work with her on talking during the interview.  The conversation between them talks about how she seems hostile, rude, or “openly despises” the audience.   I connect to her because I believe that in situation, I would behave very similarly.  I would have a hard time faking a smile and being “genuinely okay.”
                I don’t think this story relates so much to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in the aspect of story types.  Especially since Diary is more of an autobiography and The Hunger Games falls under fantasy.  However, they do relate in some storyline aspects.  Both Junior and Katniss leave their homes and are introduced to a new culture, lifestyle, and forced to survive in a very foreign place.  They face difficulties and obstacles trying to adapt to their new environments.  They both show fear and loneliness.  I think their struggles are very alike.
                I think that Suzanne Collin’s portrayal of adolescents is a little morphed.  With the dystopian style story, I believe that the adolescence is also dystopian, but with the same characteristics of an adolescent.  In our first world country, we often don’t have to fight, hunt, beg, or suffer in the ways that the young adults of Panem do, so we don’t connect to them on the lifestyle aspect as much as we do in an emotional aspect.  Adolescents who are forced to fight to the death would take on two different approaches: survivalists and fighters.  They would be frightened, and that would motivate them to fight and survive.   All in all, I don’t think that it connects to first world adolescents, but offers them a different point of view.

                 

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 6, 2016 at 8:20 PM

    I totally agree with you that the beginning of the book started off extremely slow! This is one of the reasons I regretted having already seen the movie because I felt that the beginning of the movie was something I wasn't going to enjoy as well. But you're so right! After the reaping everything gets really juicy and you just can't help but read more. Katniss is also my favorite character. I like that she's the protagonist in the story and also a female. I think that I'm also with you when you say that you have some of Katniss's personality traits as well. I find it funny the way that Haymitch really wanted her to put on a fake personality to please people she had no connection with.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 6, 2016 at 11:11 PM

    I agree with both of you, it took me a while to get interested in the novel because I felt as if I didn't need to read every little detail. I've never thought about the similarities between other countries and Panem. I like how you pointed that out because the characters have to do whatever they need to in order to survive and people in this world have to do things that will allow them to provide for their families. Everyone is actually living in the Hunger Games.

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  3. UnknownSeptember 7, 2016 at 2:26 PM

    I have to be that one weird human with the dissenting opinion and say that I really enjoy the amount of detail Collins includes in this book series. She gives me enough to analyze the subtlety of the characters' behaviors and routines but not so much to where I feel as though I am drowning in Dickens-level detail. She outlines the picture for us, but then we can still color in the detail and create our own subtext. At least that's how it is for me.

    I agree with you and Keyona in that I found it interesting how Katniss is expected to be something other than herself throughout the novel. I find that relates quite well to adolescent issues, because adolescents are constantly bombarded with images and depictions of themselves that they are expected to replicate (media, parental expectations, school expectations, peer expectations, etc.) in their everyday lives. I think it is significant that on top of survival, Katniss is forced to navigate between these dual personalities, her true self and the self she must be to appease society (which vaguely reminds me of WEB DuBois, actually).

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