The Hunger Games

       
            I first heard of The Hunger Games when I was a freshman. Mrs. Sheffield was suggesting books to us or something, possibly for our monthly reading list, and this book came up. It was a new release at the time, and she was recommending it as a good read for our age group. She gave a quick overview of the plot, which sounded appealing to me, but I quickly forgot about it.
            I heard about it a few times over the next few years as more of my friends picked it up and recommended it. I knew that it must be good because most people my age don't read that much recreationally, and it was rare that a book would be recommended to me. Finally, when I heard that a movie was coming out soon, I decided that it was about time to read the series. So I did.
            Last week, I read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, the three books that comprise the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I enjoyed them immensely. They were all fast-paced, which was a sweet escape from The Fellowship of the Ring. I like Tolkien's works, but the story sometimes comes to a fifty page standstill, which can become unbearable. The Hunger Games lacks that sort of lethargy, as you follow the non-stop action that Katniss experiences as she is thrown from one deadly situation into another, barely able to catch her breath.
            For those who haven't read these books, The Hunger Games is about Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl from District 12. District 12 is a portion of the country called Panem, located where America used to be. The districts, of which there are twelve (there used to be thirteen, but in a past rebellion attempt the thirteenth was obliterated), are ruled by a central governing body called the Capitol, which, to remind the districts of a past failed rebellion, forces the districts to give up their young to a competition called the Hunger Games.
            Each district must provide two children between the ages of twelve and eighteen, one male and one female, to compete in the Games. These children are called "tributes," and they are chosen by lot, usually because no one wants to volunteer. The twenty-four tributes are then sent to the Capitol, where, after a short time of introductions and interviews, they are pitted against each other in mortal combat until only one child is left standing. The victor then lives a life of fame, never wanting for anything, and their district is provided with food for the next year, making them the envy of the other starving districts. Then, a year later, the Hunger Games begin again.
            Katniss, the aforementioned protagonist, has been entered into the Hunger Games lottery for a few years now, and more than her fair share of times. Each year, she has entered her name additional times, not because  of a desire to compete, but to earn the tesserae. Taking the tesserae allows the potential tribute to earn some extra food and oil, but at the cost of a higher chance of being drawn to compete.
            Primrose, Katniss's sister, is now twelve, and will be entered into the drawing this year. However, Katniss has taken out enough tesserae in order to guarantee that her sister would never have to, minimizing her chance of becoming a tribute. However, on Reaping Day, the day when tributes are chosen, Prim is selected. In order to protect her family, Katniss steps forward to volunteer in her sister's place. So begins Katniss's journey as a tribute in the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games.
            I felt that these books were more emotionally compelling than most other books I've read in a while, which may have stemmed partially from the first person perspective. Nearly all of the fiction books that I've read recently have been third person, which doesn't convey the same personal sense that the first person captures. When you read the Hunger Games, you know exactly what Katniss feels the entire time, and you begin to feel the same way. When she's afraid, you begin to feel that same terror for her.
            Another way this book grabs you is that it's written in the present tense. This allows you to feel as though you're in the moment, experiencing the events as they happen. It lets you be surprised along with Katniss, which adds to the fear that you're already experiencing. Also, since the story is written in the moment and the perspective is not omniscient, you only know what Katniss knows. This takes away all the security that you have because you have no evidence to suggest that Katniss will survive until the end. You know about the sequels, sure, but you tend to forget that when you're in the thick of the action during your reading. Also, who's to say whether the next books are written from the same character's perspective?
            I have the feeling that the movie will be a good representation of the book. Unlike Lord of the Rings or similar works that have been adapted for the silver screen, I don't feel as though making a literal translation from story to script to scene would be cumbersome. I feel as though everything in the book can be accurately conveyed in a movie. I'm sure not everything will make it, because that's the way things go, but I can still hope.
           It dismayed me, then, to hear a rumor that the scenes with the Avox girl from Katniss's past will not be in the movie. If this is true, then I disagree with their decision. I understand that sometimes unimportant details need to get cut to make a film the right length, but I think that the Avox stuff is pretty important, and for two whole reasons. First, it reveals a bit about Katniss's character. She wasn't always brave, and does have a sense of self-preservation. It's the flip side of her saving Prim from the Games: she'll do anything she has to to protect those dearest to her, but otherwise she knows to look out for herself. I think that they might have cut this scene from the final cut of the movie in order to establish Katniss as a more likeable character. Seeing the hero forsake a terrified girl to an unknown, probably painful and terrifying fate leaves a sour taste in a filmgoer's mouth.
           The other reason that they shouldn't leave this scene out (if indeed they do at all) is because it's an important step for Katniss in her journey towards hating the Capitol. It's not her first step, or her biggest, but it's significant all the same. She experiences secondhand another injustice enacted by the Capitol, which leans her towards a more rebellious inclination. It's not as important in this book, but it establishes a better base for her feelings in the sequels.
           Additionally, this scene would really only require about a minute of added length to the movie: ten seconds for the introduction of the character and an explanation as to what an Avox is, twenty to thirty seconds for a flashback where you discover Katniss's connection with the stranger, ten more seconds for coming back to reality and the exit of the Avox. Then later on, you would see the Avox again for about five seconds. That's not so hard, is it? Of course, it's easy to criticize from the comfort of my couch. I'm sure that, if indeed that scene is absent from the movie, the director (or whoever) had a perfectly good reason for removing it. Of course, the scene probably is in the movie and I've just wasted a few minutes of my time complaining about it.
          Anyway, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, along with its sequels, were excellent reads. I highly recommend these to anyone who likes a gripping novel about survival, and how we sometimes have to do something ugly just to make sure we see another sunrise.