The Unseen Message of The Hunger Games

Though the liberal media and leftist Hollywood are wrapping themselves in The Hunger Games, the book series' pro-individualism, anti-socialist/communist/totalitarianism message has thus far eluded them -- but the legions of children reading the books are getting the message.

When I learned that my teenage sons -- macho young lads, to be sure -- were suddenly captivated by a book series featuring a 16-year-old female protagonist, I was intrigued, to say the least -- intrigued enough to read the books myself. As I progressed through the story, I found myself checking and re-checking the cover several times to make sure the author wasn't Ayn Rand.

Now that the first film of the series is in theaters, I'm reading lots of appraisals in the press which have suggested more of an Occupy Wall Street slant on the story: "[T]he corrupting force of power and privilege, the inhumanity of the mob, and how both conspire to make people do the unthinkable."

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, it chronicles a futuristic American society which has fallen under the grip of a brutal totalitarian communist government. Those connected with government live a life of wasteful opulence at the expense of the population, which has been sectioned off into impoverished fenced-in districts charged with producing the raw materials to sustain the capital. When children reach working age, their jobs are assigned to them, and compliance is enforced through the withholding of food rations and, ultimately, the hangman's noose. Ever-present are government "peacekeepers" charged with the surveillance of the people in an constant search for seditionists.

The author is starkly clear in this anti-oppressive government premise, and at no time during the reading of the books are you left with any sense this is a greedy rich vs. righteous poor tale.

struggle,
My son said the same thing - that it seems on the same lines as Battle royale. Although I haven’t read that one yet, and he hasn’t read Hunger games yet. So we will see!

6ppc,
Read it! My daughter brought it home last week since she decided to read this book for a project at school. I was not crazy about reading it since I get hooked to easy if I like a book. Well, let me tell you...... I finished that book in 1 day and then ran to the store to buy book 2. UGH - finished that in a day and ran back to the store to buy book 3.

3 days I finished the books - I absolutely can’t wait to see the movie. Unfortunately I need to find the time where my husband and I both will have the opportunity to see it together, but it was an awesome story. Definitely rings true to what we seem to be heading for. Not the sacrifice part, but generally speaking!

My daughter-in-law gave me the books to read and I did. It took me a while to get started because I was told that it was a kids series and a silly story. My daughter-in-law convinced me that what I had heard was wrong. She has given me a lot of books to read and I have never been disappointed that I read them, so I started reading. What a page turner series. It was too easy for me to exchange Washington DC for Capital City. While I was looking forward to seeing the movie made from the series I had low expectations. How often does the movie even approach the book, not very often. This movie is different. I felt it captured the atmosphere of the book. The scenes of the districts compared to the Capital City were chilling.

One of the scenes that tell of the oppressiveness of the government, the protagonist is out in the forest, it is beautiful. The want-a-be boyfriend suggest they run off into the forest to live in seclusion. “They would find us” she says.

We know right then and there that governments suppress individual rights with loss of life rather lose control of even one person or couple.

Another good example of the evils of big government, even better displayed in the movie was the peace keepers man-handling the tributes even after they got to the opulent city.

The riot scene in District 11 was chilling. It was not occupy Wall Street. It was truly oppressed slaves turning on their masters despite the death and destruction that would be caused by their demonstration.

I hope that having read the book made me understand what was happening a little better but in a discussion with one of my kids who had not read the series, he seemed to understand what was going on very well without having read it first.

I’m glad the series was and is popular. I hope a lot of kids read it, they will be afraid of their government forever if they do. They will always hate “Big Brother”.

After seeing the first installation of “Atlas Shrugged” I was really disappointed. I didn’t really expect much more from this movie. Even when the movie is bad it is fun to see someone else’s view of a book you read. With this movie, “The Hunger Games”, the movie was the book. This, to me is best adaptation of a book I have ever seen. If you haven’t seen it yet you should.

I started reading the books, given all the recommendations from freepers, a few days ago. Half way through the second now, but haven’t watched the movie yet.

The hollywierd types are trying desperately to spin this in to an ‘occupy’ thing, Donald Sutherland who plays Pres Snow in the movie even frames it as such in the companion book.

He is quoted claiming it shows the ‘hegemony of capitalism’, makes me want to scream because the books very clearly do show life under totalitarian rule where the government controls all aspects of your life... i.e. Obama care, etc. nothing could be further from the individual freedoms enjoyed under capitalist systems.

Hubby got these on audio books (very good btw).

I don’t know why he chose them, but he told me kind of sheepishly “they’re young adult books, I didn’t realize that.”

I said “I don’t know, the Ace of Spades guys have mentioned them, so I think they must be OK for grown ups.”

Well, we loved them. Like you we rushed right through them.

He’s even dying to go see the movie, he never wants to see any movie except at home. He’s a fan, it’s very cute, actually. He feels like he was really “on the pulse” with his book choice!

I thought they were pretty conservative and I really pride myself on having a bloodhound’s nose for sneaky lib propaganda.

But, in all reality I think I can see being a liberal and finding the story sympathetic too.

Like I said on another thread, I think this is part of the author’s genius, I also admire the way she wrote a story that appeals to boys and girls. I don’t know how many YA books are really like that. I only know when I was a kid, despite being a compulsive reader, I really didn’t read any “boys” stories. Just a few of my brother’s Hardy Boys when there was NOTHING else.

I saw this movie today with my 11 year old son. The society it depicts reminded me of North Korea in ways, along with Capitol city resembling a modernized Pyongyang The exploitation of children for the amusement of the State elite was very Nazi - ish. A cautionary tale indeed.

The eventual triumph of individuals against the State planned Hunger Games outcome was surprising and great. One line in the movie that struck me was Donald Sutherland, leader of the totalitarian state: “Hope in excess is very dangerous” ... No kidding..

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