The Hunger Games

* Don’t forget you can easily win free #LiveFully shirts and stickers this week right here! May the odds be ever in your favor…

The Hunger Games movie releases today, and everyone will be hearing about it. In fact, most people already have heard about it. Suzanne Collins’ book, that this film is based on, has sold millions of copies. Additionally, box office pre-sale numbers have been record breaking.

I have not yet seen the movie (although I will be tonight at 8:55pm*), but I have read the books. They are definite page turners, they are intense, even brutal, and definitely thought provoking. Here are some key themes to look out for, and after you read the books or see the film, we would love to hear your thoughts on them.

1) People are corrupt: Collins presents a barbaric future. Several times I thought, “I wonder if something this bad could ever really happen.” Each time I had this thought, I realized those horrible things already did happen and even still happen in our world. Look at the ancient Gladiator games or the modern day child soldiers and sex slaves around the world. When we don’t go through hard times, we can forget that other people live in suffering.

How should a story with these themes change the way we interact with the bad things in this world?

2) Survival of the Selfless: Much of the world endorse “survival of the fittest.” They think the strong ones who protect themselves first will always win. And yet, in the Hunger Games, the two heroes both work tirelessly to protect others. Katniss goes to the Games to protect her sister, and Peeta stops at nothing to protect Katniss.

Are we really better off protecting each other instead of just ourselves? Even if we “lose” sometimes, is it still more fulfilling to live selflessly?

3) Don’t be wasteful: The Capitol does everything in excess, but the other 12 districts live in poverty. There is a real challenge from Collins here to Americans, because we tend to do everything in excess ourselves. The Capitol is certainly an extreme, but we must ask ourselves if we are allowing ourselves to waste too much when others in the world go hungry.

Is there something in your life you can give up so that you can help someone in need?

4) The media’s effect on us: Every part of the Hunger Games is televised with commentary for the entertainment of the Capitol. The behind the scenes looks at how callous the directors and producers of the Hunger Games were really stuck out to me in the film. Today we frequently watch similar things in the news and on reality TV.

Does our constant ability to view pain and intimate details in other people’s lives numb us to reality and disintegrate our value for human life?

Last Question(s): Will you go see the Hunger Games? When? Haven’t read the books? Find them on amazon here: The Hunger Games

*After seeing it, I definitely liked it. Obviously a lot is missing from the book, but you should expect that in any movie made from a good book.