Bread, Games, and Hopelessness: Catching Fire Questions

• What does the portrayal of violence in Catching Fire communicate? Is it a glorification of violence, or critique of how we willingly consume violence for entertainment?

          The violence in Catching Fire (which is my favorite of the Hunger Games trilogy) is not a glorification of violence. I believe that Suzanne Collins (the author) was trying to communicate to the world what could happen to America if we continued to feed our ever-growing lust for violence. The main characters (Katniss and Peeta) along with other past tributes spend their days trying to drown out their memories of the violence and horror in the arenas. There are some tributes who relish the games-they were trained to fight in the games for most of their lives. These tributes are hungry for death, but Collins never portrays them as the heroes-on the contrary, she shows them as cruel and evil tyrants. What Collins is trying to communicate with the violence is a warning: violence should never be the source of our entertainment.

• What does Catching Fire say about voyeurism and our culture's obsession with reality television? How are we acting similarly to the residents of Panem when we can't take our eyes off shows like Jersey Shore, Desperate Housewives or Honey Boo-Boo, that portray people ruining their lives? How do these shows disconnect us from reality?

           We want to know everything about everyone else and what they're doing and who their doing it with while not giving any thought to the building and sustaining our own lives. The people in the Capitol were obsessed with knowing all the details of Peeta and Katniss's wedding yet didn't even realize that there were districts that were rioting against the Capitol and that many innocent people were being killed. The only thing they saw in the Hunger Games were random people sacrificing themselves and each other for their country-not innocent children subject to the tyranny of the land that demanded that their salvation be bought with their own blood. We care more about the little things in the lives of people we don't know than the hurt in the world around us. If we're bored with our own lives, we can just turn on the TV and watch other people's scripted drama and feel better about our lives. These shows aren't actual reality; they were made with sugar and spice and nothing too nice and doused in pointless drama that either gives us a false security that our lives aren't all that bad or makes us feel like our lives need more excitement.

• What do we miss out on when we are distracted by reality shows or empty entertainment?Can you think of five things that would be more valuable to do?

          We miss out on all the truly important and exciting things of life. How are we going to acomplish our dreams when we have a TV schedule to keep? We hear about kids in Africa who need water and food and place to sleep at night, but the trip alone to get there would cause you to miss a week's worth of sitcoms. We say "feed the homeless and clothe the poor" but what we really mean is "someone else go do this because I'm too busy with my own issues" as we grab a beer and the remote. When it comes to more valuable things to do, there is a lot. How about instead of letting the TV babysit your kid, actually sit down with him yourself and read him a book or take her for a walk. In the long run, what your child will remember from his childhood is his parents spending and investing time in him, not a bunch of catchy theme songs. You could take the time you spend watching TV to learn a new instrument or develop a talent, read a new book or reread an old favorite, be a valet for someone who can't drive, or take a road trip to a place you've never been. These things will not only be valuable to your life and possibly others', but they will also be memorable.

• Does the decadent and extravagant lifestyle of the Capitol bear any resemblance to our time and culture?

          I think that our culture is like the culture of that in the Capitol in that we put such emphasis on looks-we must look a certain way and if we don't or wear something "outdated" we are considered lame, boring, and unpopular. We want the best of things for ourselves without giving a thought to things that we really need. We want more and more, bigger and better. While also getting bigger things like TVs, cars, beds,  and houses, we strive to make our bodies smaller. One of the best parts of the book (in my opinion) was when Katniss and Peeta were at their engagement party at the Capitol and they were handed a drink that was supposed to make them throw up in order to let them eat more. How like our culture would it be for us to invent something like this? Everyone is obsessed with obtaining the perfect body yet can't stand the thought of giving up their favorite junk food. We are much like the people of the Capitol in too many ways.

• What does the series communicate about totalitarianism and oppressive governments-threats faced by millions the world over today?

          The Hunger Games shows that totalitarianism is a cruel way to live. In no way does it communicate a wish for that kind of government on other people. As an American with the rights that allow me to live in complete freedom (compared to most), it's hard to read of a futuristic America where the citizens' every move was watched and limited. It's heartbreaking to think of America becoming like that. I think it's very clear that no one (except maybe the oblivious people in the Capitol) likes the way their country is run. They want a different form of government and are determined to destroy the present one with any means possible.

• Would a Christian respond differently than Katniss, Peeta, etc. in the situations Collins and the filmmakers put them in?

          Assuming that the term "Christian" is referring only to those who have made a true commitment to Christ, not the ones who just attend church every so often without giving Jesus complete surrender, then I would say that a Christian would probably act in a lot of ways like Peeta but have a different motive for it. Peeta didn't kill anyone and protected Katniss because he loved her. I do not think that a Christian would kill anyone in the Hunger Games. They would want to protect the innocent (like Katniss protected Rue), but could not intentionally kill anyone for the sake of winning the Games because of the moral issues involved. However, self-defense is another thing to take into consideration. The Bible is full of situations where godly men and women armed themselves in order to defend their lives and the lives of those they loved. If it came to combat, I would think that their survival instincts would come into play. In the situation of rising against the government, I would think the Christians would act like the heroes of the American Revolution against England. They did not fight with malice, but with the love of their country and with the hope of freedom in their hearts. When it comes down to it, the Christian may do the same as others, but the reasons behind it and the way they do it should be completely different.

• Is the any hope in Panem? Where do you find hope today?

          The people's only hope in Panem seems to be Katniss. They are hoping she will deliver them from the oppressive government and bring freedom. They look to her as the face of revolution. She had the guts to defy the Capitol and inspired the majority of her country to do so also. I find hope in many things. I find hope in the first few days of spring. I find hope in reading books. I find hope in listening to music. I find hope in my parents' faces. I find hope in my church listening to the congregation sing. But most of all, I find hope in Jesus. No one has shown me the love and mercy that He has. He reminds me that even though I fail over and over and feel so alone that He will always love me and never leave me.