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“I just want them to know that they don’t own me. If I’m going to die, I want to still be me.”
– Peeta Mellark, The Hunger Games
Those are chilling words for readers of young-adult fiction. The whole premise of young people forced to kill each other for sport is disturbing. It echoes the days of the Roman Empire, which pitted gladiators and wild animals against Christians in the Colosseum for the citizens’ entertainment. The Hunger Games, both the books and movie, is an eerie reminder of where we’ve been — and that we are capable of going there again.
In his YouTube commentary on the film, Father Robert Barron calls it a “dangerously prophetic story.” I agree: It is what our culture could become if we don’t change it. It shows what would happen if we completely erase God from our culture.
Our society has tried wiping God from the public sphere for years. The name of God is erased from public schools and even our Pledge of Allegiance. We are obsessed with reality TV and entertainment. Just take a look at how much money the box office makes. The dignity of human life is constantly under attack with issues like abortion and euthanasia. These issues are almost so “normal” we don’t really think about them anymore, and, if we do, we are often too afraid to actually make a change.
This relevance to contemporary issues is what makes The Hunger Games so successful. It is also why many young people like me resonate with it so much. Our culture is saturated in technology and entertainment, and young people face attacks on the worth of the human person unlike at any other time in history.
Many are concerned about the violence in The Hunger Games and whether or not people — particularly young people — should be exposed to it. Violence is messy, and it’s an ugly reality of the world we live in. Father Barron contends the film didn’t show enough violence, as if it watered down the messy realities we face.
Yet it is understandable for us to be wary — for more than 2,000 years, the Church has promoted peace in the face of an increasingly permissive culture.
However, if we view The Hunger Games with a missionary mentality, we can discover that it includes meaningful content that can motivate Catholics to keep up the good fight and provide opportunities for discussions with non-Catholics.
We should welcome these opportunities. “So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could. … I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation,” says St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians.
We can use The Hunger Games to discuss how its issues are similar to our own and how Katniss Everdeen, the main character, provides a good example for how we are to respond to these issues.
Consider the following:
First, the dark, violent atmosphere of the story itself serves a purpose. Immediately, we understand that we are not going to view some pretty, ribbon-tied piece of entertainment. We are shown a world that is an ugly mess — one in need of drastic change, like our own. Through the story’s Godless culture and through the horrendous attacks on human life, we are confronted with the reality that the world is unjust.
The Hunger Games prompts the question, “How can we explain the lack of justice in our own world?” Catholics can provide an answer.
Second, the film treats violence in a way that emphasizes the sacredness of human life. The violence against human beings in the books and the movie is not glorified. Many of the characters who engage in violence are portrayed as victims who choose to be violent only because they must survive or resist the injustice they face.
The signature injustice of the violent government in The Hunger Games is its disregard for all human life. As one character says, “[The government] sends out a very clear message: ‘Mess with us, and we’ll do something worse than kill you. We’ll kill your children.’”
Katniss experiences firsthand the injustice promoted by her government, even upon young people, as her younger sister is chosen — against her will — to participate in a fight to the death. Citing the film, the books or both, Catholics can show how an oppressive government and a culture of death arise from a disregard for human life. We can try to show how our nation’s current trends are setting the stage for a government and culture depicted on screen.
Third, The Hunger Games portrays the beauty of self-sacrifice. Katniss and her friend Peeta Mellark, who is in the games with her, refuse to play the game the way their government wants and won’t kill each other; rather, they team up and sacrifice themselves for one another. When Peeta is badly wounded, Katniss decides to get him medicine, exposing herself to the other players. It’s basically suicide.
Peeta protests, saying, “Katniss, you’re not going to risk your life for me. I won’t let you.” Katniss responds, “You would do it for me, wouldn’t you?” The characters make the right choices — even if it means losing their lives. Catholics can use these characteristics of Katniss’ personality to show that society needs people who battle a selfish culture of death with self-sacrificial choices and actions.
Finally, in the character of Katniss, The Hunger Games offers an example of an honorable person battling against an unjust culture. She uniquely proves that one weak and very human person can make a difference. The virtues she exemplifies provide a stark contrast to the self-centered ethos that defines the dominant culture in the Capitol — and ours.
Many of us realize, “Yes, we are young. Yes, we are weak. Has that ever stopped God’s work?”
Like Katniss, all of us, young and old, can be countercultural and embrace the path of self-sacrifice rather than selfishness. We can do whatever it takes to do what is right, even if no one else is doing it. That’s what the early Christians did.
Father Barron said that it was Christianity that kept Roman civilization from completely unraveling and from fully embracing the practice of human sacrifice.
Today, Catholics in the United States can help keep our culture from turning into the one in The Hunger Games. We can transcend our own fears and narrow preoccupations and proclaim the Gospel, even if it means losing our lives. That might not be necessary, as it was in Roman days, but it’s not beyond our frail human nature to repeat history’s mistakes.
Therese Aaker is a sophomore at Benedictine College. Originally from Apple Valley, California,
she hopes to become a movie critic.
Contact her at aake1429@ravens.benedictine.edu.
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This is very well-written and I think it’s a great example of dialogue with culture… I hope you do become a movie critic!
This was an excellent review and observations; very well written! May God bless you and open the path for you to realize your ambition of being a movie critic!
Wonderful article! Well done : )
Simply, THANK YOU! :)
God bless!
All I know about this movie is what little I have read from these NCR pages; but, being around for a while now, and seeing just how much of Hell-lywoods movies have become reality in only a few short years (who could have conceived a mad-man such as Obama in the White House, besides Hell-lywood?) and with the messages that have been given to so many here in the U.S. from Our Blessed Lady, especially those given to Mrs. Estela Ruiz, starting in the late ‘80s, telling us that we are destroying ourselves and our country with hate. I thank God for giving us reason to believe and hope for an eternity with Him if we keep believing and trusting in Him and His great love for us. Obama has declared war against God and His Church and it could be a life or death matter for all of us, not just to the unborn and the sick and aged. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU, now give me the Grace to trust and believe even more. +JMJ+
Best commentary I’ve read about this movie so far. What struck me the most about the books is how closely it resembles our own world. I agree with the other commenters that you should consider becoming a movie critic! :)
At first, I was afraid of reading the article because I thought it would call our attention to stop/avoid reading the Hunger Games. Hwvr, I kept on. I thought that if it had reasonable arguments, I would just stop. For my surprise, I noticed that I share pretty much the same ideas as Father Barron! I am glad, I kept on reading it!!! :)
Therese, good article. I saw Fr. Barron’s review but you have really flushed out the story well. I have neither seen the movie or read the book but you have definitely gotten me interested. I hope to aee more from your pen!! Good review!!
(Spoilers) This such an insightful, balanced review, Therese; great job! I had a few issues with the idea of justice in the subsequent books in the series, but I think that on its own, The Hunger Games does stand as a valuable examination of justice, truth, and freedom. As an eager student of JPII and Theology of the Body, I noticed two themes that deeply speak to a Catholic understanding of the human person. First, the pope says that the opposite of love isn’t hatred, but using someone. It’s so clear in the Capitol’s operating system that human lives are valuable only to the extent that they allow the Capitol to maintain control. You point out so well that whenever people are dehumanized, a society can never be fully free or just. The idea that people are meant to be loved, not used, also plays out on a more personal level in Katniss and Peeta’s romance; they form a self-sacrificial friendship that they manipulate into love for the cameras’ sake. Naturally, when the question of the truth of their feelings arises, it hurts the main characters, particularly Peeta, to confront the fact that none of it might have been real. That brings me to my second interpretation of The Hunger Games: in the words of JPII, “freedom exists for the sake of love.” In a big way, Katniss and Peeta’s relationship is entered into anything but freely: survival is their motivation, which, perhaps, isn’t entirely wrong, and they are told by their coach to play up the affection, yet it complicates and confuses their feelings while hindering the development of a more honest love. It’s remarkable, then, that in spite of the circumstances, both characters exhibit a heroic sense of virtue in their willingness to protect each other and risk their lives for one another- even if it’s not romantic, there’s no denying that their sacrifices are acts of love. Authentic love does require this kind of dying to self in a willingness to put another person first, yet it also requires that both persons involved love completely freely, on their own accord. Sadly, in spite of their good intentions, Katniss and Peeta are not granted that freedom, and it takes a toll on their emotions. Freedom and love are intertwined in many other aspects of the story, as in Katniss’ desire to take her sister’s place and in the Capitol’s extensive propaganda, intended to cultivate fear, obedience, and uniformity in its citizens. You’re absolutely right that this series reflects our culture, not only with respect to human life, but in terms of our understanding of love. I’d love for you to visit Captive the Heart, my blog for Catholic brides-to-be! http://captivetheheart.blogspot.com
(Spoilers) This such an insightful, balanced review, Therese; great job! I had a few issues with the idea of justice in the subsequent books in the series, but I think that on its own, The Hunger Games does stand as a valuable examination of justice, truth, and freedom. As an eager student of JPII and Theology of the Body, I noticed two themes that deeply speak to a Catholic understanding of the human person. First, the pope says that the opposite of love isn’t hatred, but using someone. It’s so clear in the Capitol’s operating system that human lives are valuable only to the extent that they allow the Capitol to maintain control. You point out so well that whenever people are dehumanized, a society can never be fully free or just. The idea that people are meant to be loved, not used, also plays out on a more personal level in Katniss and Peeta’s romance; they form a self-sacrificial friendship that they manipulate into love for the cameras’ sake. Naturally, when the question of the truth of their feelings arises, it hurts the main characters, particularly Peeta, to confront the fact that none of it might have been real. That brings me to my second interpretation of The Hunger Games: in the words of JPII, “freedom exists for the sake of love.” In a big way, Katniss and Peeta’s relationship is entered into anything but freely: survival is their motivation, which, perhaps, isn’t entirely wrong, and they are told by their coach to play up the affection, yet it complicates and confuses their feelings while hindering the development of a more honest love. It’s remarkable, then, that in spite of the circumstances, both characters exhibit a heroic sense of virtue in their willingness to protect each other and risk their lives for one another- even if it’s not romantic, there’s no denying that their sacrifices are acts of love. Authentic love does require this kind of dying to self in a willingness to put another person first, yet it also requires that both persons involved love completely freely, on their own accord. Sadly, in spite of their good intentions, Katniss and Peeta are not granted that freedom, and it takes a toll on their emotions. Freedom and love are intertwined in many other aspects of the story, as in Katniss’ desire to take her sister’s place and in the Capitol’s extensive propaganda, intended to cultivate fear, obedience, and uniformity in its citizens. You’re absolutely right that this series reflects our culture, not only with respect to human life, but in terms of our understanding of love. captivetheheart.blogspot.com
This such an insightful, balanced review, Therese; great job! I had a few issues with the idea of justice in the subsequent books in the series, but I think that on its own, The Hunger Games does stand as a valuable examination of justice, truth, and freedom. As an eager student of JPII and Theology of the Body, I noticed two themes that deeply speak to a Catholic understanding of the human person. First, the pope says that the opposite of love isn’t hatred, but using someone. It’s so clear in the Capitol’s operating system that human lives are valuable only to the extent that they allow the Capitol to maintain control. You point out so well that whenever people are dehumanized, a society can never be fully free or just. The idea that people are meant to be loved, not used, also plays out on a more personal level in Katniss and Peeta’s romance; they form a self-sacrificial friendship that they manipulate into love for the cameras’ sake. Naturally, when the question of the truth of their feelings arises, it hurts the main characters, particularly Peeta, to confront the fact that none of it might have been real. That brings me to my second interpretation of The Hunger Games: in the words of JPII, “freedom exists for the sake of love.” In a big way, Katniss and Peeta’s relationship is entered into anything but freely: survival is their motivation, which, perhaps, isn’t entirely wrong, and they are told by their coach to play up the affection, yet it complicates and confuses their feelings while hindering the development of a more honest love. It’s remarkable, then, that in spite of the circumstances, both characters exhibit a heroic sense of virtue in their willingness to protect each other and risk their lives for one another- even if it’s not romantic, there’s no denying that their sacrifices are acts of love. Authentic love does require this kind of dying to self in a willingness to put another person first, yet it also requires that both persons involved love completely freely, on their own accord. Sadly, in spite of their good intentions, Katniss and Peeta are not granted that freedom, and it takes a toll on their emotions. Freedom and love are intertwined in many other aspects of the story, as in Katniss’ desire to take her sister’s place and in the Capitol’s extensive propaganda, intended to cultivate fear, obedience, and uniformity in its citizens. You’re absolutely right that this series reflects our culture, not only with respect to human life, but in terms of our understanding of love. captivetheheart.blogspot.com
Therese, you ARE a movie critic. You just have to keep doing it. All critics and creatives start as amateurs, lovers of their craft. Persevere, and recognition will come. Based on this insightful review, you have already become my go-to critic ( along with Fr. Barron), and I look forward to your work for years to come.
Thank You! I was getting tired of so many people bashing on it without know what it was about, but you really made it clear :D
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You :)
This is an excellent review. There are many positive lessons to apply to our current age. When I read it last summer I told everyone that it is a perfect example of a godless totalitarian utilitarian state. The article helped to see that clearly. I will put this on my FB as I believe many need to read this.
I did appreciate the points made in this article.Perhaps ones distinction needs to be made: self sacrifice and suicide. There was a lot of talk about killing themselves to prevent suffering.
Great review Therese. I was on the fence about this movie and you have given me some needed perspective. My daughter is a sophomore at BC and I have a son who is probably on his way there as well. I’m glad to see there are good and talented young people at BC who have embraced their Faith and are putting it to work in their words and actions. God Bless.
This movie certainly does glorify violence toward others by making it seem cool and attaching it to a romance to pull female viewers in. It tells the audience killing may be justifiable: “The government made me do it, so I’m not responsible for my actions.” WRONG, we are responsible. I don’t believe the characters were victims, they were players of a game. The energy they spent killing each other could have been spent instead in revolt against a tyrannical government. Who wants to live like that? Why didn’t the screenwriter show them fighting their government to win their freedoms back like the American Revolutionists? What’s the matter with our society? Why are we cooperating with material evil?
Very good, insightful review; however, I tend to agree with ‘That Hat Lady’. Why ARE we cooperating with ‘material evil’ AND ‘evil material’?!! I honestly don’t think Jesus would have played their game; he would have said ‘no, thank you’ and sacrificed his life to whatever the consequences were for saying ‘no’. (I’m not familiar with the books or movie.)
To “concerned mom” it is obvious that you have not read the books and the books reveal a lot more than the movie. The main characters in fact ARE disgusted with the fact that they have to kill and Peeta refuses to kill anyone. And “That Hat Lady” if you read the third book / waited for the third movie you will receive the opportunity to view the revolt of the people. The plot develops and the author and screenwriter had to first show the brutality of the government before they could show the revolt of the people against such a Godless government. Rome wasn’t defeated in a day and in the book the government was brutal for many years before a revolt could be formed. I understand your concern but I can assure you that these books have sparked wonderful philosophical conversation with young people and college students and how we can prevent /stop our government from becoming the same: Godless and heartless. Our government already kills thousands of innocent children a day through abortion. It is silly to ignore this brutality and these books reveal a brutality from the government that we can related to and HOPE to overcome. Read the books and you will understand that the people do not agree with the games; they despise them.
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