After recently reading The Hunger Games, and then blogging some initial thoughts about it yesterday, I can’t seem to get this story out of my head. As I’ve taken more time to reflect on the central premise, I’ve become increasingly convinced that the story is not only an entertaining read, but (perhaps ironically) also a convicting social commentary on our obsession with Entertainment.
(If you’ll bear with my wandering thought process, maybe writing to you can help me tease out how our principals don’t match our practices)
I suppose I began today by thinking about the heartbreaking distrust that marked the main character Katniss throughout the first part of the story. Every action of kindness that was extended towards her, was immediately suspect. In her mind, everything good that life offered her was something to be wary and suspicious of. I noticed this particularly in the way she responded to Peeta, her fellow District 12 tribute. Even the littlest gesture of human decency; the smallest hint of kindness put her on red alert, completely resistant to what she assumed was a trap, a secret strategy, or a ploy to get her to drop her guard…
It was so brutal.
I mean I know its just a story, but the thought of someone having to live like that…? To have Kindness seem so foreign that it is immediately suspected as a veiled attack… it just made me so sad. I kept wanting her to stop being so pessimistic. I wanted her to dare to hope… to hope and stop being so paranoid.
But as the story goes on, and the shaping hardships of Katniss’ life are described to us, it became more and more clear to me that she has every right to expect the worst based on her experiences.
And then suddenly I realized that my life is absolutely nothing like these underdogs from District 12…
The significance of that didn’t hit me till well after the book was over and done, but as I’ve been reflecting I feel terribly convicted that there is an undeniable distinction between me and the heroes of this story. And its not the hard-working citizens of the district that we, the readers, most resemble. Nor do we share a likeness with any of the other tributes who are forced to battle to the death.
No, any of those would be a welcome comparison.
But tragically it is the Citizens of the Capitol that bear the striking likeness of our Culture.
The similarities seem undeniable:
- Regardless of how much spending money you have, the fact that you’re reading this tells me (a) you have a computer, and (b) you have time to read for fun…
- We’re among the wealthiest people in the world.
- Our culture is completely obsessed with entertainment in all its forms (sports, movies, gameshows, gossip, celebrations, etc)
- We dress up in expensive and impractical clothing, get surgically modified, and spend fortunes on the way we look in order to impress one another because we are completely obsessed with our image…
- Every one of us profits from the hard work, goods, and services done by less privileged people in districts far from here…
(the list goes on, but you get the idea)
Now think about that…
Think of how that colors this whole story: the idea that the characters we most resemble with the way we live, are the men and women who are entertained by subjecting these kids to fight for survival.
Oouuuuuuuuch!
That sucks.
like really… I hate this thought. I wish I could argue against it, but I know its true.
Yesterday I made light of the ways this competition reminded me of Survivor.
Perhaps the extremely perceptive pastor: Daniel Tosh, explained our culture best:
(*p.s. that dude… definitely not a pastor. Totally joking about that)
How do we explain our love of entertainment?
How do we justify our (mis)use of resources?
And how can our hearts break for the underdogs from District 12; over the injustice, dangers, and hardships they face, only to close the book and dishonor its lesson…
Maybe this story is exactly worth reading because it calls us to account for our time spent reading books, writing blogs, and subjecting underdogs from District India, District South America, and District Africa to suffer through their own battles while we amuse ourselves like the silly crowds of Capitol citizens that we are.
Yikes.
Long blog, eh?
Late night Food for thought from The Hunger Games.
No comments:
Post a Comment