Of all movies, music,
catch-phrases and other popular things in culture, why draw inspiration from The Hunger Games? Well, the meaning found in art may or may not be intentional on the
part of the artist. Nonetheless, there
are different degrees to which different artists intend to transmit meaning in
their work. I do think, however, that
the more we open our eyes to meaning the more we will become convinced that there
is hardly anyone out there, indeed if anyone at all, singing songs, writing
them, making movies, etc., who has
nothing to say. And this need
not be approached with distrust as if it were merely an agenda; maybe it is simply the case that they believe they have
found some meaning in life. Generally, however, we cannot know the
intent of the artist with absolute certainty, unless they communicate it to us
directly. Some, however, are so bold in
the symbols they use and the way their stories develop that it is highly
unlikely that they did not intend to communicate meaning. Perhaps one of the clearest examples is C.S.
Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe. Few people who know the story of Christ and
His Death and Resurrection for our salvation would fail to recognize this
meaning present in Lewis’ classic, and to presume some intention on his
part. Well, Suzanne Collins (the author
of The Hunger Games) has crafted
quite a different story and her meaning is a bit different, but the meaning found
in her pages does appear to be quite bold.
The
Hunger Games is quite a dark story set in an equally
dark world. Yet, in many ways, the
cruelty and horror found in Panem – the country in which the story is set – is
nothing original. In fact, as the books
proceed, Collins begins to make some more explicit references to ancient Rome,
including a conversation in the third book (Mockingjay,
pg. 223) about the old expression Panem
et Circenses (Latin for “bread and circus” – notice that panem was already found in the name of
the country), which referred to the fact that the people of Rome were satisfied
by the fact that they were given food and entertainment, and thus their concern
for the welfare and government of their own country were appeased and
silenced. Never mind the fact that their
entertainment was the brutal killing of human persons! In Panem, the Games which satisfy the masses
are centered around, not only the killing of human persons, but of the poorest
and weakest: children from the
various districts, segregated on basis of wealth and poverty. One can readily see the connection between
this and abortion – the killing of the poorest and weakest members of our
society, children who are not yet
even born. However, there is even more
still at stake here (at this point, I will remind all readers that I do not
necessarily claim that the thoughts that I put forth are necessarily the
thoughts or intention of Suzanne Collins).
In order to appease the selfish appetites of those who believe that true
freedom means that no one can stop them from doing whatever they please (rather
than being freedom from their own passions, in order to choose what is truly
good for themselves and for society), those who currently hold power and
influence impose their views upon our children, attempting to create a new
social norm that is even to be protected in law, by which anyone who believes
differently than they do is accused of hate. Once upon a time, law was given to us in
order to provide a structure and guidance that enabled people to choose what is
truly good for themselves and for society, and likewise penalties were given
for the sake of promoting the common good, by discouraging that which is
opposed to it. Most importantly, it was
a reflection in human society of the Divine Law, the beautiful order with which
our Creator designed His creation, in order to guide us back toward
Himself. Now, however, the pervading
attitude toward law in our culture, and even in many areas of our government,
is a means of removing any such structure that may provide an obstacle toward
an individual’s ability to do whatever he or she pleases, regardless of whether
it is truly good for them or for society, and penalties are given (disregarding
actual freedoms of speech and religion) in order to punish those who wish to
believe in something called the true good. We can see this not only in recent actions by
our federal government, but in the attitudes
promoted in many schools, in media, and even in the fact that Disney movies seem
to have been promoting non-traditional families for many years. The attempt
to normalize the notion that there is no true
good and that anyone who wishes to believe otherwise, and is public about
such beliefs, is guilty of “hate,” is truly a way of killing our youth, spiritually, morally, and often psychologically,
by teaching them that faith is something that deserves punishment, and all of
this so that others can satisfy their desire to do as they please. All of this goes on while so many of us enjoy a
comfortable existence, with our needs of food and entertainment (panem et circenses) satisfied.
It is clear that the state of affairs in Panem is meant to be seen as a horrific thing. For all of its violence and messiness, the story does not promote violence or the evil that is depicted. In fact, quite the opposite, from the very beginning of the movie, death seems to loom over the whole scene. And this continues to pervade, as it builds toward the point in which the Games finally begin. The violence of this scene is hardly glamorized; it is portrayed with a horror, that is not meant to entertain, but to help us to recognize how starkly this contradicts the dignity of the human person. It should be noted that the dignity of human life is a theme that comes up often in the series. However, there are also points in which Collins fails to be consistent, as her attitude toward certain other crimes against the dignity of human life is far less laudable, and even unacceptable. (For more information on this, I recommend a review by Fr. John-Mary Bowlin, a priest of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, entitled The Hunger Games: Reflections of a Spiritual Father for the Evangelization of Culture; read the whole thing here).
Perhaps, however, the
boldest aspect of this dark world depicted by Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games is the fact of how they
got this far. In the words of Fr. Bowlin
(here), “The political state of affairs in Panem is the result of
complacency.” It is the result of people
sitting back and doing nothing, because their basic needs of food and
entertainment (panem et circenses)
are satisfied, because they fail to look beyond themselves and to recognize the
dignity of those who are suffering and dying.
This fact comes across boldly in The
Hunger Games series, as you see the obliviousness, selfishness, and vanity
of the audiences and hosts in the Capitol.
Perhaps the most clear and powerful point in which this is communicated
is in the third book, in which one of the characters comments: “Actually, the
whole country just sat by and watched,” and the other replies, “Well, that’s
what they do best” (Mockingjay 222). How long will we sit back and watch while the
world that our children are inheriting is being violently transformed into one in
which selfishness has taken the place of true
freedom and goodness? Dare I suggest
that even our indifference to meaning in art and entertainment contributes to
this complacency that amounts to just sitting by and watching it all go down?
But, for all of this
darkness, where is the hope in The Hunger Games? It is found in the fact that the youth of
District 12, the lowest and poorest of the districts, stand up and refuse to be
controlled by this wicked regime. As the
trilogy progresses, we see that, desperately grasping for justice in a broken
world, they do not always turn to means that we can consider laudable or
acceptable (again, I recommend the review of Fr. Bowlin). So, let us bring this back to reality. Let’s apply the Augustine Principle (see Seven Principles). How is it that Christ fulfills the desire for
goodness, justice, and true freedom in our broken world, which we see boldly
reflected in Panem? He chooses the weak to shame the strong. He calls you, youth and adults alike, of our parish and of the whole Church, to rise up and refuse to be
controlled. He calls you to be saints,
who make the world think twice. This
call to holiness, placed upon all of us, is about so much more than moral perfection, so much more than following one
rule after another, jumping through hoops and checking it off the list. It
begins with faith. It begins by
believing that Jesus Christ alone is true and only He can satisfy the deepest
desires of your heart for happiness, for truth, for freedom, and for love. The moral decisions that come from a life of
holiness flow from the fact that Jesus Christ is first in your life and you
have come to know and believe with the faith of St. Peter: “Master, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life. We have
come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God" (John
6). This is the foundation for believing
that His law and commandments, as hard as they may be to follow in a world that
disregards them, are the only true path to happiness. This is holiness: Allowing Christ to live
within you. This is the sort of life
that refuses to allow itself to be controlled by the selfishness and vanity of
the masses. This is the life of those
who stand up and make a difference… simply by living their lives to the
fullest… in spirit and in truth. This is
the call the Lord gives to you. This is
why I have been saying it since I arrived at our parish and I will continue to
say it: Youth, you are our secret weapon.
It’s time to let the secret out.
