Do you think people understand the messages of the books?

[Eml]

Do you think people understand the messages Collins was trying to teach, or do you think the books are just a form of entertainment? For me, the books showed a lot of deep meaning, but the more people I talk to, the more I realize there are few people that grasp the messages, or even want to. I don't understand how people can joke about children being murdered-not dying, but getting killed viciously. There are people that want to participate in the Games, that wouldn't mind if they happened. I think it's ridiculous for people to even say they would be prepared to fight in the hunger games. Why don’t people understand how horrible the hunger games are? That they aren’t just a game for entertainment?

[Haidi]

I guess understanding issues like the ones raised in the Hunger Games comes with maturity. Many of the readers of the book are increadibly young. I know when I was 11 or 12 or even 14 I couldn't have cared less about what was on the news at night, or politics or what was in the newspaper. Young people can do and say things now that, when older, would horrify them to even think of it.

Their attitudes and understanding of the books will change with time.

[Tanisha]

i totally agree dat ppl r nt getting the meaning of the books :(...........some people are even planning to go out hunting like katniss in austria or something. you cant be casual about such things

[Helen]

Some schools are adding it to their curriculum, so hopefully they will help younger readers to think about what Collins was saying.

[C.C.]

It does have a deeper meaning and lessons. Maybe the reason why others treat it as a joke was because they just read for the sake of reading, and they were not digesting the important words. I think it would be a great idea to add it to the curriculum.

[Angie Elle]

The fact that people are so passionate about the book makes me hopeful that they did walk away learning something.

I have to admit, though, that the people who enjoyed the book for the Peeta/Kat romance doesn't bother me. I feel like the way their relationship/romance was portrayed was more realistic than a lot of other books targeted for this audience. Love isn't all sunshine and roses, and I think this book did a good job of showing that. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a good sunshine and roses romance, becuase I do!

I think the great thing about a book like this is that there are so many messages in it; it's not just limited to one specific theme for the reader to walk away with.

[Heatherv]

I actually really loved this book. I feel like it teaches kids to actually appreciate having food in their belly or a roof over their head. Also it shows how hard people use to work back in the day. Also another thing it shows it how brutal some nations can be. But last but not least it shows that some times relationships are not always rainbows and butterflies but if its true love you can with stand anything. Relationships take hard work, compassion and even forgiveness.

[Laura]

I can't understand how people can say that they would fight in the Hunger Games. Obviously, some people don't understand the message that Collin's is sending. Society has been so corrupted that they even enjoy watching little boys and girls die, just for the pleasure of entertainment.

Of course, the understaning of this issues (corruption of society, the struggle to survive, etc) comes with maturity. You can't expect a 11-year-old to understand what sacrificing for your family is.

[Maggie]

Laura wrote: "I can't understand how people can say that they would fight in the Hunger Games.i>

While I completely agree with your sentiment, maybe people that say they would fight in the Hunger Games are like the careers that were mentioned in the book. Maybe violence is something they strive on. I initially started reading this series because it was popular with my co-workers and wanted to find out why. The books are entertaining to the extent that they are a quick read and fairly easy to follow.

However, the actual idea of a hunger game happening in my lifetime is terrifying. The idea that in order to prevent my family from starving I can enter another "ticket" into the selection for the hunger games so I can get extra food is truly scary.

[Caroline]

Based on previous comments, I would definitely say no. Most of the comments feature themes like "be grateful for what you have", "love story analysis", etc. Collins was mostly trying to convey to the audience that our culture is so focused on media and that we will watch almost anything and not even think about it. Also, that the more we allow the government to control, the more they will. Yes, I do believe there were sub themes of love and gratefulness, but I think the most important issues were government control and our media-centered culture.

[Eml]

Caroline wrote: "Based on previous comments, I would definitely say no. Most of the comments feature themes like "be grateful for what you have", "love story analysis", etc. Collins was mostly trying to convey to t..."

I agree. The books are also supposed to warn about war and how it isn't a fantasy; you can't decide who lives and dies in war. I've seen people on this site who say they like the movie more than the book because it isn't depressing. I think the biggest issue is people understanding that it could happen, that it has happened in real life. I've been reading the books since they first came out, literally, I got HG the week it came out. It was a year before people were talking about the book. I've noticed that the more popular the series gets, the less people take it seriously. Most people just look at it as another YA book that's getting turned into movies. I feel like the Hunger Games turned into the media monster that Collins was warning of in the first place.

[[deleted user]]

I think some people do and some don't. It really depends on who is reading it. I did, but I can tell you that I know some of the people I know didn't.

[Jacob]

In general yes, but I think that really depends on who the reader is.
For example I think its great that there is a YA novel featuring a female protagonist who has more important things to worry about than getting a date with some dumb guy. Where as somebody else might consider a character like Katniss to be anti family.

[Chloe]

I think the message is clear, that being said a lot of the readers for this book seem to be younger (possibly too young...) and it goes over their heads. They get caught up in the love triangle and action but don't quite understand the overall message and the irony of the fact that all the Hunger Games merch etc. is a prime example of the Capitol mentality.

[Nehal]

it has it all , life, love, exposing yourself to danger for a bread to live to kill ! while others controlling how you live being offensive!anger ,hate, had to led to a revolution

[Sabzzy123]

i think about that too, i know and feel that i have a full understanding of the book but im not gonna lie it pisses me off when 5th graders and small children run around saying omg it is awesome i want do bad things to them

[Chloe]

@Sabzzy I'll be honest it irks me that my BF's mom let's his 10 yr old sis read them, I read HG about 3 years ago when I was 16, and I found it to be pretty heavy/disturbing stuff so the fact they let her read/watch (which she was freaked out half the movie anyways...) is a little frustrating. Of course they had no idea what it was about anyways...

[Eml]

Honestly, they should be able to read the books and understand that what is going on is wrong. Collins wrote it for the young adult demographic. The problem is most people don't want to think too deeply about things, and our society has become so desensitized from video games(which was what they were designed to do), movies,tv, and even books now, that people have lost their shock factor to everything. If you have read the underland chronicles,which are for children-not teenagers, those books are probably just as harsh as the Hunger Games. At certain parts, they're worse. Kids can understand difficult situations. The problems when they become older and don't care about them.

[Tori]

Eml wrote: "Honestly, they should be able to read the books and understand that what is going on is wrong. Collins wrote it for the young adult demographic. The problem is most people don't want to think too d..."

I agree.

[Ultra]

yes the book had a little bit of meaning not really.it was entertainment. i mean cum on are we now going to compare things to the hunger games and do what katniss does or be like her of have the same hair as her or drool over boys who are way older than you are or younger than you.it was published in 2008 why are they making it so big ...(what i think)its because they now that people will go buying stuff like t shirts or pins or necklaces but what for?makes you happy ?what if you like another book like Eona or tigers curse of sherlock holmes why not get t shirts of them to ?there alot of books with alot of meaning but i think a person has more meaning when you talk to them or maybe you could think really hard make your own meaning of maybe write a book.the true meaning of hunger games is children going into an arena to kill each other,because when you watch children kill its horror to your eyes but when you see adults its thrill and adrenaline.i dont know what collins was trying to do but i know it was for something else i just dont know what it is?

just take your mind off hunger games ,kids killing each other,comparing our world to the hunger games,and just really look outside and see whats really going on.

or just start reading books and find one thing that relates to our world and not just the bad things the good and beutiful things.

[shanghao]

The book has many underlying meanings, certainly, but above all I think it's meant as entertainment; we are the Capitol audience 'watching' Panem and its circuses. And like Cinna, Collins weaved her tale as a means of stating her point, but whether it reaches us, gets interpreted differently, or totally overlooked, is relative to the reader, and ultimately, I think it's sort of like a reflection of how much of our society is a parallel of Panem's.

[Mike]

agreed... read Stephen King (especially The Dark Tower) if you like that kind of thing, and that series (DT) is amazing.

[Taylor]

I am a pretty young reader(14),and when i discuss the book with my friends they dont understand anything deeper than why Katniss chose Peeta over Gale. I felt i did take something away from it. Even if i didn't understand everything i did take it to heart, and understood the wrong people did.

[Samantha The Escapist]

Tori wrote: "Eml wrote: "Honestly, they should be able to read the books and understand that what is going on is wrong. Collins wrote it for the young adult demographic. The problem is most people don't want to..."


Um... I think the point is that we SHOULD compare things to the Hunger Games, just watch cable tv for a few hours, Big Brother, Survivor, that dating crap.

You don't even have to stretch to see that comparison. People sit at home rotting in front of their tvs watching OTHER people doing stuff. We pit people against each other to watch them compete and we have been since the beginning whether it be the Gladiators in the Colosseum or a basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Think about the last time you saw a fist fight in the street, how many people came to watch? There was a fire in my neighbourhood the other day and they had to post police there for days to make sure TRAFFIC could get past because people kept coming out to stare at the dead remains of someone's home. You find out someone your friend knows commits suicide, do you ask how? If you don't you're polite but you probably want to.

We all harbor (some nurture) a grotesque curiosity in the disgusting, the perverse, and with the rate things are going with reality programing how far are we really from a similar event happening?

For further comparison think about the style in the capitol, now think about our style. The capitol's style looks outlandish to us but how much of what's popular right now is anything but preference of looks? I don't want to get into clothes-as-expression-of-self stuff here, I just mean most of what we wear focuses on form over function. Clothing, at its bare foundation, comes from the necessity to cover and protect our fleshy hides. That's it. If we were to be utilitarian about it do you think we'd have the styles we have now? We may have a different style than they do but none of our clothing serves a different (let alone better) purpose in the end.


Also to Eml "I feel like the Hunger Games turned into the media monster that Collins was warning of in the first place." I wonder if that's not just playing perfectly into her meaning. It's a little tragic but the response to it works as its own little extension to the meaning of the novels. The people in the capitol WERE suppose to parallel us and here we are paralleling them.

[Eric]

I believe that a lot of books are written just to tell a story. This is what authors do for a living. If there are messages for you, so be it. I don't read books for inspiration or deeper meaning, although I realize there are those that do. For me, reading is pretty much an escape. The Hunger Games was a good story that entertained me in the same way a video game or movie would. I know this doesn't mark me as an intellectual, but so be it, LOL

[Sammie]

Great thoughts on these books. I have to agree with Caroline - the real danger portrayed in the books is government control. Remember the point Katniss made about the fence - how it was placed under the guise of keeping bad things out but in reality, it was keeping the citizens in...?

I read the comment about the 10yr old reading the book and have to admit that I let my 10 year old read it. (She won't read Mockingjay yet, because she knows certain bad events that happen in the third book and doesn't want them to happen - lol) She's extremely intelligent and advanced for her age, so I think she understands it in a way others her age might not. We discussed the things that happened in the book and share thoughts about those things and how scary it is.

We've even compared Katniss' life to hers - how we have abundance in our lives, and what it might be like if we were forced into a situation like Katniss. I believe all of these things will have deeper meanings for her as she gets older, but that's the beauty of books. :)

[Chloe]

@sammie I agree with your thoughts on the message, and yea I wasn't trying to say all kids are alike, I think it's really great that you are able to discuss it and talk it over. The girl I know is a little less mature, and her parents don't really talk to her about what she reads/watches. I've seen her get really scared watching some most pg-13 movies, a lot without more than superhero violence. So in her case it was not something I agreed with. That being said, I think seeing the movies and seeing the acts visually is much different then reading. The movies almost had more impact because when reading you can only take it as far as your mind can, if that makes sense.

Anywho major kudos for you for being involved with your kid!

[Emma]

I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about kids murdering kids" I am so sick and tired of that! Its not just about murdering kids!

[Ultra]

Emilia Jane wrote: "I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about kids murdering kids" I am so sick and tired of that! Its not ..."

ya that s true but its just like every other story the leader always uses fear to control people.why compare hunger games to our life?why not other books you know what, why even compare it? just live your life and stop trying to be the charctors in a book or trying to live like them.im sick of people saying we should compare the hunger games or anything else because why do you care.you think you really understand the book or your just subconsciously obsessed with it and its popular.how would you feel to live in a world like that ? your children or even you scared every minute of your life.maybe some books can change you but you can change yourself also.just read the book and be happy or not. don't make such a big deal. the author has to keep the person entertained in order for them to keep reading and keep reading more of it.

theres more to life than thinking you can compare a book to the real world.yes some books are meant to change people or have important meanings but not all.

[Sammie]

@Chloe - Oh I definitely agree! I think it depends on the particular child. I even recommended the series to an adult friend of mine who said she was really freaked out b/c of the possibilities the books made her think about.

And thanks! Both of my children have inherited my love of books so it's something we enjoy sharing. :D

[Maria]

kind of, because for example, i just recommended this book to my aunt, she read it and i asked her what's the message that she got and she got a different message than the one i got so i think it depends on the knowledge and imagination of every person that reads the book, also my dad read it and told me that the writer just wrote it to tell a story , i was really disappointed at that opinion, but my friends and i read it and got almost the same message.

[Ann]

I totally agree, many of my friends who have only seen the movie are just obsessed with the romance between katniss and peeta. I asked them if they even knew what the message was and they had no idea but they thought it was "awesome". Honestly. It's really sad that such a powerful message is overlooked so easily.

[Angie Elle]

Samantha wrote: "Tori wrote: "Eml wrote: "Honestly, they should be able to read the books and understand that what is going on is wrong. Collins wrote it for the young adult demographic. The problem is most people ..."

IMHO, I think that the comparison to Big Brother and Survivor is quite a stretch. People are desperate to get onto those shows. And the end result is not that the last living contestant wins.

That is miles away from being chosen at random and then forced into some arena to either kill or be killed.

[Jade]

Ultra wrote: "Emilia Jane wrote: "I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about kids murdering kids" I am so sick and tir..."

i think you really understand almost every book.im kindve agreeing with you on this one.why do people have to keep there mind on this book.whats so special what about all your other favorite books.i dont know.... it just wasnt really my type.it really just depends on the person but just think about for a moment are you really in to it ,you think you can make a difference, do you really want to live in a world like that?

but anyway i could care less.but i dont know ...im just gonna agree with ultra

[Samantha The Escapist]

Angie wrote: "IMHO, I think that the comparison to Big Brother and Survivor is quite a stretch. People are desperate to get onto those shows. And the end result is not that the last living contestant wins. "

I was actually comparing the viewership with the members of the capitol. I should have clarified. Government-is-evil theme is old hat for dystopias, the thing that set this one apart for me was the pomp and excitement ABOUT the games for the people that enjoyed them. I didn't find the existence of the games remarkably disgusting or even remotely comparable to the examples I listed (which are all staged anyway :P) because people with power do evil things even now, what I found disgusting was the lack of moral repulsion the people felt when watching it. That isn't to say that people should be disgusted by reality tv the same as they would be with the hunger games, just pointing out that we're a society of voyeurs.

But either way, to take the perspective from which you read my comment I would point out that a lot of the kids in the Hunger Games DID choose to be there and trained for it, not all of them, but a few in any case. And sure, the "last alive wins" thing is there but it's still the prospect of winning fame and money that drives the careers into the games. BUT that wasn't what I was saying in the first place so no biggie :P

[Ultra]

Jade wrote: "Ultra wrote: "Emilia Jane wrote: "I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about kids murdering kids" I am s..."

thx e.e cool to relize im not alone o.0

[Jade]

Ultra wrote: "Jade wrote: "Ultra wrote: "Emilia Jane wrote: "I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about kids murdering..."
he he no biggie!hey friend me i need to tALk to you

[Jade]

Jade wrote: "Ultra wrote: "Jade wrote: "Ultra wrote: "Emilia Jane wrote: "I don't think that people understand the book at all until they read it themselves. I've had so many comments about how " it just about ..."

NO BIGGIE!hey friend me i need to talk to you

[Ultra]

sure!

[Dia]

I wonder how many people realize that most of the characters, theme, and even the setting represent the play Juluis Caesar. Some characters have the same names as the characters in the play, the way of life is similiar to how things were in ancient times, and just how the Roman Empire fell, Panem fell in a way too.

Also, every single character's name in the Hunger Games has a meaning that relates to them. For example, Peeta is a type of bread. His name is significant because he lived in a bakery, and gave Katniss bread when she was starving. Suzanne Collins is a damn genius.

[Angie Elle]

Dia wrote: "I wonder how many people realize that most of the characters, theme, and even the setting represent the play Juluis Caesar. Some characters have the same names as the characters in the play, the wa..."

That's funny that you mention that, because just today I was thinking that my least favorite thing about the books was what she named the characters.

[Shaelin]

My friends brother actually said this to me the other day: 'You know, when you think about it The Hunger Games is actually kind of wrong and scary."

When you think about it! It requires no thought, you should understand from the first page that what is going on in the books is a bad thing! It requires no thought!

[Ruba]

I hope that people really understand what the books are about and not take them for entertainment purposes only, I mean from my view I think we are all part of the games that's happening , we all live in districts that is controlled by the capital.
For the games it self , well there is people dying of hunger in the world or killed for any kind of reason.

[Mochaspresso]

I think the adult readers understand but younger readers may not fully grasp the political aspects and the messages about the media.

[Jackie]

Whenever I think of Hunger Games, I think of dystopian novels. Because really, that's what the series is. I think a lot of younger readers do not understand this, and just see the series as a form of entertainment. While there's no doubt it's entertaining, it is also portraying a vision of the future. Like 1984, Brave New World, etc, it is exploring the multiple scenarios of a future that is very much in the realm of possibility.

[Christina]

I definetely think that the message of the books is obvious and really strong and loud that cannot hide.
Through all the characters you see how bad are the games and what they cause. I believe that Suzanne Collins wrote the deaths in this way to show the cruelty of people and how power make us forget our human part and care for our entertainment even if this includes the risk of human lifes.

[Cora]

Eml wrote: "Do you think people understand the messages Collins was trying to teach, or do you think the books are just a form of entertainment? For me, the books showed a lot of deep meaning, but the more peo..."

Sometimes when people are uncomfortable, they laugh or joke. It's a way of sidestepping issues. They usually don't realize they are doing it. On the other hand, many people don't think deeply about what they read, so you have brought up a good point.

[Cora]

Mocha Spresso wrote: "I think the adult readers understand but younger readers may not fully grasp the political aspects and the messages about the media."

Don't underestimate younger readers. They are smart and understand more than you might think, even if they can't articulate it or it they seem to shrug it off.

[[deleted user]]

Heatherv wrote: "I actually really loved this book. I feel like it teaches kids to actually appreciate having food in their belly or a roof over their head. Also it shows how hard people use to work back in the day..."

I really, couldn't have put it any better myself. I don't exactly apreciate how everyone is dissing the younger readers, and saying they don't get anything about the Hunger Games. I'm one of those younger readers, and I know what the book meant. I know it wasn't all unicorns and glitter. I know that the book was meant to convey the brutality of some goverments. I think a lot of the book was meant to convey the panic and fear the tributes felt, when they knew they were going to have to either kill or be killed. I think most of you older people are judging the younger readers too harshly.

[Steph]

Haidi wrote: "I guess understanding issues like the ones raised in the Hunger Games comes with maturity. Many of the readers of the book are increadibly young. I know when I was 11 or 12 or even 14 I couldn't ha..."

Ughh! I know what you mean. I'm 15 and I read the books 2 years ago. All my friends and almost everyone in my class have read them but they're mostly just obsessed with the action/adventure or the romance. I mean, people ask me whether I'm Team Peeta or Team Gale. I like the romance and adventure too, but these books have such a powerful message and it doesn't seem like everyone really grasps it. On the other hand, when I convinced my mom to give them a try, she loved them too, but the entire reason she loved them was because of the message. She hated the disturbing content and the violence but understood why it was important to include it. I guess a lot (but not all) of kids these days don't think deeply enough or bother to try to understand how the world works. My friends, who are all very smart and mature, won't listen to the news because it's 'boring' and complain when we have to study things like the holocaust in school because 'they don't want to hear about bad and disturbing stuff' even though it's important to know about. I love my friends, and I think they do understand the message, but they shrug it off since where they live they aren't directly affected by all the bad stuff in the world (yet) and they don't think there's anything they can do about the problems in the world. On the other hand, there are kids who really don't care or completely miss the point of the book, and that is just sad.

Update: I edited my post a little because I reread it and I felt like I was being too harsh against young readers (which is ironic since I'm a young reader and don't like when adults say we aren't mature enough to understand things).