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2012-06-01 issue:

Mennonite teens and the Hunger Games

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by Angela Williams

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Recently, I realized that every one of the youth I work with (ages 12 to 17) had not only seen the movie, but also read the book entitled, The Hunger Games. Most of them also went on to read the other two books in the trilogy. The first movie was released in late March and it has become a cultural phenomenon. It has also been noted that the first book and film are both extremely violent.

Yet, children across the globe have been captivated by the story. This includes youth in the Mennonite congregation I serve with, most of whom associate themselves with pacifism and the way of active non-violent resistance.

This invites the questions: Why are these children so enthralled by this story? What sorts of theological mysteries and life conundrums does this first book speak to?

As the children and youth pastor for my congregation, I decided to explore these questions. I read the first book, saw the movie and created a series for youth group entitled “The Hunger Games.” It was a three part series.

1. The first night we looked at issues of power/the cycle of poverty, the second at courage/team-work/community and finally, ethical dilemmas/violence. I paralleled the film and first book with the book of Esther. The youth were not only excited about attending youth group during this series, but they were also willing to discuss these things for nearly an hour each time and were shocked by the parallels to the Bible.

On the first night of the series, we talked through the concept of “reaping” in The Hunger Games and its correlation to power and cycles of poverty. The first book opens on the day of “reaping.”

In a few short hours, names will be called and two children in every district will leave their families and join in the “Hunger Games.” Once a child is 12, he or she becomes eligible. With each year, until 18, their name gets put in two more times. For example, his or her name is put in once at 12 and twice at 13 and so on.

However, the reaping system (as with many government systems) is set up to be unfair. The rules of the Hunger Games were created by the Capitol. The Capitol is the main system in Panem and it rules over twelve districts that surround it. Many of the people in the twelve districts are starving.

I asked the youth what made the system in the Capitol corrupt? They recognized that control of the food supply by the Capitol was used for power and domination to maintain authority over the people living in the districts. They noticed the wide gaps between the rich and the poor both within the districts and between districts.

The youth also realized that if a child or one of their family members is starving, they can opt to add their name more times to each year’s reaping in exchange for “tesserae,” a meager year’s supply of grain and oil. They noted that the entries are cumulative, with the poorest children’s names going into the pot many times over. The youth were then able to parallel this with the unfair advantages of the wealthy in the United States.

The book becomes a look into the future, a commentary on how power and exploitation could shape the future of the United States. One of the youth even brought up the fact that if the Occupy movement were to become a worldwide phenomenon, most Americans would need to realize that we are the one percent. In fact, the narrator of the book explicitly declares that Panem arose out of the ashes of a place once called North America.

There were “Dark Days” of uprising against the Capitol, but the Capitol ultimately defeated the twelve districts surrounding it. A “Treaty of Treason” was created for peace. In addition, the punishment for the uprising and the yearly reminder that it will never happen again is the Hunger Games. We then looked at issues of power and control in Esther 1:1-12, 19-20; 2:1-13, 17-23.

2. The second night of the series we talked about the first book’s central character, Katniss. The book is told from her perspective. Katniss is a 16-year-old, whose name on this day of reaping is in the pot twenty times. She lives in “the Seam” of District 12.

District 12 is a community full of coal minors and “the Seam” is a section of the poorest and most marginalized in that community. District 12 was formerly a region called “Appalachia.” Sound familiar? The Hunger Games is a stark look into the life of a poor, neglected and abused teenager. The teens in my youth group recognized the fact that Katniss lives the contemporary story of many teenagers across the globe and even the story of teens in our own backyards. She becomes the face of poverty.

For my youth, this is a story about what happens when a teen has something to live for. It is a story about a teenager that is empowered enough to believe that she can change the fabric of her community, by restoring its dignity. As noted in another article, this is not without participating in violence, but Katniss struggles continually in the book with the decisions she has to make. 

Katniss’ younger sister is chosen in the reaping. However, Katniss volunteers to go in her sister’s place. The teens I work with see Katniss as a symbol of courage and deep familial love and commitment. Katniss hunts game for her family’s well being. She provides food for her mom and little sister and also exchanges it for other goods, such as soap. Youth are drawn to Katniss’ desire to win the games for her family and community. We paralleled these themes with Esther 3:1-6, 8-10, 13 and chapter 4 and talked about similarities between Katniss and Esther. 

3. The third and final night of the series centered on a discussion of ethical dilemmas and violence. The twenty-four tributes (chosen on the day of reaping from the twelve districts) are put into an arena and forced to fight to the death. Only one tribute can remain standing. Not surprisingly, those in power can easily manipulate the arena. For example, those in charge at the Capital can bring rainstorms, wild animals, fires etc., whenever they please. In fact, those in charge of the games often create scenarios that force competitors to fight one another when the arena gets too dull for those watching.

Naturally (as in any war) competitors team up and create allies and easily make enemies of one another. In youth group, we talked about how easy it is to create enemies and to participate in “us vs. them.” We also discussed the fact that questions consumed Katniss about what weapons the others have. The youth realized that the idea that another could have had a spear or a knife in the arena fed Katniss’ need to have her own weapon. As a youth group we discussed the evil, naked “truth” that so many humans believe: violence can only be met with violence.

We also talked through the ethical dilemmas that Katniss and Peeta (another main character) faced. We talked through the ethical tension between the will to live and the will to do what is right in violent situations. In the Hunger Games, the desire to hunt and kill is paralleled with the desire to be in community, to be a part of something great, to live and love well.

However, the thought of one’s impending death and the need for survival above all else puts all of the tributes on edge and the instinct to hunt or be hunted wins out. Thus, children kill other children. We paralleled the violence in The Hunger Games with Esther chapters 5:1-7; chapter 7 and 8:3-8, 11.

It could be easy to relegate The Hunger Games to another violent book that our youth should not read and film that they should not see. Yet, this book displays how the love of both power and money can distort the human mind into believing that people’s lives have no value apart from these things. The book is a reminder about what happens when people become pawns of the wealthy.

It reveals that when people become a commodity or a resource, nearly anything is plausible. Also, in the midst of the arena, one finds connection and dreams, a longing for home, an ability to actually see the humanity of another.

While it may not be the kind of book parents and pastors want their 12-year-olds reading, it is a kind of book they are reading. As parents and pastors and leaders, we should also pick up this book. It is actually a cultural resource that if engaged, can allow adults to discuss important subjects with youth.

Williams is children and youth pastor at Pasadena (Calif.) Mennonite Church and a Ph.D. student in Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena.