Criticisms of The Hunger Games Series
This piece is a spoiler-free criticism of The Hunger Games series. It is the end of a larger post which details several spoilers for the book. If you’re curious about my thoughts on the series, but haven’t read the books- start here. If you’ve read the books and would like to offer criticism of my criticism, look here for the full post.
Ultimately, my criticisms of the novels lead me to conclude that these novels are sub-par at best. A sparse few of my disparaging thoughts can be relegated to mere aesthetic or surface level complaints. For example, in what conceivable universe would anyone in their right mind name a character Peeta? Or Katniss? I can’t think of a book I’ve ever read with worse character names, labels which are so corny and laughable as to elicit eye rolls on every page. Even though this may seem a trite criticism, it’s really hard to take a character seriously when his name could be used in My Little Pony.
A more serious complaint arrises when the medium of the narrative disregards any semblance of character development. Katniss’ narration of these events never gives actual depth to her character. Her defining characteristic is coldness; the only degree of real compassion she shows is toward her younger sister, and even then such compassion occurs so sparsely throughout the novel that the reader is simply forced to assume why and how much she cares. To say that a lead character cannot be cold and unfeeling is not my point. Instead, the driving force of the novel’s narrative is the degree of passion she feels for protecting her younger sister. However, the reader is given such a short period of time with Primrose (one of the only decent names, which is then shortened to the abysmal ‘Prim’), that we are forced to simply assume compassion is present rather than draw conclusions from actions or dialogue. Essentially, the reader is told how to feel, rather than actually feeling it.
However, the most atrocious element of the book is it’s derivative themes which insult the memory of Orwell and Kafka. To claim that The Hunger Games deserves entry into the cannon of literature read by young adults disregards the countless novels which more adequately explore the themes which are merely hinted at in this series. The only extent to which Collins actually explores the dystopian world she has built derives from the simple fact that the characters exist there. The novels spend only brief amounts of time exploring the world in which they exist; there’s no institutions constructed, no look at the hierarchy of power, and the only examination of the social disparity is simply explained out loud. Subtlety is completely lost, as Collins simply spells out exactly what the reader needs- nothing more.
I read these books for the same reason I watched Jersey Shore, sawTransformers, or listen to Ke$ha. It’s important to keep up, and constantly criticize, pop culture. As an entry into the pop-literature genre, these books are acceptable for grammar school students. To insist that these books be entered into high school curricula affronts the intelligence of high school aged children. At that age, kids should be reading Shakespeare, Steinbeck, and Dostoevsky and not wasting critical time on children’s books such as these.
When it comes down to it, The Hunger Games is a mediocre entry into the realm of literature. The life of a child is a zero-sum game; there exists a finite amount of time available for any sort of activity. Reading competes for an ever smaller portion of the “Recreation” portion of that pie as television, film, music, and the internet make significant inroads into this area. Why then are we encouraging children to read sub-par novels which fail to explore the complex themes already built in other novels such as Animal Farm, The Giver, orEnder’s Game? To say that these books aren’t deserving of criticism which draws issue with the book’s thematic elements is mortgaging the minds of children in favor of solipsism, trash-culture, and, in this case, a hamfisted attempt at an Orwellian young adult novel.
