GLORY AND GORE
May the odds be ever in your favor. Except, they never are.
At the heart of the power struggle within these novels are the Hunger Games themselves. They are the Capitol's ultimate demonstration of their overwhelming total control and imposition of power over the districts. And they are never actually fair. Some districts live in comfort whilst in others, like Katniss's District 12, suffer in poverty. The Games are a glorified reality show meant to entertain and suppress whilst also serving to demonstrate the Capitol's power. And as such, they do not actually care if it is fair because they do not really care about any of the districts. This process is described in one instance in the lines, "Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. 'Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen' "(The Hunger Games 18-19). Reading this as an adolescent I was horrified at the Capitol's treatment of people, of kids nonetheless, and I understood how powerless Katniss must feel.
Because of how messed up the games are, the tributes not only have to worry about surviving but must rely on sponsorship and how they present themselves as well. Katniss and Peeta end up faking a relationship essentially in order to live. So on top of having to deal with trying to survive, they also have to navigate a complicated charade that also plays into actual feelings for both of them.
Trites argues that in adolescent literature, "death is untimely, violent, and unnecessary" and in no other adolescent novel is this fact as true as it is for The Hunger Games trilogy (Trites 120). For the Capitol, the Games are just that, games, and they do not see them for what they truly are--a ruthless, cruel, glorified, forceful murder parade. The tributes have no choice but to kill one another for survival as the Capitol leaves them powerless and without choice. And the deaths of the tributes within the arena are, as Trites says in general about adolescents death, ones in which they are,"not necessarily going gently into that good night" (Trites 120). Rue is murdered with a spear after being caught in a trap, Finnick is torn apart by mutts, Cinna is beaten in front of Katniss right as she is sent into then games and then taken away to be killed, Prim is blown up by bombs, and countless other deaths of characters we know in some fashion occur, all violent, all unnecessary. Reading this as an adolescent, I vividly remember absolutely bawling at these four deaths when I read them and bawling just as much again seeing them in the movie theater. I felt as powerless at Katniss did during all of these situations and I was absolutely heartbroken at all of them like she was. This fact has not changed with time as these deaths are still so utterly heartbreaking to me and even now I feel powerless when they happen.
When it comes to Katniss and the other tributes of the games, they are glorified and fawned over like objectified trophies all whilst they are ruthlessly murdered and utilized like pawns for entertainment. As the lyrics from Lorde's song Glory and Gore above point out, the Tributes are trapped in a flawed cyclical system. They get put in the games, they must either commit horrific acts to live or resign themselves to death, if they chose to try and win they then must put on an act and a show to get sponsorships which are crucial to survival, and then if they somehow do manage to win it is only at the expense of taking away so many other lives. And their victory is based on them being forced into a tournament where they had to murder others by an oppressive government that lives a comfortable prosperous life and used their life for sport. The Hunger Games are a messed up, twisted reality show created entirely for two reasons. One, as a demonstration of the Capitol's power and a reminder to keep the districts in check. And two, simple entertainment for the Capitol. Thus, for tributes, there is no glory without gore and one can only make headlines and win if they are willing to do whatever it takes.
The layers of complexity to the games add so much more that one has to do in order to survive the games beyond just being skilled in the Games. As Birdy's song Just a Game illuminates in the lyrics on the picture above, their fate is not entirely in their hands. In fact, the viewers, their mentors, and others are their only hope within the games. As Effie tells Katniss and Peeta, "You know your mentor is your lifeline to the world in these Games. The one who advises you, lines up your sponsors, and dictates the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch can well be the difference between your life and your death!" (The Hunger Games 46-47). Katniss and Peeta need Haymitch's help to survive because he is their mentor and beyond that their link to sponsorship and help within the games. The Games are not just about survival, they are an elaborate show and entertainment for those within the Capitol. The tributes are constantly under watch, even when they are sleeping, and they have to constantly be alert and aware of what they are doing. The Games are an intricate, cruel, forceful reality show.
