Guest post: A student’s perspective on The Hunger Games

by Brianna Bridges

Editor’s note: Barry Bridges is a longtime Youth Leaders Only member, who has finally grown up and become a pastor in San Antonio, Texas. His daughter Brianna is a freshman at the University of Texas.

What makes The Hunger Games attractive to this generation is that it’s a story of young people our age who are at risk for their parent’s “faults.” The characters see a change needs to be made, but the way to make that change is uncertain. A collective thought of the people of our generation is we want to be the change; we want to make our mark. We love to think about the future and all of its possibilities. These books are one way to do it.

Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, is the heroine of The Hunger Games. She is an example of the potential we all have; her strength and perseverance enlightens us all to be a forward-thinking generation. The older generations think that the upcoming generation is clueless to its surroundings and spoiled with all of its technology. However, we still learn; we are aware of our surroundings; we are not oblivious.

Katniss Everdeen is an average girl, from a poor district who becomes the icon of a rebellion. This is the real key to the success of The Hunger Games – a strong, fearless, female lead. The story is action with a hint of romance, and appeals to both male and female. There is a strong judgment on the unreality of reality TV. The Capitol is extreme, mocking the clueless entertainment mindset and over-the-top makeovers.

The books can definitely be used as a valuable Bible study or teaching series, pulling concepts and actions in order to parallel them with Bible teachings. For example, Katniss sacrificing herself for Prim’s immunity can be compared to Jesus laying down His life for our sins. And ultimately, Katniss takes on the downfalls or “sins” of her forefathers. At one point in the book, Peeta tells Katniss that he doesn’t want to lose who he is in the arena; he doesn’t want it to change him. He is saying he that he doesn’t want the hatred and brutality of the Capitol to make him lose his compassion and good nature. That is a struggle every Christian teenager fights at school and in the real world; trying to not assimilate into the average teen; attempting to prevent the negatives of society from overpowering the good in Christianity and the power of their beliefs.