I’m only two chapters, covering thirty-three pages, into this book. Even in so short a span, Suzanne Collins has already given a very sophisticated look at the hazy moral lines that exist in the world of Panem. It’s something that she constantly brings up, elaborating on it in small doses at a time, and it’s vitally important, as readers living in a comfort-driven society where everything is conveniently provided for us, for our understanding of the characters.
I’ve heard people complain about, of all things, the fact that Katniss hunts poor, innocent animals for food. What I’ve learned from the past two chapters is that those people are sitting on a moral high horse and don’t understand just how vastly different the culture in District 12 is from 21st century American culture. Katniss may speak the same language that we do, but she sees and understands the world in ways that someone who has never experienced anything outside of Western society can’t even begin to comprehend.
Trigger warnings: This post contains discussions of violence, murder, starvation, parental neglect and abuse, and abandonment. It’ll be gloomy in general. You have been warned.
Cheryl Reads The Hunger Games 