On Tyrants & Tributes : Real World Lessons From The Hunger Games discussion

Beyond the Theseus and Spartacus comparisons, and Suzanne Collins's evocative choice of names, there are other interesting classical echoes in The Hunger Games.

In particular, I thought you might be interested in two pointed out by a former graduate student of mine, Kris Swank, at The Hog's Head:

* "How Glorious Fall the Valiant: 'Careers' as Spartan Warriors"
This gives a different insight into the "nationalism" demanded of/inculcated into some of the Tributes.

* "Gifts of the Gods"
This underscores how the Capitol chooses to quite literally "play god" with the fates of the Tributes.

What do you think? Are you convinced? Do these added layers make The Hunger Games a more compelling work? Do they sharpen the focus on the "big themes" about liberty and power that Collins presents?

After reading these articles and watching the videos I think that it does make the Hunger Games trilogy a more compelling series. It turns it into something to really think and wonder about instead of reading it and just thinking about it like another book.
Also with the focus on liberty and power in the books, some could look at this trilogy as a sort of warning of what the future could look like if we don't get more involved in the news, or pay more attention to what the government is doing.

Those two are good examples of valid readings of the text. Collins creates a huge, intricate universe, and that allows for her to draw on multiple classical voices in different angles. That versatility, that ability to walk in and out of other texts and myths, is one of the qualities that make the trilogy powerful.

I'm especially drawn to the names of the characters; they're a quick and pithy way of borrowing from other literature, but as characters develop through the story the reader starts to see a more thought out critique.

For example, it's interesting that the TV host of the Hunger Games is named Caesar Flickerman. It is he (not President Snow, not any official piece of the political machine) who inherits the name of the great and powerful Roman emperor. This speaks to the influence and importance of mass media, propaganda, and entertainment -- TV is king, perhaps more so than any single person in government.

Dalmo wrote: "I'm especially drawn to the names of the characters; they're a quick and pithy way of borrowing from other literature, but as characters develop through the story the reader starts to see a more thought out critique."

My best friend just got the Peeta/pita - the Baker - joke. It took seeing the Sesame Street parody.

The article, "How Glorious Fall the Valiant: 'Careers' as Spartan Warriors", reminds me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave from The Republic. This is because it is incredibly hard to tell someone what they see/believe/learn is completely wrong. Back to the Hunger Games series, regardless of the district and whether or not the citizens were happy, they believed there would be consequences if they openly defied the government, regardless of the blatant oppression. The greatest threat of force is the threat itself. The citizens within the districts keep each other in check, because of the belief that there will be punishment for defiance.

The article, "Gifts of the Gods", reminds me of Machiavelli's the Prince. When a ruler is deciding between being loved vs. being feared, Machiavelli says that it is better to be feared. He goes on to say that it is never good to strictly attempt to be feared, but it is always good to show some charitable work. This is clearly what the capitol is doing. The idea of granting the winner of the games riches and spoils for life, allows the people to believe that the Capitol isn't devoid of goodness. The people in the career districts are led to believe that it is a privilege to fight in the games, because of the possibility of winning and never having to work again.

I've always been intrigued by President Snow's first name, Coriolanus, since it is another allusion to Rome as well as a Shakespeare play. I read Coriolanus my freshman year of college, but I've never completely understood why Suzanne Collins chose Coriolanus to be Snow's first name. Any thoughts?

The two pieces of literature above to add more complex layers to the Hunger games story, but it makes it all the more compelling.

In the piece, "How Glorious Fall the Valiant: 'Careers' as Spartan Warriors", we see a variable that aided in the constant continuation of the games. The existence of the careers from the wealthier districts gave hope to the less districts for a better life, but at the same time made them realize the level of brutality they would have to achieve to win the games. If the careers did not establish the honor of winning the games then others may have had even less of a reason to fight. I think it is important to highlight the level of cunning it took to overcome the careers. In the end, Sparta was defeated by an overwhelming amount of Persians, not by the cunning of one individual. Those who won the games that were not careers, usually won due to strategic planning and cunning.

In the second piece, "Gifts of the Gods", highlights an important point of the games. That is the districts, and individuals contained within them, will always be dependent on the capitol. The districts depend on the capitol for food, medicine, and all other necessary resources for survival. This carries over into the games, where due to the environment the tributes are places that must beg or rely on the capital(Gods) for survival.
I also agree with the comment of Jeffery above, "The idea of granting the winner of the games riches and spoils for life, allows the people to believe that the capitol isn't devoid of goodness". Though it is the capital that makes the districts dependent on them, the idea of providing a better life encourages participation in the games. It portrays the capitol as a forgiving and generous entity, when in reality it is the source of all the issues.

Interesting parallels with mythology. As mythology proves to be one of the most compelling topics in middle school, it makes sense that series like Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson series draw in the crowd from the early teens and up.

I realized many of the parallels, but I'm lost on the nuances throughout the series. It makes me want to go back to do less of a superficial reading after learning more of the mythology I missed in school.

This past weekend, I gave a presentation on representations of Moloch in speculative fiction. For those who don't know, Moloch is an idol/deity first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and other texts of the time (e.g., the Moabite Stone), to which people would sacrifice children, particularly firstborn children, by burning them in large furnaces. In Paradise Lost, John Milton gave Moloch something of a backstory as a militaristic demon who advocated openly attacking Heaven/God. Since Milton, there has been a sort of dualistic view of Moloch in fantasy and sci-fi literature, one focusing on the sacrificial aspect and the other on a militaristic aspect. Interestingly, the sacrificial aspect tends to take the form of criticism against industrialization, modernization and technology, as seen in works like Alexandr Kupin's "Moloch" (1896), Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" (1955), and more recently the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "I Robot, You Jane...." (1997). Works focusing on the militarization/nationalization angle include Karel Čapek's War with the Newts (1937) — which also has a strong 2-tiered society seen in the industrialization stories noted above — as well as Ernest Bramah's The Secret of the League (1907), Aldous Huxley's Ape and Essence (1948) which worked out ideas he put forth in Science Liberty and Peace , along with selected episodes from TV shows like Stargate: SG1 and the currently running Sleepy Hollow.

There are no explicit references to Moloch in The Hunger Games books that I know of, so why am I bringing it up? Well, partially because Moloch is all I've been thinking about for the last few weeks, and perhaps I'm just seeing him wherever I look... But also because I think there are genuine connections between the works I listed above and the world of Panem. For one thing, Panem is a split world with the Districts supporting the capital, just like the societies in Kuprin's, Lang's, Čapek's and Ginsberg's works. Furthermore, I see a strong correlation in the nationalistic/militaristic worlds in the works of Bramah, Čapek (again), Huxley and Stargate.

In particular, I would draw a direct line between Panem and Huxley's Science, Liberty and Peace. In that essay, Huxley describes how applied (as opposed to theoretical) science is always used by strongly centralized governments to subjugate its citizens, and he calls such governments "national Molochs." He gives historical examples and then discusses contemporary (in 1946) technology like airplanes, tanks and the atomic bomb — examples which can easily be updated to 21st century applications like encryption (which is still considered a military weapon in some legislation), drones and various NSA technologies. In Panem, the applied sciences are used not to create better mining techniques for District 12 or better agricultural science for District 11, and so forth. Rather, any scientific innovation in Panem goes toward controlling the people, either through entertainment or through military. In this respect, Panem perfectly fits the idea of the "national Moloch" that Huxley describes in SL&P. That the tributes are effectively child sacrifices just makes the link to the ancient worship of Moloch even stronger.

Furthermore, I would look to The Golden Bough , in which James George Frazer offers a litany of evidence that ancient sacrifice rituals were believed to extend the life of the king (and, thusly, also the government). Although the sacrifices Frazer lists are not explicitly Molochian, they share the commonality of giving up individual life for the sake of the ruler. Likewise, as shown in the Panem propaganda video, the idea of the Hunger Games is to keep the Districts in check and preserve the power of the Capital over the Districts.

Finally, one other reference of note is fire. Katniss is known as "The Girl on Fire," but of course she doesn't get burned. As noted above, children sacrificed to Moloch were burned in furnaces (at least, that is the belief of many scholars — there are other potential interpretations). Despite being on fire, however, Katniss doesn't get burned, and she ends up not being the good little sacrifice President Snow would like her to be. Instead, fire is used symbolically against the furnace of Panem, consuming the idol itself rather than the would-be sacrifice.

I don't know that Collins had any of this in mind when she wrote The Hunger Games. As I said, I've been living with these ideas about Moloch for some time now, so maybe I'm just seeing shadows from the flames.... But I think there's enough there to make a connection.

I would just like to point out that even though the Hunger Games were fought to the death until a winner has been decided, those who fought in the Colosseum, the gladiators, weren't necessarily so. They were kept, maintained, and trained as "invaluable commodities" and it has been estimated that 90 percent was the survival rate of gladiators and some lived long enough to reach retirement during the first century AD.

Curtis wrote: "This past weekend, I gave a presentation on representations of Moloch in speculative fiction. For those who don't know, Moloch is an idol/deity first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and other texts o..."

Curtis- Thanks for sharing this! I found it VERY thought-provoking. I'm going to have to go back and re-read Huxley, in particular now. And, I'm a sucker for an academic Buffy reference every time....

The reference to Huxley's assertion that science is used by governments as a method of control immediately brought to mind the issue of GMO crops and Monsanto's deep involvement with the government, producing a scary amount of concentrated control over American domestic food supply.

The Classical themes presented throughout The Hunger Games deepen the message that Collins was attempting to convey. Throughout time humankind has struggled between freedom and tyranny. This struggle was exemplified in the Persian Wars, in which Xerxes was attempting to destroy Greece and institute his own rule. This is just one example of numerous from ancient history and legends in which the Ancients fought for liberty against despotism. These two articles add more layers to the numerous ancient examples that Collins uses for inspiration. These articles add more depth to the story, and also legitimatize it by adding to the conversation that has taken place throughout history. These ancient inspirations –illustrated in the articles -- make the story more compelling as it draws the reader in by using time-tested methods of storytelling. What was interesting to the people thousands of years ago is still interesting today. In discussing liberty, one must realize the emotional attachment that many have to it. It is something to cherish, to be fought for. In The Hunger Games, as in Ancient myths and history, the characters must stand up for liberty, for their freedom, and defend it. All of the ancient influences draw me into the story, as the parallels are interesting and important. The message is that liberty is an end in itself, and must be fought for and protected. I cannot wait to learn more.

What the hunger games reminds me of is South Korea in the past 60 years or at least from the 1960s-1990s. Korea showed great examples of a top down system of a tyrannical government that went utterly wrong. Korea's case was something that has never been really looked at closely but something that could relate to the resistance of people and how they fought back. During the Chun Doo-Hwan regime, there were two major protest that inevitably took lots of powers from the governments role and really made it look on what the Korean people wanted for their government. Two massacres. People protested and soon a revolution happened in South Korea that grew from a top down heavily led society to almost a republic in which government don't take too much of a role in society. Through this, it helped the society boom. People think it was Park Chung Hee who led the economic growth in Korea but what he did was to create monopolies that are so powerful that it became the society in Korea. Each major corporation owns a part of the major colleges in Korea and where those students study is probably where they will work at.

To get back to my conclusion, I would say that the Hunger Games world, Not the games, remind me of what it was like to be in Korea when Chun Doo-Hwan was in charge or the later terms of Park Chung Hee before assassination.

Kate wrote: "And, I'm a sucker for an academic Buffy reference every time...."

Not only am I also a sucker for academic Buffy references, but the paper I gave actually originated from an episode of my weekly Buffy/Doctor Who podcast. So...yeah!

Kate wrote: "The reference to Huxley's assertion that science is used by governments as a method of control immediately brought to mind the issue of GMO crops and Monsanto's deep involvement with the government, producing a scary amount of concentrated control over American domestic food supply."

Yes, and I would expand that to cover any sort of crony capitalism. One of my defining moments as a libertarian was the visceral reaction I had when I heard the CEO of the multinational financial institution where I worked at the time acknowledge to thousands of employees, quite proudly, "We love regulation, because it keeps out competition" — and the cheers/laughter that followed that statement. Until then, I had held the fairly naive conservative view that banks = capitalism = freedom.

Jonathan wrote: "I would just like to point out that even though the Hunger Games were fought to the death until a winner has been decided, those who fought in the Colosseum, the gladiators, weren't necessarily so...."

Yes, good point. While it is interesting to find and expand parallels to previous works, it is almost never a 1:1 correlation. It's the differences that provide meaning.

As far as maintaining gladiators, there is something of a Hunger Games parallel in the victory tour and the Quarter Quell, in which at least some of the tributes must participate again. I thought the Catching Fire movie did a great job of showing Katniss's horror when she is told/realizes that the victory tour never ends, and that she will (she believes in that moment) be a tool of the Capital for as long as she lives. Obviously, this isn't exactly like Rome's use of gladiators, but the idea of keeping around good fighters for further propaganda and subjugation of the masses definitely crosses the boundaries of time.

Hyun wrote: "What the hunger games reminds me of is South Korea in the past 60 years or at least from the 1960s-1990s."

Very interesting. I know almost nothing about the history of South Korea, and I never would have made this connection. Thank you for sharing!

Ashley said, "I've always been intrigued by President Snow's first name, Coriolanus, since it is another allusion to Rome as well as a Shakespeare play. I read Coriolanus my freshman year of college, but I've never completely understood why Suzanne Collins chose Coriolanus to be Snow's first name. Any thoughts?

Great question!

In the historical context, Coriolanus was a Roman emperor who came to power after successfully leading a campaign as general against the Volscians (which gained him the support of the Roman Senate). He was a tyrannical ruler who was ultimately known for resisting the democratic desires of the people and for misappropriation of public funds (the latter of which got him banished in disgrace).

In the context of Shakespeare's play, Coriolanus very much sets himself up as the enemy of the people and of the notion of popular rule. He even compares the idea of letting plebians have power over patricians to allowing "crows to peck the eagles." The play opens with popular rioting after grain is withheld from the people -- not unlike how the Districts riot in The Hunger Games -- and Coriolanus showing only contempt for the hungry commoners.

Snow's name might also be a clever trick by Collins. Shakespeare's play ends with the execution of Coriolanus, and Collins could have used this to make readers expect Snow's execution at the end of Mockingjay.

Incidentally, there's lots of clever aspects to the name Snow, from the fact he's a cold character, to the fact that "SNOW" was a codename of a now famous Welsh mole in World War II known for his skill in keeping his enemies under constant surveillance. I think it's worth pointing out, though, that today we use the term "snow" -- as in "He's trying to snow us" -- to mean someone is being intentionally manipulative, deceitful, and duplicitous. Very appropriate!

Great connections, Curtis and Hyun! Thank you so much for this added context - great insights here.

I also agree that Coriolanus is quite apt first name for Pres. Snow--particularly given his anti-democratic inclinations and betrayal of the ideals of the Roman Republic.

Another classical motif that's pretty apparent but hasn't been touched on is the entrance of tributes into the arena on chariots at the beginning of each games. When I saw both of those scenes in both films, I immediately thought of the Roman (and later Byzantine) Hippodromes where chariot racing was a wildly popular sport that was a key component of the bread and circuses mentioned in the playlist. Watch this clip from the 1959 classic epic, Ben Hur, and you'll see the parallels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoyAV1...

One thing that stuck out to me in reading,"How Glorious Fall the Valiant: 'Careers' as Spartan Warriors," was the mention of Helots in ancient Sparta. I think this comparison is really quite apt to the impoverished districts--they engage in all the food and industrial production that enables the capital to focus on decadent lifestyles and for the career districts to focus on militarism rather than economic productivity. The same thing happened in ancient Sparta where the helots' role as farmers enabled the Spartans to make all of their men soldiers. Just as the Hunger Games' acted as a method of terror subjugation subjugation for the capital, the Spartans had an annual, institutionalized period of time every fall, known as the Crypteia, which youths who had finished their agoge training Kris referenced could participate in. These Spartans were given a knife and had to live off the land (much as in the Hunger Games). They were able to kill helots with impunity to get food and clamp down on sedition--both as part of their combat training, and as a way to teach the helots to live in fear of Spartan repression. Interestingly enough, as in the book series, the Helots themselves revolted against Spartan rule on various occasions as well.

She did not make it into the movies, but another multiple meanings name award goes to Purnia, one of the "good" original female Peacekeepers who successfully ends Gale’s beating. Assuming her name is short for Calpurnia, we have:

1) Lex acilia calpurnia: the ancient Roman law against political corruption. The Capitol presumably isn’t a big fan of this one! Though it is interesting that Purnia's generation of Peacekeepers were "corrupt" in their willingness to ignore the rules and participate in black market food trade, but their "corruption" actually helped the 12 citizens economically.

2) Lex Calpurnia: even more ancient Roman law that established the first Roman court If there were any courts in District 12, Purnia's successor Romulus Thread ignored them.

3) Julius Ceasar’s wife, who allegedly had a premonition of Ceasar's downfall. Could her willingness to befriend the Seam have been a sign that she recognized that the Capitol's tyranny could not continue forever?

4) the wise and protective maid from To Kill a Mockingbird (another great book about class struggle with a mockingbird as a central symbol) , another character who managed to earn respect, authority and even a degree of power despite being part of the repressed class.

Hyun wrote: "What the hunger games reminds me of is South Korea in the past 60 years or at least from the 1960s-1990s. Korea showed great examples of a top down system of a tyrannical government that went utter..."

It is really interesting to see the ROK's transition from a pretty authoritarian state since after the war to one of the more liberal-democratic countries in Asia today. It's interesting to me that Park Geun-hye, the current President, is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who you mention in your above post and who came to power in a coup and basically ruled as a military dictator.

The large chaebol monopolies you also mention make me wonder just how free this democracy will be given the influence of those large conglomerates on the government and the crony capitalism that takes place. I definitely agree though that there would likely be tons of parallels between mid-late 20th century South Korea and Panem, especially in the way that people regained democratic power through protests.

I absolutely think that the added layers make The Hunger Games more compelling. It's common for authors to incorporate intertextual examples (most commonly from things the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, and very commonly Shakespeare) in order display their knowledge and build their credibility with the reader. Also, it typically makes the work more complex which also builds their credibility and makes the work more interesting in general.

However, in terms of whether or not these intertextual connections sharpen the focus around themes such as liberty and power, I would say that while these connections reinforce those themes, they are utilized mostly to build her credibility, and don't necessarily sharpen the focus, but add support for her already established claims on liberty and power.

I don't believe that Greek or Roman myths have much to incorporate into today's world. The hunger games remind us of ancients sacrificing there own children to appease the gods or the great coliseums where people would fight to the death to appease the great monarchs of the time. The reason this was acceptable in ancient time is due to the fact that societies were based around constant war, famine, disease, and constant death. These all were the causes of people being able to watch great warriors brutally murder like in the hunger games. Today however life is much more valued, hence the much greater population. To compare the hunger games to modern day is outrageous. Mind numbing television doesn't even begin to touch the surface of the ancient times, therefore it can't be compared or even slightly construed to present day.

[spoilers for Mockingjay]

In opposition to the theme of the first essay, I don't think that the Spartans can be understood as very much like the Careers. For a start, the Careers come from the districts, they are part of the subjugated. Meanwhile, the Spartans had a slave population. Their toughness and battle-readiness lent to their superiority complex. Meanwhile, the decadence of The Capitol would not be admired in Sparta. Aside from how Districts 1, 2 and 4 and Spartans see glory in them fighting, young Spartan soldiers and Careers don't have a whole lot in common. One is the result of propaganda, the other is due to the principles the citizenry forced upon themselves. Both are terrifying but in quite different manners.

The principles of Sparta may be seen in the authoritarianism of District 13. District 13 requires complete control over the lives of it's citizens for the good of the state. The Capitol demands control for it's own sake, under the guise of being good for the districts too. It's interesting to note that, in the end, Katniss rejects both regimes by at first allying with the rebels and then shooting President Coin, the leader of District 13. Katniss returns to life in District 12 and hunts again. The emphasis on freedom to pursue one's own life goals, or comparative advantage is clear here.

I think the parallel with Roman Gladiators, as drawn in "The Hunger Games: Gifts from Gods", is better. Some gladiators did enter for the glory (like the Careers) and often drew themselves admirers for their work in the Arena. Many were slaves often taken from far-flung regions outside Rome and then forced to fight to the death. The populace was amused by these sports as opposed to disgusted by them. The parallel to The Hunger Games, with The Capitol taking in subordinates from the districts to fight to the death is clear here.

Another comparison is drawn in the essay, the idea that the tributes are at the mercy of higher-powers (the game-makers and the sponsors, people often much more frivolous than they are) can be seen as reflecting the relationship that classical heroes had with the Olympian gods and goddesses who often played around with the fates of mortals because of their passing fancies. However, there are key differences. The Hunger Games are, ultimately, supposed to keep the districts down. The Olympians, meanwhile, do not need to exert such power. They are already have it. The real enemies that the Olympians face are usually the other gods.

All in all, I don't think that the classical parallels in any way clarify the themes in the book, because parallels tend to have elements where they don't quite match up. However, knowledge of classical history parallels does add resonance to a work, because now you know that things like the sacrifice of an enslaved people, exploitation for entertainment and the glorification of young people killed in nationalistic battle are not just abstract concepts dreamt up to amuse us, or make us ponder, but rather things that have existed, and come about due to human nature.

I love how she uses history and put it into the future so we can see how history influence the future

After reading these article and watching the video I think that it does make the Hunger Games trilogy a more compelling series. It turns it into something to really think and wonder about instead of reading it and just thinking about it like another book

After I read the article I love how she uses the past and puts it into the future so we can see how history influences the future. I also love that one story always has a reason and more than one background.

what a great article with some good input! The Hunger Games Trilogy is very like the roman empire era, since the gladiators fight to the death in gladiatorial contests this is then very like the hunger games because they are hungry for spilled blood. thanks professor Amy! :)

After reading the articles I also see a new meaning in the Hunger Games. That its not just some entertainment but a life influenced situation. That it gives a amazing example of liberty and security, and the main actress to show us is Katniss, a true Spartacus.

I'm convinced. This is the reason I took the course. The minotaur and the gladiators were obvious to me, but these further examples just solidify my connection to the story.

Anytime there is more evidence presented of The Hunger Games creation drawing from historical record I am even more intrigued by the writings and films. Truly a compelling work.

Danielgraf wrote: "After reading the articles I also see a new meaning in the Hunger Games. That its not just some entertainment but a life influenced situation. That it gives a amazing example of liberty and securit..."

I admit that at first I blew off the Hunger Games as yet another piece of Twilight, tween, pop culture trash.

I am less concerned about whether Katniss is a modern day Spartacus and more so with whether Suzanne Collins is a modern day Ayn Rand? Or George Orwell? Can she deliver more stories which have greater depth and cultural meaning, can she deliver similarly compelling and commercially successful stories which further teach her ideas on liberty and tyranny?

I think reading these articles just makes hunger games a more compelling book. Having careers is just another showing of power, because it is a wealthier district and they seem to just be raising sacrifices. It's like a politician having a son and sending him off to the best schools just to follow in his place. It's not giving them freedom to think about wheat they really want to do with their life and how they want to live. Instead everything is chosen and given to them, while it is giving them power it makes them helpless at the same time.

The gifts from god just improves the capitals power. It's showing the tributes that they can't survive without the capital, they need to capital to provide them with food, water, and medical help. If they didn't get these things they would die which makes them somewhat indebted to the capital

I will say it definitely makes you think about it. Its like the elitist finally got god like power through technology (As is trying be sought out today)and wanted to play like a god like rule to rule over people and believe they are higher up and keep them in there place so they can keep control. It gave me far more insight here between Spartans sacrifice and elites believing they are just like gods. It looks like this is exactly the type of inspiration she had for the ideas in the book incorporating this type of mythology.

Ryans wrote: "I don't believe that Greek or Roman myths have much to incorporate into today's world. The hunger games remind us of ancients sacrificing there own children to appease the gods or the great colise..."

The whole point of the trilogy is the anti-war theme. Collins sets up a futuristic world where people (mainly in the Capitol) are desensitized to violence and are left to believe that The Hunger Games is a reasonable punishment for rebelling against the nation that cared for them so. Many countries are at war with each other now, and here in the US we are glamorizing violence with movies and the like. It doesn't seem that she is so much comparing reality TV with Roman times as she is warning us if left unchecked, it can easily spiral out of control. For example, Roman theater performances became so ghastly that the church outlawed theater itself and looked down upon actors for centuries.

Dalmo wrote: "Those two are good examples of valid readings of the text. Collins creates a huge, intricate universe, and that allows for her to draw on multiple classical voices in different angles. That versati..."

You know, sometimes I thought that Collins just added Roman names for the hell of it. I was never able to figure out Caesar because the real-life emperor and fictional TV host just seemed to be not related in any way at all. I am glad that you pointed this out.

I feel like this thread is making my mind expand 300%.

Even though these are young adult books, I am surprised at how much more she added to them. For some things, I feel like she did not totally look into it as much as she could, but there can be a lot of insightful views into the characters and situations if one were to study up on it.

I think these articles make pretty good arguments.

Louise wrote: "4) the wise and protective maid from To Kill a Mockingbird (another great book about class struggle with a mockingbird as a central symbol), another character who managed to earn respect, authority and even a degree of power despite being part of the repressed class. "

Great point, Louise! Thanks especially for bringing up To Kill A Mockingbird. Very relevant indeed!

I am very much in agreement with the second article. There was defiantly a god-like mindset with the creator and managers of the game. The only stipulation I would make is that the government of Panem likely also did it to appease the citizens of the capitol. Along with other grand elements of the capitol, such as the architecture mentioned in another post, the government devised things to provide a mindset for the citizens. If the population felt like they were on the winning side and could play god in lower citizen's lives, they would be less likely to ask questions the government didn't want to answer.

I think there have been lots of interesting and great insights above.
I have something that's a little different but still plays into the same ideas. Sorry if anybody had already covered this!
So I was thinking about European and American use of the kind of classical Roman/Greek architecture in our government and other institutional buildings. From an art history point of view it makes sense because people were always trying to imitate the Greek and Roman styles. They are beautiful I think.
However more to the point, I think they might be intended to impart a sort of legitimacy. One often hears about the roots of Western civilization, which typically point to the Greek and Roman civilizations. I think we definitely see echoes of this in The Hunger Games but it's definitely interesting to think about how this functions in modern day society. I'm not sure it it's necessarily positive or negative but it leads to lots of questions. How does a Greek or Roman style of architecture give legitimacy in 2013 versus the years of nation building in Europe and the United States? Does it any more?