The Hunger Games Trilogy
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The Hunger Games is a book set after the apocalypse where only North America remains and is split into 13 districts and the Capitol. When the 13th district rebells, it is destroyed and the Capitol forces the remaining 12 districts to compete in the Hunger Games, an anual reality T.V. show broadcasted through Panem where 2 children from opposite genders, between the ages of 12 and 18, from each remaining district are placed in an arena to fight to the death. The book revolves around Katniss Everdeen who volunteers to be a tribute for District 12 in the place of her little sister. She and the other tribute, Peeta Mellark, are taken to the Capitol where they struggle to survive in the new environment and the cruel game.The Hunger Games has been challenged for insensitivity, offensive language, violence and for being anti-family, anti-ethnic and occult/satanic.The first book made #5 on the ALA's most frequently challenged books, and the entire series later made #3 on the list in 2011. I can understand some of the reasons why these books are challenged, yet I don't think they should be banned.
I can completely understand why the books would be challenged for being violent. I admit that the Hunger Games trilogy is violent. The main characters are participating in a fight to the death, and later a war against their government. Violence and death are to be expected. A century ago, this book might not have even been published because of the violence. A lot can and has changed in a century though. In present times, children are exposed to more violence then they were a decade ago, never mind a century. With video games and action movies, violence isn't a foreign concept to them. I believe that whether or not the books are too violent depends on the person in question.
I can partly understand why the books would be challenged for being anti-family. After Katniss's father dies, her mother falls into a depression. Katniss is forced to become their families sole provider and illegally hunt. It is many months before her mother stops grieving, and Katniss doesn't forgive her. There is apparent tension between them both that doesn't go away until Katniss comes back from the games, and even then they aren't very close. I can understand why some people might say that they are anti-family, but in my opinion, there are other examples that would counter act that thought. When Katniss becomes the families sole provider, she has to take care of her younger sister. Katniss loves her sister more than anything else in the world. She loves her as a mother loves her child, not simply as a sibling. Katniss has a friend named Gale, whose father died in the same accident as her father. While Gale's mother still worked, his family is larger than Katniss's and he is forced to hunt with Katniss to help provide for them. Gale's family is very close. While there is content in the books that can be considered anti-family, there is also pro-family content.
The remaining arguments against the books actually make me wonder if the challengers have ever read the books. The argument that the books are anti-ethnic is, in my opinion, completely stupid. Katniss is described as olive skinned and Rue and Thresh, two tributes form District 11 are described as black. The director of the ALA's office for Intellectual Freedom, Barbara Jones, told the associated press that the complaints against the books are focused against the film. The movies made a lot more people aware of the books, and more complaints were filed. The complaint that they are satanic/ occult makes me really wonder whether or not the challenger. Religion is a foreign concept to the characters. There is no mention of God or Satan in the entire series. I can't really presume what they meant by that.
The language in the series isn't what could be considered offensive so much as the overall topic and theme. Katniss is very rebellious. While parents generally wan't children to have their own opinions and be their own person, they don't want their children to rebel against the government. Parent worry about the negative impact their children will have from reading about rebellion. They worry that they're children might get ideas. In my opinion, b
The language in the series isn't what could be considered offensive so much as the overall topic and theme. Katniss is very rebellious. While parents generally wan't children to have their own opinions and be their own person, they don't want their children to rebel against the government. Parent worry about the negative impact their children will have from reading about rebellion. They worry that they're children might get ideas. In my opinion, b