Fans React to the Hunger Games

Written by Katie Sgroi

Whether you’re Team Peeta or Team Gale, Team Cinna or Team Haymitch, many SME students who are fans of the hugely successful “Hunger Games” franchise will agree that the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s novel was a success. The movie made $152 million in the first weekend just in the United States.

In the futuristic world of Panem where “The Hunger Games” takes place, two “tributes,” one boy and on girl, are chosen from each of the 12 districts in a ceremony called the “reaping” to compete in an annual televised event where they must fight to the death until only one survives.

“I feel like they did a really good job with the movie,” freshman Ali Dastjerdi said. “And I was just really amused by all of the costume designs, and the makeup was like ‘oh wow- you guys did an amazing job with this.’”

As an only child, Dastjerdi said he can’t fully imagine what the main character, Katniss Everdeen, felt when she volunteered for her sister.

“I can’t imagine the sibling bond, and I love myself a lot,” Dastjerdi said. “Getting out of District 12 would be awesome and I’d probably be naïve and young so yeah, I’d actually still volunteer.”

The political undertone of “The Hunger Games” series has been heavily scrutinized. The Hunger Games have, at the time of the first book, been going on for 74 years and were invented as a punishment for the districts after a failed rebellion against the Capitol.

“I feel like there’s a really deep political message, and it’s kind of parallel to the Big Brother idea in many ways. And I was reading “1984” [when the movie came out] so it really brought up a lot of those political ideas that control is necessary,” Dastjerdi said. “There was one really great [President] Snow quote in the movie that like ‘a little bit of hope is okay, but a lot of hope is dangerous.’”

Another common topic of conversation is the rivalry between the two main male characters in the “Hunger Games” series.

“[I’m] Team Gale. Everyone except for like a small minority is Team Peeta, I don’t know why,” freshman Rachel Barnett said.

The debate among fans over which male character is superior is ongoing. Peeta Mellark, portrayed by Josh Hutcherson, is the son of a baker from District 12 and is also the male tribute chosen from the district in the “Hunger Games.”

“Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to show the Capitol they don’t own me,” Peeta said to Katniss the night before the games began.

Gale Hawthorne, portrayed by Liam Hemsworth, is Katniss’s best friend and hunting partner from District 12.

“Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it,” Gale said when trying to convince Katniss to run away with him.

Gale is described as having the typical District 12 look- olive skin, black hair, and gray eyes- while Peeta is described as blond, blue-eyed, and very handsome.

“I think Gale’s too snarky,” freshman Becca Zeiger said. “He thinks he knows better than everyone else and Peeta’s really genuine and earnest. I think he definitely thinks he’s too cool for everyone, also. So I’m not a fan of him. I don’t think Gale really shows pity for anyone except for Katniss.”

None of the varying opinions on the matter have been enough to sway Dastjerdi.

“These books have already been written – no matter what the people decide, Peeta’s going to win,” Dastjerdi said. “It’s been decided. It does not matter. So yeah, Team Peeta, cause he wins.”

The sequel to “The Hunger Games,” also starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, “Catching Fire,” is set to come out in November 2013.