The Hunger Games and Colonization: Violence

[@Wargatron]

Gale was originally supposed to be her actual cousin, that way it was more obviously a choice between violence and peace, but publishers wanted a love triangle because that’s what was popular at the time.

[@DSnake655]

Yeah, I recently learned that. Just so the tweens could have their dystopian version of Edward and Jacob. 🙄

[@xochiltaviles4539]

I recently learned on tiktok that katniss is supposed to be indigenous/white. Her father was the one that new how to hunt, knew the land, named her, etc.Her having dark braided hair was also significant to that. Not sure if Susan collins ever confirmed it but it would make sense where her father knew all that knowledge and passed it down. Obvi for the movies that got lost in translation

[@kayleethegeek88]

Yeah, in the books she is described as having dark olive toned skin, and district 12 is in the Appalachian area where the melungeon people live

[@BocchiSite]

Yep, i think the actor for Lucy Gray, Rachel Zegler looks like how Katniss should look. Tan, olive skin tone. District 12 is the indigenous area

[@erincorcoran5936]

This conversation is so important, right now especially. Suzanne Collins does such incredible work helping people understand these politics and the horrors of war

[@justinkonopka]

Only halfway through and this is absolute brilliance! After reading the newly released Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I’ve been doing a thorough analysis in my own brain of all the themes and systems Collins presents us with in the series as a whole. The way you synthesize all of these elements makes this a masterpiece. Thank you!

[@rhianwriting9411]

I read book Katniss as mixed race (District 12 members are described as being dark), but it is ambiguous. Jennifer Lawrence did a great job in the role, but you're absolutely right that it was a missed opportunity.

[@Mickie1198]

I do believe that the point was made that everyone assumed district 12 had it worse but when we hear about district 11 we can see it’s a softer version of slavery, the brutality of district 11 was pointed out. However, I’m black. So the point stuck with me that all of the black people were working in agriculture and being starved and beaten to death. I think that’s as much as Collins is gonna address black people and our treatment.

[@IshtarNike]

Yep. It's very white centric where the rust belt and coal country are seen as abject poverty. Black people are briefly acknowledged but never addressed properly despite conditions being the same or worse.

[@Adronitis]

Props to her tho. She isn't colorblind, but she can only see it where she sees it. Shoutout to her

[@daixz01_systemo]

To be fair, this is only ever in the film adaptions’ movies. In the novels, District 12 is mainly an Indigenous Peoples' local population, AKA: The Seam. This includes Katniss Everdeen [novels]. But, yes, your point is absolutely bang-on. The yt-washed nightmare is ENTIRELY the movies’ faults. It is NOT what ANY of The Hunger Games Saga novels are.

[@jamesvas6986]

i watched a diff video that did a really great job of explaining how it used intracolonialization. the capitol didn’t go out and colonize foreign land, but instead colonized it’s own homeland & citizens to get the resources necessary to supply its lavish, ostentatious, and gaudy lifestyle.

[@jamesvas6986]

and that even includes all the human beings murdered and traumatized at the hands of the capitol, esp for thg.

[@jamesvas6986]

“hungry people are too worried about surviving to even consider revolution” perfectly encapsulates how the working population of both america and the globe being too focused on meeting their basic necessities to survive to even possibly consider the idea of revolting against the status quote that keeps the 99% down w the 1% having their foot on our literal necks. consistently applying more and more pressure with each passing day.

[@jamesvas6986]

“you don’t have a peaceful revolution. You don’t have a, turn-the-cheek, revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.”- malcom x “those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make a violent revolution inevitable”- jfk and i’m not quite sure if anybody else “created” or coined this quote, so i can’t full heartedly say that i did lol but: “in a system that is inherently violent, there is no such thing as peaceful revolution” it’s as applicable to thg series as it is to our real capitalistic world today. capitalism is an inherently violent and evil system. a system which refuses to care for and provide the basic necessities of its citizens, the very same ones that it exploits for its gains & advancements, is inherently violent towards said people. solidarity w the working class & 99% :)

[@msbranch2879]

YESSSSSSSSSSS ALL OF THIS! I haven’t finished the video yet (I’m like 4 mins in) but everything you’re saying is so true. I wish we could talk about it in person bc you’re saying everything I’ve been thinking about this series so far, while bringing up other crucial information that I haven’t even thought about. YOUR MIND!!!!!

[@thaihwang]

appreciate that a lot!!

[@torrenciamcdaniel3272]

@@thaihwang Katness was Indigenous in the book. And I like how the author didn't make the black character angry or aggressive.

[@tahldane4059]

This is an awesome analysis. You did a great job articulating what's so good about the Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence did a great job but an actress of color should've been cast because in the book Katniss is heavily coded as Melungeon, an Appalachian group of mixed Black, Indigenous & Euro backgrounds. Race plays a more prominent role in the books because the people who live in town are white. Katniss' mom, Peeta, etc are white & are or were closer to power in comparison to darker skinned people like Katniss. Additionally, in the book Rue is a dark skinned Black girl while in the films she's lighter skinned.

[@theliteraryabyss]

This video has a criminally low view count. Great essay. Keep going.

[@gailseatonhumbert]

Science fiction is never fantasy and the themes are always "political".

[@katiefielding6220]

Great video, however in the books it was stated that the majority of district 12, the poorest ones, had olive skin, dark hair and grey eyes, all typical of the Melungeon, a marginalized mixed-race Appalachian community; recent DNA evidence reveals they were descended from escaped African-American slaves. District 12 is set in what was Appalachia. Furthermore, it’s also relevant that the small merchant class in district 12 is typically pale skinned, blonde and blue eyed, I.e. white. I don’t think Suzanne Collins did this for no reason, it’s clear that she was actually addressing race and how it is intertwined with class. The majority of the main revolutionaries from 12 in the story are POC in the books (Katniss, Haymitch, Gale), with Peeta being the exception. I knocked you are focused on the movies, but this is far better addressed in the books, where Suzanne had creative control

[@FruityFruityFroots]

Amazing video. You’ve mentioned things I haven’t even thought of when watching the movies. You have clearly spent a lot of time on this and it shows, great job !! Super interesting video

[@TPHxJustice]

This was really well put together. Fantastic job

[@gioiamariasolegaliazzo505]

Just discovered your channel! Hope you get somewhere! I really liked this video 😊

[@thaihwang]

thank you so much!!

[@MimiMortmain]

Wow I haven't watched a video essay this good in a long time. I love your style and presentation and of course every single one of your points is spot on. Have you read A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Hunger Games prequel? It seems like because Suzanne Collins knows the original fans are mostly adults now, she pulled out all the stops with her discussion of philosophy and politics. The book draws on Englightenment thinking, which obviously took place in the eighteenth century at the same time colonialism and the slave trade were accelerating. These philosophical theories are used by the characters to justify the Hunger Games. As these theories developed at the same time as theories to justify white supremacy, I think the book adds more layers and credence to what you've already picked out in the original trilogy. I'm really glad The Hunger Games is finally getting the attention it deserves in terms of its themes and messages. I think Panem parallels so many things in our real world and the books (and also sort of the films despite their flaws) can be a good way to help kids and teens and anyone really understand how the worst parts of the world work.

[@thaihwang]

thanks so much for this comment! no i haven't read A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes but now I feel like I have to! And yes I agree it's such a rich movie and there are crazy parallels.

[@Viewable11]

@@thaihwang The first third of the _Ballad..._ book drags a little before it picks up pace and drama. I enjoyed it, especially because it describes the Capitol during and after the _First Rebellion_ civil war, how and why the Hunger Games came into existence and how and why they evolved into what they are in their 74th iteration, and because it put great detail into the psyche of Coriolanus Snow and his social circle.

[@Bolts_Films]

Great video!

[@Azure_tv]

Amazing content

[@Azure_tv]

I would love to Collab with you

[@DSnake655]

Very insightful...insights.

[@Viewable11]

Thai, thank you for making this good and thorough analysis. You might enjoy watching the excellent video analysis _Documentary: Epic History: Catching Fire. The Hunger Games._ My critique of your video: You did a very good work at describing the economic policy aspect of Panem. Interpreting Panem's economy as a colonial policy is something which no other reviewer did. Kudos to you. I wish you had gone one step further and drawn comparisons to current economic relationships between countries. Please reduce the sound volume of the chapter starts, you nearly broke my ear drums. _"Color blind"_ attitude means that race is not considered a topic of a story, but the cast is very diverse with all major and minor roles selected randomly from all races. The perfect example is _"The Expanse,"_ which I highly recommend, for it is the best science fiction series since 1966's _Star Trek._ The _Hunger Games_ book describes Katniss as having olive skin and grey eyes, having the skin of her father and the eyes of her mother. While the _Hunger Games_ is _color blind_ regarding its story and it has some black characters, its cast is not as diverse as the cast of _The Expanse._ One shall acknowledge that the murder of Katniss' black friend Rue is the catalyst for Katniss changing her stance on rebellion, and for the black district 12 actually starting the rebellion. While all races suffer injustice by the hands of the Capitol, the injustice towards black people starts the rebellion. _Does that remind you of something in 2020?_ Neo Nazis adhere to the Nazi ideology of the 1930's, which is based on fascism (extreme bigotry against the poor) and racism (towards ethnic groups like Jews, Gypsies and Slavs). District 1's victors have nothing in common with neo Nazis. District 1+2's people enjoy preferential treatment by the Capitol in exchange for exceptional loyality, which includes voluntarily serving in the military (as PeaceKeepers). On *white as leitmotif* color of the Capitol I have a theory: White is the motif color of _Lucifer,_ which is another name for the devil. The eschatology in the Bible's _Book of Revelation_ leads me to assume that the Capitol's ruler Coriolanus Snow is the avatar of the _Antichrist._ Katniss in the role of the Mockingjay (who has wings on her back) is the avatar of _archangel Michael,_ whom God sends to Earth to recruit an army to wage war against the Antichrist. This war culminates in the battle for the Capitol, which symbolizes the _Battle of Armageddon._ Before the Antichrist can be defeated, the _False Prophet_ needs to be identified and defeated, which Katniss accomplishes when she assassinates Alma Coin. After both the False Prophet and the Antichrist are defeated, Jesus Christ's _Second Coming_ occurs and Christ rules on Earth for 1000 years, which is symbolized by democracy coming back to Panem. The end of the story has Katniss united with Peeta and their children playing in the meadow, which symbolizes them being in _Paradise,_ the final destination of all good humans who find unity with God on the day of _Last Judgement._ Violence has historically been less successful at achieving revolutionary societal change than peaceful movements, according to a university study. Violent rebels give the power holders a legal and moral excuse for retaliating with excessive violence against rebels. Peaceful movements do not entitle such a response, which often prevents the peaceful movement from getting shattered by state violence. And if the state nonetheless resorts to violence, this only improves the moral standing of the movement in the eyes of the population, which helps it grow bigger. India's people got rid of their colonial oppressors via peaceful civil disobedience and showing solidarity among separated districts. Mahatma Gandhi was the inspiration for his people and they honor him as a demigod for what he achieved. Suzanne Collins said that she incorporated the _Just War Theory_ in the Hunger Games series. This theory postulates requirements for starting and maintaining a war for the war to be morally acceptable. E.g. a war may only be started if it is reasonable to assume that it will be won. The film Mockingjay part 2 shows the influence of the _Just War Theory,_ when the rebels' conduct in war is morally questionable. The director portrayed this by displaying the assault against the "nut" of district 2 in _shades of grey,_ indicating the border between the good and evil sides is dissolved and the rebels are committing war crimes.

[@evaszuchmacher]

wow, the biblical connections are amazing. thank you for this!

[@TheDailySlurp]

Nice room!

[@michaelgarcia5944]

I don’t think race was ever meant to be a major factor in the films; they are, as you said yourself, about class warfare & oppression more than anything which, in the context of Collins’ inspiration from Her father and her time in Belgium, is far, far more prevalent than race. Though race is often tied to class, it’s important to remember the distinction between the two.

[@BocchiSite]

I think they are. Though, the Hunger Games are more towards classism rather than playing race but the racial play also plays a big role as District 11 has more blacks and District 12 has more indiginous.

[@ogechianusi6809]

Yea the problem is that in the movies they willingly excluded racism and just focused on classism, when the books purposefully included the two

[@gianni206]

"Capitolism"

[@BocchiSite]

Great content!