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The Hunger Games Renaissance

BY SOPHIE CAIN

15 years ago, Suzanne Collins made remarkable commentary on American society with her novel, The Hunger Games. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, Collins follows the life of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year old girl, in a dystopian America. She brilliantly creates a not-so-fctional world, develops a multitude of characters, and creates complex character relationships, making her story addictive. But why is there a ‘Hunger Games Renaissance’ (as TikTok has deemed it) over a decade after the publication of the frst book?

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Through her trio of books––The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay––Collins creates a world that efortlessly draws readers in. As mentioned previously, Collins writes the story of Katniss Everdeen who lives in Panem. Each year, the tyrannical Capitol holds “The Hunger Games” in which a male and female tribute, ages 12-18, from each of Panem’s 12 districts is reaped. The tributes must fght until only one remains. With each reread and re-watch, fans are able to fnd new hidden meanings, which is one reason why I believe this series is resurging. Additionally, as time progresses, Collins’ dystopian world appears to become more similar to the America we are living in. The importance of every name in the story, endless theories, and, of course, a classic love triangle allow a wide variety of people to fnd the story entertaining.

Many theories have been thought of and heavily debated within The Hunger Games fandom. Some theories, like Prim’s potentially rigged reaping, are extremely controversial. Smaller theories, like how Foxface (a tribute from the frst book) purposefully killed herself are still heavily debated within the fandom. When fans think of new, creative theories and post about it online, it helps the series continue to resurge. This also allows for more people to gain interest in the series because of diferent accounts on social media, like @luckyleftie on TikTok. Superfans opening up dialogue to theories creates a space for a community to come together. Oftentimes it is a great way for fans to escape real societal issues and pour their energy into dystopian issues. Because of this, the series is able to retain popularity.

Another (and maybe more shallow) reason

The Hunger Games renaissance seems to be occurring is the notorious love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. There are endless debates on who Katniss should have ended up with, as there is with any love triangle (although Peeta is, and has always been, the correct answer). There are endless amounts of TikTok fan edits of Gale and Peeta, where comment sections are full of debates over who was the better partner for Katniss. However, there is so much more to each character than just who is better looking. Peeta is seen as a sweet, selfess boy with an undying love for

Katniss, while Gale is her lifelong best friend who would also do anything for her and her family. However, both men have their faults. Gale’s dedication to the rebellion proves to be more important than his relationship with Katniss, while Peeta’s selfessness can sometimes be too overbearing for Katniss’ closed of personality. Some even say Peeta represents love while Gale represents war. Whether fans want to talk about who they fnd more attractive or if they want to dissect what each character represents, this love triangle allows new and old fans alike to have an open dialogue.

This series is arguably one of the most infuential that has been released recently. Collins’ inspiration was drawn from switching between watching the news and a reality show, and she combined the two perfectly. The Hunger Games is incredibly dense, and it teaches fans to look at more than what frst meets the eye. The endless layers of the series allows for the story to stay relevant and entertaining. Overall, the books and movies are extremely well done and will continue to draw people in, especially with the help of social media.

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