Earlier this year, I read Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West, by Blaine Harden. It was very riveting. If you want to know the extent to which Totalitarian government can go, this book is a must-read.
There is no limit to the ways that government will assault your dignity–and humanity–given sufficient power. Shin Dong-hyuk–the only known person to have been born in a North Korean prison camp–and managed to escape, provides a stirring, damning, devastating real-life testimony to that.
Enter The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I’ve got several FB friends–and a couple friends from my church–who have read it, and the feedback was very good. I still was reluctant to read it, as it appeared to be a fad. The Christian hoopla over the book reminded me of The Prayer of Jabez, and some pastors even went as far as preparing Bible studies based on various themes in the book. I had a bad feeling about that.
Then my former crisis pregnancy center boss–JH–recommended it. She’s of a similar mind as me, and, usually, if she recommends something, I’m not disappointed.
The Hunger Games (THG) was no exception.
THG takes place in a futuristic society called Panem, located in North America, with the Capitol based in what we know as the Rocky Mountains. The country is divided into twelve geographical districts, with a thirteenth that allegedly was destroyed for rebelling against the Capitol. As punishment for the rebellion, each year a boy and a girl from each district–between ages 12 and 18–are selected to fight it out in The Hunger Games. This is televised in a reality show setting, with the contestants–called “tributes”–fighting each other to the death within a large climate and terrain-controlled arena.
The plot begins in the poorest of the districts: District 12, which is in Appalachian coal mining territory. The main character–Katniss Everdeen–volunteers for the Games in order to take the place of her 12-year-old sister (Primrose), who was drawn from the names of girls. The male “tribute” from their district–Peeta Mellark–has had a crush on Katniss since his youth.
The leadup to the Games is sickening to read, as you have a government-media culture that puts the best reality show face on what is basically a kill-fest. Before the Games, the tributes are under pressure to put on a great posture for “Gamemakers” in order to get donations from sponsors that will prove invaluable during the games. Fashion consultants give special attention to the costume design, tributes get scores on their abilities with weapons and fighting techniques, and even their televised interviews.
The tributes themselves are also a sea of complexity:
Katniss: A survivor through and through, and who is very cynical about her fellow competitors. She is reluctant to trust anyone, even though she is not averse to forming some alliances, such as with Rue;
Peeta: A baker’s son who has been in love with Katniss his whole life. He has done many things intentionally to help and protect Katniss, even at risk to his life. Still, Katniss has trouble trusting him.
Rue: a young girl whose great talent is roaming high among the trees, and evading captors. She forms a friendship with Katniss, who also is effective in the trees;
Foxface: a young girl whose great strength is staying away from the fights. She is very evasive, very sneaky;
The “Careers”: these tributes have been trained their entire lives for the Games. They are big, tough, and brutal. They will kill even their “allies” without a second thought. They have their sights trained on Katniss from the get-go. The most notorious of the bunch–Cato–is one of the last standing.
The Games pits tributes against each other, and–like a reality show–encourages alliances and subplots while pushing them to kill each other. The “Gamemakers” often switch the conditions–such as weather–in order to get more action going. Ultimately, it pits the people of the respective districts–who watch the games religiously–against each other, as they root for their tributes to kill others.
The complexity does not merely extend to the tributes, either.
The trainer for Peeta and Katniss–Haymitch, a former Games winner–was drunk, surly, and shrewd. He is difficult for either Peeta or Katniss to trust, and yet he has a tendency to come through for them in ways they don’t expect.
I don’t know Suzanne Collins, nor am I aware of her political leanings or her thoughts on the direction of government. I suspect that her views are probably well to the left of mine.
But in THG, Collins gives us a devastating portrait of where we are heading as a country. To call it Orwellian would not do THG justice: Next to Panem, Orwell’s Oceania is a libertarian paradise. It is what you get when you combine North Korean-style fascism with American reality television culture.
Four and a half stars.
Appearances
Recently a young man said of his wife, “I make a lot of money [meaning they can afford nice clothes and make up], but she doesn’t take care of herself anymore. She doesn’t wear makeup when she goes out, she doesn’t wear nice clothes; she doesn’t even try to look nice. She’s even gaining some weight. It’s disappointing.”
We’ve talked about this often out here. Yes, they have some young children, but they also have enough money for her to buy nice clothes and good make up and to hire a baby sitter. He feels like his wife has stopped caring about herself and her appearance, and it’s bothering him.
I found it interesting that the weight, though a point of note, was not as important as her overall lack of interest in caring for herself. It bothers him that she doesn’t dress nice for dates. I would speculate that, if she did continue to care about her appearance even though she was gaining a few pounds, he would probably not mind. She’s a career mom with a full schedule. Men are understanding.Is it okay to run to the store without make up and wearing sweats? Sure. And if your husband doesn’t care for make up, then don’t wear it (there are some men who truly prefer the natural look without make up). But if he likes it when you get dressed for him, then do it.
This isn’t rocket science, though we have a Rocket Scientist in the house who would be glad to pitch in here. It’s basic common sense. It’s even innate – we’re born knowing that girls/women like being attractive and boys/men like girls/women who look nice. I remember when my Oldest was in kindergarten that a mom of a little boy in her class noticed her pretty red sweater she wore one day … so much so that he told his mom about it. I’ve also heard mom’s of boys say that their little boy often says blonds are pretty or brunettes, etc … they know what they like.
We aren’t perfect, and most men are reasonable. Do the best you can with what you’ve got under the circumstances you’re in right now. Really, it’s that simple. If married, know your man and what he likes, and choose to show respect toward him by doing the things you know he likes. My husband likes long hair, so I keep my hair long. My husband loves it when I get all “Dolled Up” for him, so I do, especially when we go out.
If you are single, it is good to know that, in general, men like a pretty appearance – long hair, soft makeup, honest and sincere and warm eyes which reflect an honest and sincere and warm heart, and feminine dress. Style is personal, and men are attracted to different styles. Don’t try to please the masses; be yourself. Be true to your unique personality and style. These aren’t rules, and they’re not stuck in concrete. They’re general.
I have one daughter who is a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl, but she’s not sloppy, and she’s very pretty. My other daughter is all girly-girl and frills and lace and would rather wear a dress than anything else. When of dating age, my one daughter would be most comfortable in nice jeans and a nice shirt and simple hair (and decide in about ten minutes what to wear) while my other daughter will probably wear a dress and heels and fix her hair and make up a bit fancy (and spend three hours trying to figure out exactly what to wear).
Appearances are important to a man. That’s not bad at all. Appearances are also important to women – many men will report that their wife changes their wardrobe after they’re married – it’s more two-sided that we sometimes choose to believe.
We live in a fast-paced world. Take the time to be the best you that you can be. And if/when married, do the little things your spouse loves. They’re worth it.