s/o Hunger Games - can we make a list of good discussion questions/prompts?

[AuntieM]

I am going with a group of (mature teen) girls tomorrow. I know this film will be intense and I would like to be able to help gently guide some discussion about it as we enjoy ice cream afterwards.

 

I would love to hear ideas from the hive for easily dropped thought provoking questions about the film's pertinent topics!

[MariannNOVA]

I SO need to be your next door neighbor!!!!!!

 

Yes --

 

My thoughts:

 

Fascinating juxtaposition between WHAT WE SEE on reality tv (assuming one watches reality tv) and WHAT REAL is.

 

Does that make sense?

 

One must consider the book with all of Katniss' thoughts and observations and interaction. And then one must (having read the book) consider what they are seeing in the film and ask 'WHY AM I NOT SEEING IN THE FILM WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT/ENTERTAINING TO ME IN THE BOOK?

 

I think THAT is the crux of the film -- society is becoming increasingly superficial -- important 'things' are being left out that hinder one's understanding.

 

My last thought on this: Even Katniss' relationship with Gale and Peeta can be analyzed in this way.

Her relationship with Gale is rather superficial when one thinks about it.

 

Then, in the Games with Peeta, she goes through a plethora of emotions regarding Peela and there is depth to their relationship, they share a history. Her history with Gale is not as deep - it is more of a surface thing.

 

More later -- does this help?

Edited March 23, 2012 by MariannNOVA

[ScoutTN]

 

This website has a thoughtful review of the movie with helpful discussion leads.

[AuntieM]

Thanks for the replies thus far. Mariann, I really need to reread the first book. Think I can squeeze it in in the next 12 hours?!!

 

I have always been Gale Force, but what you said makes me think about relatio ships. Shared hard times often cause people to form strong bonds. Peers and Katniss were certainly in more of a pressure cooker. I wonder, if these three lived in a pleasant little town in good times, which guy would Kat choose?

 

Thanks for the replies thus far and the web site. I'll be back later.

[JennifersLost]

I think an interesting question is: in the world as it is today - where do you think the capitol is and where are the districts?

 

It's interesting because all the kids (in N. America) identify with Katniss. In other words, they think of themselves as an oppressed person who should rebel against the Capitol.

 

But they're all actually living in the Capitol.

 

When I pointed that out to my dd she was kind of stunned. I've pointed it out to a few adults, too, and they were a bit muddled about it, too.

 

The first answer you'll get is that in the book the Capitol and districts are all part of the US. That gives you an opportunity to talk about allegory and satire, etc. And that gives you an opportunity to see if the kids can make the mental transition to seeing that just by living in N. America we are all part of the "Capitol" - no matter how we might try to minimize our part in it.

 

The next thing the kids will say is, "But we don't force kids to kill each other in the arena."

 

You'll have to decide how you want to answer that question.

Edited March 23, 2012 by JennifersLost
clarity

[AuntieM]

Jennifer.... Whoa. An excellent thing to consider. Wow. Thanks.

[Pippen]

Some ideas:

Today my daughter and I were comparing several scenes between the book and movie in terms of their impact on us, and the reasons behind those reactions. For instance, Rue's death scene was heartbreaking to both of us in the book, but really didn't evoke much of an emotional response in the film even though it was played out very similarly.

 

Relationships-Did they translate to the screen fairly close to how they were portrayed in the book? (We actually both thought that Katniss and Cinna had the most convincing chemistry/bond)

 

Characters--Did we see anyone grow or change?

 

-We also talked about parts that the film covered superficially but were glossed over in the movie. ie There was laughter in the theater when the cat hissed at Katniss, but those of us who know the books understand there was so much more behind that exchange.

[hillfarm]

One interesting response dd and I noticed in the theater was that during the grand melee scene at the beginning of the Game, the audience did not seem to flinch during all the hacking and stabbing, complete with blood flying and dripping. However there was a collective gasp when one of the stronger players used his hands to snap the neck of a younger, weaker player. Why did physical violence elicit more of a reaction when it was done without weapons?

 

We also discussed the fact that we in America live in "the Capitol". We not only have abundant food, but so much that we have to resort to artificial means to try to burn off excess calories. Take a look at Fashion Week in New York - our clothing styles definitely border on the ridiculous and non-functional, often crossing that line IMO. Watch some of the Man On The Street interviews on Youtube - so many of our citizens are so empty headed and refuse to think seriously about anything. Observe the media feeding frenzy around some of the awards shows - ridiculous focus on such silly details, who wore what, every word they said, where they sat, etc. Yes, I fear we live in the Capitol. That does seem to be unsettling to teens who want to identify with the heroines from the Districts instead of the "monsters" who wallow in excess while everyone else starves or is forced to participate in the Reaping.

 

We talked about the reality shows like Survivor, how the author used them as a starting point in developing her story, why they have become so popular, how much they are affected by the agenda of the director or producer, and how public opinion/sentiment can be swayed.

 

Obviously lots of room to discuss politics and whether such a scenario could happen here. And if not Panem, then what do students think is likely to happen 50 years from now? We also covered the historic bread and circus concept and looked at the increasingly violent sports that are so popular today.

 

Another interesting topic dd and I covered was what if the career tributes, with their superior skills, had decided to join the good guys instead of being bad? What could they have done to change things?

 

We also discussed why she thought this series seemed to resonate so much with today's youth.