r/Hungergames

I see a lot of people taking the behavior of characters like Plutarch, Effie, Drusilla, etc. and then extrapolating that out to all Capitol citizens, and I think that is not accurate at all, even if Katniss doesn’t fully realize it. The thing is, most of the Capitol characters we encounter at least during the first two books are part of the elite class. They are from old money families, ones that were at the Academy alongside Coriolanus. Judging what all Capitol citizens are like based on Plutarch and Effie would be like judging what all Americans are like based on the Kennedy family.

There is a lot of selection bias when most of the characters you meet are directly involved in the Games or otherwise visible on TV. First of all, most of the more visible roles (stylist, escort, gamemaker, etc) are considered prestigious, so they are usually given to people with a great deal of nepotism on their side. So these are elites who are well aware of the full evil and depravity of the Capitol and benefit from it. The less prestigious grunt work positions (e.g. preps) might not go to elites, but they are still naturally going to end up with social climbers who either lack the intellectual curiosity to question the games or lack the moral fiber to care. Because anyone who did care would get burned out of a job like that super quickly.

So what is the average Capitol citizen actually like? I suspect a lot closer to the Capitol rebels we see (Cressida, Messalla, Castor, and Pollux) than the crowd we see involved with the games. More privileged than district people, sure, but not grotesquely rich. Squad 451 even hides in a capitol apartment, and it seems very much like a standard, middle class sort of place. The sort of people who can afford to keep their pantry stocked with cans but aren’t regularly wearing designer clothes or attending parties where it is normal to make yourself sick so you can continue stuffing your face. That probably still seems like insane privilege to someone like Katniss who grew up in extreme poverty, but it’s really just ordinary middle class.

I also suspect that the average Capitol citizen might not be quite so comfortable with the games as Katniss assumes. Naturally, the people who attend the parties and parades are, but those may just be the vocal minority. Keep in mind that these people are living under an authoritarian regime where speaking out gets you killed and where all the media they consume is propaganda. So you can’t exactly go around openly saying so if you think the games are bad. You might feel like the only person in the room who has that opinion, even if 9 out of 10 people secretly agree with you. You stay silent because it’s dangerous, and you still watch the games because a) they are wildly entertaining no matter how awful you find it and b) it’s literally illegal not to.

So yeah, it’s not exactly admirable to do nothing, but it is very realistic. How many people throughout history have actively resisted evil regimes versus how many people just kept their heads down and lived another day? People like Cinna and Cressida aren’t the only ones who think the Games are bad; they are just the only ones brave enough to risk everything to stop them.

i am starting to become convinced that some of you did not read the book, or just aren’t remembering all the details which is perfectly fine! i just want to give an explanation to a complaint i’ve been seeing on here. i’ve been seeing a lot of people saying Whitney’s acting in the “take me back” scene was emotionless, and i’m sorry to say this, but that’s kind of the point. it’s book accurate. in my opinion Whitney absolutely looks *desperate* in that scene, but no not inconsolable. she is not supposed to be crying, she doesn’t cry until she gets out of the situation, away from the cameras, and finds a quiet place to let it all out. she specifically did not want to give the capitol tears to satisfy their need for entertainment. also, if you’re upset because the “take me instead” doesn’t make sense because they needed a boy, not a girl, i just think that lends to how desperate she was to save Haymitch from this. she was not in a moment where she could think entirely clearly. i wanna make it clear that im not really judging anyone who either didn’t catch this, didn’t fully read the book, or just straight up forgot about it. i don’t have the whole book on the tip of my tongue either. again, just wanting to provide some context to those who may be missing it.

here is the passage from the book confirming this:

“That’s when I see Lenore Dove. She’s up on a ridge, her red dress plastered to her body, one hand clutching the bag of gumdrops. As the train passes, she tilts her head back and wails her loss and rage into the wind. And even though it guts me, even though I smash my fists into the glass until they bruise, I’m grateful for her final gift. That she’s denied Plutarch the chance to broadcast our farewell. The moment our hearts shattered? It belongs to us.”

The trailer spoils the reaping regarding Haymitch. I know many people have read the book but for people who haven’t that’s a pretty big reveal to just throw in a trailer? It was one of the biggest surprises in the book.

Ive been seeing speculation that SOTR may bring back the main cast for the epilogue including Effie. it got me thinking about how if I were katniss, I’d probably never want to see Effie again. Not just Effie but anyone involved directly in the games that way. I’m talking stylists, prep teams, Plutarch etc. I think maybe even if i were able to forgive them, I think id be happier never seeing their face again in my entire life.

which makes me curious, do you think you’d be able to not only forgive but maintain a relationship with someone like that?