The Unofficial Hunger Games Companion

by Lois H. Gresh

  NBC television broadcasted a television program from 1989 through 1996 called American Gladiators, hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. In this show, contestants battle each other in an arena that features “games” with names such as Assault, Gauntlet, Hit and Run, Joust, Earthquake, Pyramid, and others. Luckily, the contestants are not battling to the death in this arena; rather, these battles are all in fun. Hired gladiators, who work for the program, pit their strength and wits against “everyday” people who, judging by their physiques, work out a lot in the gym. The show’s gladiators include action stars and movie stuntmen/women.

  On television now is a program called Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). This program pits fighters against each other and allows various forms of martial arts, including boxing, jujitsu, and wrestling: these are real fights.

  UFC is a modern version of Pankration, an ancient Greek Olympic fighting sport that started in 648 BC. Pankration athletes both wrestled and boxed, with no rules governing their fighting techniques.

  Suzanne Collins is often quoted in saying that she based The Hunger Games on her father’s experiences in Vietnam, on reality television programs, and on the ancient Greek story of Theseus.9 In a recent New York Times interview, Collins adds that she “embraces her father’s impulse to educate young people about the realities of war.”10 Oddly enough, in Greek mythology, Theseus and Heracles both wrestled and boxed against their opponents, a technique that became called Pankration. Today’s Pankration is accepted in modern form by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles,11 but it is no longer part of the Olympic Games.

  UFC is so violent that Senator John McCain tried to outlaw the program.12 He contacted the governors of every state in the United States, urging them to officially ban the program. McCain succeeded in convincing thirty-six states to ban it, after which the UFC revised its rules to make things a little safer and less brutal. Eventually, UFC also revised how it marketed itself, from a “spectacle” to a “sport.”

  UFC remains extremely popular worldwide, with the fights now known as “exhibition matches” that are not tallied as wins or losses in professional boxing.

  An interesting note about UFC: the more sponsorship a fighter receives, the more he’s paid per fight. Remind you of the Hunger Games? None of the UFC competitors receives a salary, and as you might guess, winners take home more money than losers.

  EARLY AD, Holy Land

  Setting the groundwork for The Hunger Games trilogy as well as all other apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic literature to come was the Book of Revelation. In Matthew, Jesus states that “Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom,” strongly implying that the apocalypse would occur within Jesus’ lifetime and that at least one Apostle would still be around to see the Second Coming.

  In Revelation, earth, heaven, and hell collide in one whopping huge battle between Good and Evil. The number seven, which oddly has grown to be a “lucky” number for many people, was central to Revelation and the apocalypse. Seven lamps represent seven churches, each with seven angels denoted by seven stars. Seven spirits stand before God’s throne, again represented by seven lamps but also by seven horns and seven eyes. God’s judgment scroll has seven seals along with a set of seven judgments. Trumpet judgments are heralded by seven angels, and when the seventh trumpet sounds, God’s wrath rains down upon the earth. There are many other references to the number seven, but suffice it to say here that when Jesus opens the first four of the seven seals, that’s when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse show up, representing conquest, war, famine, and death.

  AD 93–195

  AD 93, Saint Clement I preached that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 100, Saint Ignatius wrote in prison that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 135–156, Montanus hooked up with Maximilla and Priscilla to convince the masses that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 195, the Sibylline Oracles predicted that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 210, a man named Judas (not that Judas, but a different one with very naïve or nasty parents) toyed with the Book of Daniel and predicted that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 365, Saint Hilary of Poitiers predicted that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 380, the North African Christian sect called The Donatists predicted that the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 375–400, Saint Martins of Tours claimed that the Antichrist had already been born and the end of the world was imminent. Any second now . . .

  AD 500

  This was a big year for doomsday predictions.

  Sextus Julius Africanus, who lived between AD 160–240, figured that God would destroy the world 6,000 years after creation. By his calculations, God created everything in 5000 BC, there were 5,531 years between the creation and resurrection, and hence, the apocalypse would happen in approximately AD 500.

  Saint Hippolytus, who died in approximately AD 236, also claimed that the apocalypse was scheduled for 6,000 years after creation, or AD 500.

  Saint Irenaeus, who died in AD 202, also believed that the apocalypse was slated for AD 500.

  WEAPONS OF CHOICE IN THE HUNGER GAMES

  Along with hunger, war, and rebellion, weapons are central to all three books in The Hunger Games series. We’re told up front by Katniss that most people in District 12 would hunt and fish if they just had the weapons. Most only have knives. Luckily, Katniss is equipped with her father’s bows and arrows (The Hunger Games, 5).

  When tributes go to the Games, they train to use all the various weapons that might be at their disposal. Despite her prowess with the bow and arrow, Katniss worries that kids from other districts will know how to kill her “in twenty different ways” (The Hunger Games, 36). How can anyone possibly learn how to use a knife sufficiently to beat someone who has spent years with a knife? Is it possible to learn knife throwing within a few days of training before you’re sent into the ring to compete for your life?

  Aside from the Careers, who train liberally throughout life for the Games, kids from the districts train for only three days (The Hunger Games, 88). Yes, just three days in which to learn how to:

  Throw a knife.

  Throw a spear.

  Throw an ax.

  Use a bow and arrow.

  Swing a mace.

  Tie a knot.

  Set up snares and traps.

  Start fires.

  Make shelters.

  Fight in hand-to-hand combat.

  Identify edible plants.

  Lift weights.

  Use a slingshot.

  Climb trees.

  At the beginning of the Quarter Quell Games, Katniss leaps forward and grabs a lot of weapons from around the Cornucopia. She can choose from bows and arrows, knives of all lengths, spears, tridents, axes, maces, swords, and awls. (Catching Fire, 269–71). If you’re in a situation as deadly as the Hunger Games, you want to pick up everything you might possibly be able to use, even if you’re not particularly well trained to use the items.

  It’s unknown to readers how starved children lacking preparation and training with weapons can succeed in remaining alive. We know that many tributes are quick witted, that some are fast runners, that others understand how to cope in the saltwater arena, that others are good with knives, etc. Each tribute possesses particular skills upon entering the Games, and they then have three days to bone up on what they don’t know.

  However, remember that the children are selected by lottery—that is, in random drawings. A physically weak child, a starving child, someone who is mentally ill or retarded, handicapped, extremely young, sick with anything from the flu to cancer or asthma—a vast majority of children, it seems—would be ill-equipped after three days of training and would be dead within
an hour of landing inside the arena.

  Keeping this issue in mind, let’s look briefly at some of the Hunger Games weapons, including items such as the pyramid trap, land mines, nuclear missiles, radiation, bunker, and bombs.

  THROWING A KNIFE

  To excel at knife throwing, you must master a lot of techniques, such as: holding the knife, throwing it, spins and rotations, distances, and targets. Knife throwing isn’t something you can master in three days, particularly when your three-day training includes so many other subjects. Maybe this is why one of the first tributes killed in The Hunger Games dies with a knife in his back (The Hunger Games, 150). Much later, Katniss is injured by a knife thrown by Clove, but she doesn’t die. Perhaps Katniss is lucky. Her forehead is sliced open, and Clove moves in for the kill, revealing an “impressive array” of knives in her jacket (The Hunger Games, 285). However, luck comes into play in the form of Thresh. If not for Thresh and his rock, Katniss probably would have died by the knife right then (The Hunger Games, 286).

  First, it should be pointed out that there are many types of knives, and each requires a different set of techniques. Most likely, Clove’s huge array of knives includes most or all of the types described in this chapter. By the way, we’ll assume that ordinary kitchen knives and diving knives, which are used underwater, are not part of the Hunger Games weaponry cache. We’ll focus on the knives used for hunting, fighting, and overall survival and talk a little about some of the more common types.

  A hunting knife is used when “dressing game,” which is the common euphemism for “carving up animals.” This type of knife may have a mildly curved blade, an extremely curved blade, or a clipped blade. A subcategory of the hunting knife is the skinning knife, which as you might guess from its name, is used for stripping animal hide; these have short razor-sharp blades sometimes tipped with a barbed hook—known as the “gut hook”—for eviscerating animals. We’re told in Mockingjay that to feed eight hundred people in the Seam, Gale is equipped with only one hunting knife, two sets of bows and arrows, and a fishing net (Mockingjay, 7). We don’t know what kind of hunting knife he has, and while reading, we assume it’s a general hunting knife as opposed to one specifically designed for skinning animals.

  A survival knife is sturdy and often has a hollow grip with an O-ring seal to keep out water. Modern survival knives can be quite elaborate, containing a lot of equipment in the hollow grips: pommels for pounding, thin lines for fishing and making snares, plastic ties, barbed fish hooks, bandages, matches, and other items. It is most likely that the tributes competing in the Games use survival knives of varying types. These knives can be used to hack brush; cut wood; and kill, skin, and gut animals.

  Survival knives are typically used in combat, for example, by the major military forces around the world. The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy issue KA-BAR knives1 to all soldiers. It weighs about one pound, has a seven-inch blade, is made of steel, and has a leather-like or synthetic handle. As with all knives, the survival knife comes in many flavors, and it’s a fair guess that Clove has several of them.

  A utility knife is a fancy way of saying “pocketknife” or “box cutter.” Along with several blades, it might contain pliers and other tools. Used when installing kitchens, carpets, and other home furnishings, and when opening cartons, it’s common in factories and warehouses.

  A stockman’s knife is a fancy way of saying “switchblade.” This is a folding knife with at least three blades: a clip, a normal, and a spey.

  An electrician’s knife is insulated to protect from electric shock. This would come in useful when Peeta thrusts his knife into the “invisible barrier” around the four-to-five o’clock wedge (Catching Fire, 344).

  A kukri is a fighting and utility knife with a deep curve.

  A machete is larger than a knife and shorter than a sword, and it’s heavy so it can slash though brush.

  A butterfly knife opens and closes as you spin it in your hand.

  A dagger knife is short and used for stabbing rather than slicing meat.

  A fillet knife is used with fish and ranges between one-half and one foot long.

  A throwing knife can be almost any of the knives described above—if you’re desperate enough and only have a dagger, for example, you might want to throw it. But there are knives that people use specifically for throwing at targets. Typically, they’re made of one piece of steel and have no handles. The knife has a blade and a grip.

  Throwing knives also come in other shapes such as stars, a staple of spy movies. But the knives thrown in the Hunger Games are probably survival knives and ordinary throwing knives.

  The International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame opened in 2003 in Austin, Texas. An interesting tidbit is that the actual Hall of Fame building is four miles west of “Slaughter Lane.”

  To determine the champions, events are held for adults, youth (twelve to fifteen years old), and juniors (eleven years and younger). These are the rules of the knife throwing event, as posted on the Web site of the Hall of Fame:

  Throwers throw four rounds of three knives from each of five distances, for a total of 60 knives. Each round consists of three knives from a minimum distance of 2 meters; three knives from a minimum distance of 3 meters; three knives from a minimum distance of 4 meters; three knives from a minimum distance of 5 meters; and three knives from a minimum distance of 6 meters.”2

  THROWING A SPEAR

  Unfortunately for any Avox trying to run away from Capitol pursuers, spears are a likely form of death. Remember in The Hunger Games when Katniss tells Peeta about the time she and Gale watched a spear kill a boy from a hovercraft. The vile Capitol pursuers then hauled the dead body into the hovercraft via the cable attached to the spear (The Hunger Games, 82).

  Spears are also part of the Games themselves, and tributes can opt to learn how to throw a spear during the pre-game training. In fact, Katniss watches a boy from District 2 practicing his spear-throwing techniques from fifteen yards away from a dummy (The Hunger Games, 95). One of her earlier fears during her first Games is that she’ll be killed by spears or clubs (The Hunger Games, 149). And even later, Peeta hoists a spear over her, but then stops as he sees that he’s about to kill Katniss (The Hunger Games, 193). Maybe worst of all, poor Rue dies by spear in The Hunger Games. This is a poignant scene, with Rue screaming Katniss’s name right before a boy from District 1 kills her. Katniss can’t make it to her friend on time, and when she reaches the body, she sees that the spear is embedded up to its shaft in Rue’s stomach (The Hunger Games, 233). The weight of the scene is heavy because as readers, we know how much Rue means to Katniss, we know that she identifies Rue with her little sister Prim. Even more poignant is the fact that her first kill is the boy from District 1. She begins to wonder if she’s what I call a “killer kid” in chapter 8, “Killer Kids.” Has she been programmed and desensitized to killing? Is the taking of a human life really all that different from that of an animal’s life? At this point, Katniss feels terrible about killing other children. At this point, she realizes that they have names and families and friends, just as she does. Finnick, we learn, is also good with a spear, particularly with a trident, which is a type of spear used in his fishing district (Catching Fire, 209).

  A spear, of course, is a pole that has a shaft and a sharpened point. Spears are often made of wood, which might be the case in the Games—we don’t know—but they can also be formed out of bamboo, obsidian, bronze, or iron. Typically, the sharpened point is shaped like a triangle.

  Wooden spears have been in use for at least 400,000 years. Neanderthals made stone spear heads 300,000 years ago. Early humans constructed complex spear heads from stone more than 200,000 years ago. Spears were a popular form of weapon during the Stone Age, but fell a bit out of favor once firearms were discovered.

  It’s interesting to note that the pan troglodytes verus subspecies of chimpanzees know how to create and use spears. The chimps strip the bark off straight tree limbs and remove any branch
es, then they use their teeth to sharpen one end. They use the resulting spears to hunt and kill galagos.

  Poseidon’s three-pronged spear, or trident, given to him by Cyclops. According to Greek mythology, Poseidon created water using his trident, and by slamming the earth with the spear, created tidal waves, storms at sea, and tsunamis.

  Trishula Spear of Hindu god Shiva. This god always holds a trident in his right hand, and it represents Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, the three Gunas through which Shiva rules the world.

  Gungnir Spear of Norse god Odin. This magical spear always hit its target. Wagner’s opera Siegfried immortalizes the Gungnir Spear of Odin, whereby the spear is from Yggdrasil, the tree of everything in the world.

  Holy Lance, the spear that pierced the side of Jesus’ body when he was crucified. This is also known as the Holy Spear, the Spear of Christ, and the Lance of Longinus, among others. As the story goes, to make sure Jesus was dead, a Roman soldier named Longinus thrust the spear into his side.

  Octane Serpent Spear of Zhang Fei during China’s Three Kingdoms period.

  Among the vast number of spears worldwide are simple wooden spears from Western Australia; barbed fancy spears from Hawaii; bone-barbed spears from the Solomon Islands; Roman javelins; iron-bladed spears with colored hair on the shaft from the Naga people of Asam; barbed, iron-bladed spears of the Mobati people of Zaire. Sizes vary, as do the types of spear points.