The Games of The Hunger Games Explained

When first reading the books, I had so much disdain for the career districts because they viewed it as an “honor” and were so eager to compete. Obviously, we are meant to feel this way, as they’re antagonists for a reason. But thinking about it now, the existence of the careers is more of a slap in the face to the capitol than anything. Those districts would NEVER be caught off guard in terms of having the youngest, most innocent children reaped. The whole point of the Hunger Games was to keep the people weak, oppressed, and living in complete fear. However, the career districts refused to be victims. They trained a group of young people to survive at all costs and to sacrifice themselves. Yes, they were ruthless in the arena, but (as per the entire point of the games) only one person could survive anyway, and the careers ALWAYS had the best chance at winning. In the career districts, the people and their children could live in peace knowing that even if their child was reaped, a career would volunteer to take their place.

I know Cinna is a fan favorite but I never hear people talk about just how instrumental his designs were in the entire uprising. He started it all with the flaming chariot and his final act of the Mockingjay dress was one of the biggest pieces to getting people to rebel

I don't see how training for the games could be illegal, because the games are just about surviving.

Haymitch actually failed at keeping 46 tributes alive it’s said in the books that he mentored for 23 games before Peeta and katniss

I think its kind of interesting how because the tributes from districts 1, 2 and 4 are almost always volunteers, people in those districts are basically saved from having to worry all year about being picked since whoever does get picked would immediately be replaced with someone who wants to go into the games anyway. This really does make their lives significantly less horrible then the lives of people in the other districts

Its actually a clever move on Dr. Gaul's part to tell everyone that Highbottom came up with the idea of the hunger games rather than stealing the glory herself That way Highbottom would be viewed as the most hated man in panem instead of her Even though Highbottom conceptualized the idea for the Hunger Games Dr. Gaul was the one who brought them to life so in actuality she is the creator of the hunger games and was even directly responsible for the first 10 games

11:06 you see, I actually found the bread more touching, since such a point was made of what a sacrifice it was for that District to send Katniss bread. I read that through tears and have always felt that it was a perfect quietly generous thank you that perfectly matched the gentle care Katniss took of the dying and later deceased Rue. The riots in the movie seemed to be more focused on rage over what happened to Rue. But the possibility - even probability, since Rue was so young & small - of Rue’s death should have been anticipated. The people probably would have even been resigned to it. Katniss’s actions could not have been anticipated however, and her unlooked-for kindness stood in stark contrast to the bloody horror of the Games. The bread signified gratitude toward Katniss and was the first substantial sign of her growing popularity and her ability to win hearts. Rue’s District’s act of kindness meant to match Katniss’s should have been a warning to Snow of how dangerous Katniss could become, but because it was a whisper of gratitude instead of a roar of rage, it was missed. So I’m probably a minority in this, but I’ve always much preferred Rue’s death scene and its aftermath as the book presented it. It just seems more fitting.

for the rules “arbitrarily changing” at 42:42 , its important to remember that the games are designed as a reality show for the capitol, and peeta and katniss are the “star crossed lovers” so they allowed them a false hope of two victors and then took it away to stay in accordance with the rules and for dramatic effect. it was an intentional choice.

You didn’t even mention the worst part of the mutts from the 74th like the hounds weren’t just what you described. Katniss described looking into the eyes of one of them and it was literally the eyes of the tribute. (Forgive me for forgetting which tribute it was, it has been a decade since I last read the books)

The one thing I wish they had kept from the book was how messed up Peeta and Katniss were at the end of 74. In the book she sees her reflection and is stunned by how wild she looks; how emaciated and out of control she looks. And that Peeta looses a whole leg in the process!

They gotta start a series just going through the 75 hunger games, I would love to see Haymichs games

mags would’ve remembered lucy gray since it was the year before she was reaped, and being from district four, would most likely have watched her games. mags was the first victor to live the “life of luxury” they showered the victors in after the 10th. i think she would’ve told katniss of lucy gray, if she had the ability to do so.

You mentioned in the video, that Plutarch changed the letter for the 3rd Quarter Quell because he was Head Gamemaker and planned for Katniss to be in the 75th Hunger Games. This was a movie only decision. In the books during the celebration at the end of the Victory Tour he hints at the clock design of the arena for the 75th Games, but he expected Katniss to be a mentor and not a participant. If he had burned the original twist and exchanged it with his own twist, why would he think she'd be a mentor? There was no other possible female tribute for the Quarter Quell that way.

Honestly we could keep this series going for decades. It gets a lotta crap but it's truly one of the best post apocalyptic YA books and there's a wide field to choose from in that seeming niche.

I love reading the lore but can we stop a minute to appreciate this guy to detail all the important parts, don't include ads, don't add sponsorship, and have timestamps so viewers can skip some parts? It's like a wonderful podcast while doing study works

The ballad of songs and snakes was the book that creeped me out. Having a partner that betrays me in such a deep way has been one of my biggest fears ever.

I used to get really mad about how the movies didn't represent the games all that well, but now I'm realizing, like how could they?

@06:58 Friendly reminder that Mags was the victor of the 11th Hunger Games so she would have endured that "zoo pen" treatment from the Capitol.

Great video. I didn't even know I was interested in all of that but I couldn't stop until I watched the whole thing.

The 75th hunger games was actually planned without the knowledge of the twist and was only manipulated by the game makers after the "reading of the card". So when this announcement was made Plutarch and the rest of the rebels working in the capital to devise a plan to get the tributes out (source end of book 2). However with the construction of the arena finnick was chosen by Snow to win the games because he was the most cooperative victor (source Theory) Plutarch also put katniss's bow, finnick's trident and beete's wire in the pool of the cornucopia to help them survive the longest so the rebels had more time to plan for the breakout of the victors. (sorry ive read the books about 250000 times)