A Quote From the Book

I haven’t yet found a quote worth sharing from the pleasure reading book, but I came across one in the book I wanted to read initially — The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

They needed to navigate the rubble, peel off the grubby ration coupons, and witness the Hunger Games to keep the war fresh in their minds. Forgetting could lead to complacency, and then they’d all be back at square one.

Ten years before the events described in the book, the thirteen districts of Panem revolted against the Capitol but suffered a defeat. In order to prevent rebellions from ever happening again, the Capital decided to introduce the Hunger Games — a morbid and brutal competition. Every year, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 were selected from each of the twelve districts as tributes who were sent into an outdoor arena to fight to the death. The event was nationally televised as mandatory viewing for all citizens to keep the war fresh in their minds.

In the book, the rebels were after a good cause — to overthrow the unjust and violent regime. But if we project the book on our reality, should our government keep us mindful of the dangers of war? The answer seems obvious — of course, but definitely not in such a radical way as in the Hunger Games. We should learn our history, honor the memory of the fallen, learn to resolve conflicts by negotiation, and try our best to prevent wars from happening ever again.