EMILY PELLINGRA

the experience that viewers have while either watching or reading “The Hunger Games” series.  With the movies, the directors are having viewers see what they want to see, their own image of the society created by Suzanne Collins, which may differ greatly from the image made up in the minds of readers, but that offers different, and equally exciting, experiences for fans of the series.

Now there is a right and a wrong to what fans see.  There is a definite face with each name and world that was once just words on a page and images created by fans imagination is now real and visible.  Though some of the creative aspects is lost with this kind of mode, it allows fans, both new and old, to finally see this incredible world and story that Collins has created.  They were able to see the massive cornucopia of the arena in “The Hunger Games”, the were able to see Katniss’s captivating dress on fire in “Catching Fire”, and they were able to see the take down of the conniving President Coin in “Mockingjay: Part Two”.  All these powerful scenes were brought to life by the different mode used for the movie.

Though both these artifacts are presented through different modes and media, Collins appeals to readers using the same tactics throughout all three books and all four movies.  Collins used pathos as a way to connect with the audience and have them better understand the messages that she was trying to get across, absolute and total power can corrupt if it is put in the wrong hands. Collins plays on reader’s emotions by having the main conflict of the first novel and movie be young kids fighting for their life due to the rules of their government and its tyrannical rule.  Collins also used ethos throughout the novels and movies.  For most of the series, Katniss and her allies are the moral compasses of the story.  They begin fighting, not just to stay alive, but to better the lives of everyone around them, and to better the lives of future generations.  The series is set in a society full of moral corruption, so Collins uses characters like Katniss, Peeta, and Gale to be moral compasses and provide an ethical appeal to fans. 

The way I which Collins constructs the story makes it enjoyable for young-adults, as well as an older audience.  Though original classified as a “young-adult” novel, Collins powerful narratives and the Hollywood flare added to each movie made it a story that could be enjoyed by all different age groups.  The books were successful on their own, but the movies are what started the cultural phenomenon that “The Hunger Games” franchise evolved into.  The opening weekend of “The Hunger Games” alone grossed $155 million in box office sales (Sitterson, 2012).  Attractive actors, heightened emotions, and an even extra added aspect of drama was put into the movies in order to draw in a larger crowd than the original fan base who had read the book.  These aspects aided in the success of the books and movies amongst many different age groups.

In contrast to the books and the movies, the true value and importance of the mocking jay pin worn by Katniss lies not within its message throughout the story, but the meaning that the real life, tangible pin has taken on.  Though the pin represents unity in both the books/movies and in real life, the simple object is a representation of the loyal fan following that “The Hunger Games” series has built up.

The mode of the pin, when worn in real life, is face-to-face.  The pin is a connection between fans.  When a fan sees another fan wearing the pin there is an understanding between the people that this series meant something to each of them.  It doesn’t matter what the series meant to them personally or how it affected each individual person, the pin can give people a sense of togetherness even with complete strangers.

The pin represents unity in real life, just as it does in the books.  The mocking jay first seen on Katniss’s pin becomes the symbol of the rebellion.  In the books, the pin brings people from all different walks of life together just as the mocking jay pin worn by fans of the series does in real life.

The pin, to a certain extent, uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos.  When someone is seen wearing the mocking jay pin, it is pretty obvious that they are fans of the series.  These people are credible sources on what the books and movies are about as well as their own opinion on the subject matter.  Many people wear the pin to show others their love and support for the series and maybe connect with others who feel the same way about “The Hunger Games” series.  The pin gives them credibility on the subject because most people that wear the pin are fans of “The Hunger Games” series.

Whether it be through a series of books, four block-busters, or a circle pin with a mocking jay in the middle, Suzanne Collins transformed them all into powerful symbols.  She uses these artifacts to show that people must stick together, and that anyone has the power to change what they believe is wrong.  She uses these artifacts to warn against the idea that too much power can corrupt.  Through her story telling ability, Collins was able to connect with readers and appeal to their emotional sides, as well as their logical side, and paint vivid pictures, which eventually developed into motion pictures, of a society that should never developed.  These three artifacts are the ones that played the biggest role in “The Hunger Games” franchise developing into what it is today.