Every Man for Himself

In The Hunger Games, Panem is separated into 12 separate districts. One boy and one girl are selected from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games. Only one of the 24 "tributes" get the chance to continue living his or her life. Katniss, a father-less 16 year old, volunteers to take the place of her younger sister, Prim, in the games. The games are televised for the enjoyment of the viewing public, as if it was some reality show. In our world, reality shows are anything but realistic, but, in this case, it actually is reality television, because the question of life or death is on the line for each competitor. Not only is Katniss's life on the line, she is also competing against a boy who claims to love her named Peeta Mellark. Peeta knows Katniss from school, and he had once saved he life by giving her bread when her family was on the verge of passing away from starvation.

Despite the critical assistance that Peeta had once provided to Katniss, she decides that Peeta is only saying that he loves her to gain support from the viewing audience, in order to better his position in the games. I suppose this is what happens to just about everyone when they are faced with conflict. When there's something on the line, and we're forced to compete for it, everyone with the same goal becomes an enemy. Even though Peeta had once saved Katniss's life, Katniss questions Peeta's trustworthiness, and decides that he is lying in order to attain his own selfish goals. It then becomes imminent that Peeta and Katniss will come face to face at some point in this novel, although I need to read further to find out.

I think that Katniss's distrusting of Peeta is wrong, but not surprising in the least. It's human nature to be competitive when there is something of importance at risk. The same goes for every athlete, a group of singers trying out for a solo, a kid trying to win the talent show, or even a boy trying to win over a girl. In sports, a team is unit of trust, but an opponent is an obvious enemy. When I step on the field to play soccer, I build resentment for the opposing team, even if they're my friends, in order to get myself pumped up. When I take a step off of the field, we're all just average kids who play soccer. When a boy tries to impress a girl, he tries to cut her off from any other possible suitors in order to better his chances of getting a date with her, even if those other suitors are his best friends. When it comes down to it, there are no friends in competition. In competition you trust no one, and you depend on no one. Unless you're on a team, it's every man for himself.

Reading: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (pgs. 3-148) popular fiction