Entry 5: Media And Images

The first piece of art that I have found to compare to The Hunger Games is simply a picture of the wilderness. Seeing this image makes me realize of how large the wild really is. There are so many things that are hidden and that unknown to most humans. It is hard to know what could happen if you are in the wild trying to survive. There are dangerous and life threatening possibilities. You could get bitten by a poisonous snake, fall into quick sand, or drown in a strong river. There is also the possibility that you could learn about one of your unknown allergies with all the plants and bugs constantly surrounding you. In other words, the wild is strange and unpredictable. There is no way to know what is going to happen. This is one of the struggles that all the characters in The Hunger Games had to face everyday that they spent in the arena. Katniss had an encounter with a tracker jay nest in one of the trees she was sleeping in, if Rue had not seen it then Katniss could have been killed by the numerous stings if she was to make any loud or sudden movements. She was not expecting it to be in the tree. I guess that is why its called the 'wilderness' because it is mysterious and unknown. There are so many surprises, some are natural and others are created by the Gamemakers to bring more excitement. Its harder to survive when you don't know exactly what you are up against. You have to take it step by step and expect the unexpected. 

Survival Of The Fittest

Whenever I get a package of plain M&Ms, I make it my duty to continue the strength and robustness of the candy as a species.  To this end, I hold M&M duels.

Taking two candies between my thumb and forefinger, I apply pressure, squeezing them together until one of them cracks and splinters.  That is the "loser," and I eat the inferior one immediately.  The winner gets to go another round.

I have found that, in general, the brown and red M&Ms are tougher, and the newer blue ones are genetically inferior.  I have hypothesized that the blue M&Ms as a race cannot survive long in the intense theater of competition that is the modern candy and snack-food world.

Occasionally I will get a mutation, a candy that is misshapen, or pointier, or flatter than the rest.  Almost invariably this proves to be a weakness, but on very rare occasions it gives the candy extra strength.  In this way, the species continues to adapt to its environment.

When I reach the end of the pack, I am left with one M&M, the strongest of the herd.  Since it would make no sense to eat this one as well, I pack it neatly in an envelope and send it to M&M Mars, A Division of Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, NJ 17840-1503 U.S.A., along with a 3x5 card reading, "Please use this M&M for breeding purposes."

This week they wrote back to thank me, and sent me a coupon for a free 1/2 pound bag of plain M&Ms.  I consider this "grant money."  I have set aside the weekend for a grand tournament.  From a field of hundreds, we will discover the True Champion.

There can be only one.

After searching for stories on Survival Of The Fittest, I found this cute little story about how only the strongest M&M gets to survive and the rest get eaten. I feel that this fits well with The Hunger Games. As most would think, the strongest usually wins because they are the best at fighting and eliminating their competition. In this novel, that was not the case. Katniss and Peeta were by far not the biggest and strongest Tributes to be thrown into The Hunger Games competition. They won because they were smart and they worked well together. They knew what to eat, where to sleep, and how to act quickly. This is the reason they won, because they were smart. This makes me think of the quotation ''brains over brawn''. Being strong sure is helpful when put into a competition like this but you won't get very far unless you know what you are doing. 


"Love is Our Weapon" by Christofer Drew Ingle. 

This song makes me think of Katniss and Peeta's relationship in The Hunger Games and how it is the reason they both survived. They are the reason the rule that 'only one Tribute can survive' had been changed multiple times. Most of the teenagers had weapons that could kill their competitors, but they did not have an edge. Katniss and Peeta's edge was the tragic romance that they shared. Only one of them could survive, they would either have to live without the other or both die. This is why the rule was changed because everyone wanted them both to survive. They played it very well and lots of people watching really did want for them to both be victorious. If you think about it, love was their strongest weapon. Peeta's love for Katniss saved her life during the tracker jay chapter and Katniss's love for Peeta's saved him from blood poisoning by getting him the medication; their love is why they both survived. In this years Hunger Games love was the key to survival. 

Sources

Proenneke, Dick. One Man's Story: Alone In The Wilderness. 2007. Sports World, Canada. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://sportsworld.savvy-cafe.com/one-man%E2%80%99s-story-alone-in-the-wilderness-2007-09-28/>.

Unknown, Stella. "Survival Of The Fittest." Laugh Break : 1+. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.laughbreak.com/stories/survival_of_the_fittest.html>.


Ingle, Christofer D., perf. Love is our Wepon. Christofer D. Ingle. Never Shout Never, 2010. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejagJGp7EUo>