Hunger Games | Knowable Word

In honor of the second “Hunger Games” movie opening this weekend, I’m updating and reposting this article (originally published June 4, 2012) about the novel Catching Fire.

I just finished reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, part 2 of the Hunger Games series (see here for my thoughts on the first book). The plot pacing and literary devices were similar to the first book, but a few new things struck me in this volume that help with Bible study.

1. Structure is Your Friend

The Hunger Games is divided into three parts; each part had nine chapters. Not bad. It helped me to remember the flow of the story: the Tributes, the Games, the Victor.

Catching Fire has the same structure: three parts with nine chapters each. A nice, memorable flow: the Spark, the Quell, the Enemy.

I must admit, I looked ahead to the third book. Guess what? Three parts, nine chapters each. Fantastic. That means the entire series is made up of nine parts with nine chapters in each part. Beautiful symmetry!

It can’t be an accident. In fact, most chapters (and some of the parts) don’t really end with a scene change the way most books do. Collins clearly set things up to have the right number of chapter and part divisions.

How does this help with Bible study? Biblical authors employ the same tactic. They consciously structure their books so readers can easily remember and assimilate the material. Here are some examples.

The Plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7:14-10:29), organized as three sets of three plagues each. Notice how the first plague of each set begins with something like “Go to Pharaoh in the morning…” (Ex 7:14, 8:20, 9:13). The tight organization contrasts with the utter chaos resulting from the plagues, and it helps us appreciate the power and majesty of the Lord.
Jesus’ Sermons in Matthew (Matthew 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 23-25), dividing the Gospel into five sections. Each section highlights a particular aspect of what it means to be Jesus’ disciple. The book climaxes with the Great Commission to go out and make disciples (Matt 28:16-20).

Pay attention to structure, as authors use it to couch their main points in a memorable way. For more help, I highly recommend The Literary Structure of the Old Testament by David Dorsey.

2. Plot Twists Have Always been in Style

Catching Fire has lots of plot twists. Some are clearly foreshadowed; others caught me by surprise. Modern stories seem boring if they’re too predictable, but Collins delivers engagingly.

Plot twists are not a modern invention; the Bible showed us how to do it long ago.

Readers of the Old Testament expected the Messiah to deliver Israel (Acts 1:6), but who would have guessed that God himself would become a man, be born of a virgin, live in poverty, and die in great shame? If the rulers of this age had known it, they would not have crucified Jesus (1 Cor 2:7-8). Many today still read the Bible but miss Jesus, the main point (2 Cor 3:12-16).

Now that we know the end of the story, however, we can go back and get the point.

P.S. For a fantastic review of the content and ethics of The Hunger Games, see N.D. Wilson’s article posted by Trevin Wax at The Gospel Coalition. And for a keen but scathing review of the popular response to the Hunger Games franchise, see Scott Mendelson’s review at Forbes.

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I just finished reading the first Hunger Games book, which simultaneously captivated and horrified me. This post is not a review of the content of the book, but an attempt to capture some literary points that (I think) contribute to the book’s success. For more evaluative reviews, see my brief Goodreads review, or reviews by Tim Challies or Mark Meynell.

1. Pay attention to verb tenses

Something nagged at me through the first part of the book. The story felt alive to me, almost too alive. It took a while to notice the cause, but eventually I realized the verbs were in the present tense. Sorry, I did that paragraph all wrong; let me try it again.

Something nags at me through the first part of the book. The story feels alive to me, almost too alive. It takes a while to notice the cause, but eventually I realize it’s the verbs are in the present tense.

Collins isn’t the first novelist to use this convention, but I think it’s uncommon. I can’t remember the last time I read a novel that employed it.

What does this fact have to do with Bible study? Pay attention to tenses! Authors communicate tone and mood through it. Each biblical author communicates different style and purpose through his text. One particularly vivid example is the Gospel of Mark.

For example, check out the New American Standard Bible, which conveniently lets us know when the original language behind a narrative uses present tense (instead of the more common past tense) by marking it with an *.

“Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12, NASB).

“They *went into Capernaum…” (Mark 1:21, NASB).

“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they *spoke to Jesus about her” (Mark 1:30, NASB).

Swap each of those *verbs with a present tense (the Spirit impels…hey go…they speak…), and you’ll get the picture Mark intends. You’ll picture yourself right there with Jesus and his disciples, and the story will come alive.

2. Put Yourself in the Story

Part of what I enjoyed about The Hunger Games was that stuff happens. We didn’t need chapter after chapter of set up. We didn’t get a lot of back story, except through the course of the action. Collins’s greatest strength is her plot, which she uses well to both build characters and configure setting. But the plot is always central.

So also, in the Bible, there are times when plot is central. Again, the key example that comes to mind is the Gospel of Mark. For example, notice how often Mark uses the word “immediately.” Compared to the other three Gospels, Mark has the fewest recorded speeches of Jesus. Mark cares about action, and he wants that action to impact us as though we were there. Jesus is a doer, the King of the Universe, and he’s doing everything in his power to fix what is broken, especially in our own lives.

In short, as I read The Hunger Games and considered why it was so popular, I was inspired to go back and re-read Mark, which I did at my first opportunity. As you engage in the folklore of our culture, allow it to sharpen your skill at reading God’s Knowable Word.

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Disclosure: The Amazon links above are affiliate links, so if you click them and buy stuff you’ll support this site at no extra cost to yourself.

What Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) Taught Me About Bible Study

1. Structure is Your Friend

2. Plot Twists Have Always been in Style

What The Hunger Games Taught Me About Bible Study

1. Pay attention to verb tenses

2. Put Yourself in the Story