I just finished listening to the latest installment of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, and I have thoughts. While the first three books focused on Katniss Everdeen and her heroic journey, this book looks back at the formative years of Coriolanus Snow and his slide into villainy.
His character in the first three books is as an older gentleman who uses manipulation and deception to get what he wants. The role in the movies was played by Donald Sutherland who perfectly captured the balance of elegance and evil. The actor had just portrayed Elizabeth Bennett’s beloved father in Pride and Prejudice, so his betrayal in these films was even that more devastating.
In the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, we meet Coriolanus as a senior in high school in a position somewhat similar Katniss in the first book. Both have lost their fathers, both are struggling with poverty and hunger, and both are trying to keep the remnants of their families together.
It’s not the circumstances, we discover, but the decisions that each character makes that defines their trajectories in life. Where Katniss dramatically stands up to save her sister, Coriolanus is always calculating his personal reputation about every decision. Unless he can personally benefit, he won’t do it.
Because the book is written from his perspective, it’s easy to understand his motivation and hope that he makes good choices. It’s also easy to root for him because a lot of his motivation is not inherently bad. He wants to redeem his family name and honor. He’s disciplined and doesn’t want to fall to the temptation of easy outs like alcohol, violence, or gossip. For a while there are several options that benefit both himself and others, and for a while we think perhaps he will choose to be good, even though we already know how he turns out.
The author also has the characters reflect on the nature of freedom and control, where Snow chooses the latter in order to secure his position. He sees personal connection as a liability rather than a benefit, and so rejects empathy for others because it makes it difficult for him to use them. His heart becomes as icy as his name.
There is a movie version coming out this fall with a lot of cute actors and actresses in it. I am sure it will be popular, but I hope it keeps the core, the part where the audience is invited to reflect on their own thoughts about how they navigate life, love and ambition.
