Defining Priorities
Down deep in the Mines of Moria, the wizard Gandalf gave a simple yet powerful saying,”All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” In other words, priorities will define what we achieve in our lives. This is a major part of what Suzanne Collins was trying to emphasize in her book, The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games novel takes place in a future civilization called Panem. The corrupt government of this society forces each of its state like districts to give a male and female tribute to the Capitol, where they would fight to the death. One of the main characters in this story is named Haymitch. He is the mentor of the two tributes, Katniss and Peeta. The priorities of Haymitch are an essential part …show more content…
How does it apply to our society today? Well to start with, American society has constantly fought for the right of legalized drugs and alcohol. An obvious example of this was the alcohol prohibition set in the United States from 1920 to 1933. The end of result of this effort to stop the rampant consumption of alcohol ended because of the countermeasures that took place. Mark Thorton states that,” It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition”(Thorton 1). This shows that not unlike Haymitch, Americans are willing to take extreme measures to find ways to dull their feelings. One study conducted by NBC News Health claims that, “Too much alcohol can ruin a man’s appreciation of irony and block feelings of empathy. And that’s true even when he’s sober” (NBC). This study shows that not only does drinking emotionally numb you; it dumbs you down even when you are thinking clearly. You start to lose emotional connections with people, similar to Haymitch. So whether intentional or not, Haymitch’s drinking problems can easily be traced back to a reflection of our …show more content…
Collins proves this to us early on, when Haymitch states,” ‘All right, I’ll make a deal with you. You don’t interfere with my drinking, and I’ll stay sober enough to help you,’ says Haymitch.’ But you have to do exactly what I say’” (Collins 58). As Haymitch bargains with Katniss and Peeta, he shows that he can recognize when he is in a position of power. He forces the tributes to first, leave his drinking life alone then. He forces them to acknowledge his authority by making them promise to do everything he says. This is not unlike prevalent influential media programs like CNN and Fox News who are either heavily bias towards liberals or conservatives. They use their power to control what viewers can percieve and understand from their programs. Although Haymitch had their best interests in mind, Haymitch still manipulated his situation to suit his liking as well. Although he shows authority now and again, Haymitch’s true tool is his cunning nature. This is shown in the Hunger Games after the first interview when Peeta confesses his love for Katniss. After Peeta states, “…it was my idea, Haymitch just helped me with it.” To which Katniss replies, “Yes Haymitch is very helpful. To you!” Haymitch responds in disgust, “You are a fool.” What a calculated method! First he hid Peeta’s plan from Katniss so that her reaction could be real, thus helping Peeta gain favor with the sponsors.
Down deep in the Mines of Moria, the wizard Gandalf gave a simple yet powerful saying,”All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” In other words, priorities will define what we achieve in our lives. This is a major part of what Suzanne Collins was trying to emphasize in her book, The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games novel takes place in a future civilization called Panem. The corrupt government of this society forces each of its state like districts to give a male and female tribute to the Capitol, where they would fight to the death. One of the main characters in this story is named Haymitch. He is the mentor of the two tributes, Katniss and Peeta. The priorities of Haymitch are an essential part …show more content…
How does it apply to our society today? Well to start with, American society has constantly fought for the right of legalized drugs and alcohol. An obvious example of this was the alcohol prohibition set in the United States from 1920 to 1933. The end of result of this effort to stop the rampant consumption of alcohol ended because of the countermeasures that took place. Mark Thorton states that,” It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition”(Thorton 1). This shows that not unlike Haymitch, Americans are willing to take extreme measures to find ways to dull their feelings. One study conducted by NBC News Health claims that, “Too much alcohol can ruin a man’s appreciation of irony and block feelings of empathy. And that’s true even when he’s sober” (NBC). This study shows that not only does drinking emotionally numb you; it dumbs you down even when you are thinking clearly. You start to lose emotional connections with people, similar to Haymitch. So whether intentional or not, Haymitch’s drinking problems can easily be traced back to a reflection of our …show more content…
Collins proves this to us early on, when Haymitch states,” ‘All right, I’ll make a deal with you. You don’t interfere with my drinking, and I’ll stay sober enough to help you,’ says Haymitch.’ But you have to do exactly what I say’” (Collins 58). As Haymitch bargains with Katniss and Peeta, he shows that he can recognize when he is in a position of power. He forces the tributes to first, leave his drinking life alone then. He forces them to acknowledge his authority by making them promise to do everything he says. This is not unlike prevalent influential media programs like CNN and Fox News who are either heavily bias towards liberals or conservatives. They use their power to control what viewers can percieve and understand from their programs. Although Haymitch had their best interests in mind, Haymitch still manipulated his situation to suit his liking as well. Although he shows authority now and again, Haymitch’s true tool is his cunning nature. This is shown in the Hunger Games after the first interview when Peeta confesses his love for Katniss. After Peeta states, “…it was my idea, Haymitch just helped me with it.” To which Katniss replies, “Yes Haymitch is very helpful. To you!” Haymitch responds in disgust, “You are a fool.” What a calculated method! First he hid Peeta’s plan from Katniss so that her reaction could be real, thus helping Peeta gain favor with the sponsors.