A very good friend from Marine Corps years in Okinawa, Dr. Arthur Remillard, now teaches Religious Studies at St. Francis University. In my regular correspondence with him, I shared my interest in The Hunger Games; he picked up the first novel in the series as an impulse buy at an airport. He has since shared his thoughts on the lead-off book and I have his permission to share them here as a launchpad to my speculations about the religious faith implicit to the Everdeen Saga:
About the book… I can see why you are jumping on this. In terms of style, the story moves swiftly and the author has a unique gift in her ability to use words to create vivid scenes, yet keep the story moving at the same time. And it is thoughtful enough that I didn’t feel stupider (is that a word?) for having read it. The Christian imagery pretty much hit me in the forehead like a hammer. Easter and Pentecost symbolism in no short supply, with bread and fire images on every other page. I wonder if the author is a Methodist, or wrote with Methodist influence. The flame and the cross matched by the male and female lead… Wesley’s notion of “sanctifying grace” appearing in the slow awareness that winning the game was merely a prelude to a more complicated battle ahead. Etc.
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