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A theory on the Hunger Games — reading between the lines
After a few months since I’ve reread the Hunger Games for the 2nd time, along with currently reading Quiet by Susan Cain, I’ve been having an interesting line of dialogue in my head.
The thing is, as an introvert, the theory that introverts “talk less” and extroverts “talk more” seemed to be a nice way to describe the two. Typically, if you talk more then you’re an extrovert, right?
However, as Susan Cain writes in her book Quiet, it has a lot more to do with brain chemicals that differentiates the two, as I’ll explain briefly.
The psychology of extroverts and introverts
With how boisterous some extroverts are, it would be thought that as babies, they would be loud as well. However, it’s just the opposite. A study in the Quiet book showed that as a group of children that scientists studied got older, the extrovert babies were quiet and not very talkative. How is this so?
Turns out, introverts are highly-reactive, meaning they have high awareness and can feel things more than extroverts. If you’re reading this knowing that as a baby you were loud, bubbly, and curious, I bet you’re an introvert.
As these babies grew up, their personalities seemed to flip, but it was actually because they were developing an awareness for their environment that the bubbly introvert babies became quiet, and the extroverted, low-reactive babies became confident and outgoing. If this still doesn’t make much sense I highly recommend how Susan Cain explains it in her book, Quiet.
Another thing is how extroverts and introverts process dopamine. Even though introverts are more sensitive/aware, their dopamine sensors aren’t as open as extroverts. This is why extroverts are reward-sensitive, or feel highs and “buzz” easily when there are rewards at stake, also meaning that — most likely, it’s harder for them to have self-control.
What this means for the Hunger Games
If you’ve ever read the series, you know that there are 2 sides.
- The Capitol with President Snow as its leader
- and District 13 with President Coin.
Both are leaders who, at first, seem to want good for their citizens. Yet, they do bad things under the hood. If both seem ambitious and act the same in this way, would they be extroverts?
President Snow
Known for his lavish parties and throw-up juice, he encourages his guests to eat as much as they want — and more, have affairs behind the scenes, and gamble over the winning tributes.
Snow seems to be the perfect extrovert, except for the fact that he doesn’t talk a lot. Typically during the games he’ll stay quiet, except for when he stepped on stage and said a few words to Katniss and Peeta while, after kissing Katniss on the cheek, gives her a hateful glare.
President Coin
The cool-headed, calm leader of District 13 who rose her district out of the ashes after it was bombed by the Capitol. Her regime consists of tight schedules, 0 delays, and exchanging ideas with her workers. She seems to take center stage by giving announcements to the District, yet also seeming observant from afar. The perfect introvert, right? But when it came to locking up Katniss’ hairdressers in unsanitary conditions, she did it with a cruelty not thought of by empathetic introverts.
A good point to note is that the difference between extroverts and introverts are not black-and-white. Some extroverts can learn to observe without speaking, while introverts can learn how not to be afraid when speaking on stage. Same as some extroverts can learn to be more considerate of people’s feelings and introverts can throw that quality away.
I find it interesting to compare Snow and Coin with this new light of information between extroverts and introverts because it explains how either can become good or bad leaders depending on their actions. From the popular extrovert to the strategic introvert, something that I think Susanne Collins purposely wrote between the lines.
Extroverts and introverts can be alike
From reasoning the Hunger Games series, it seems like human qualities including revenge, haughtiness, and greed get in the way nonetheless of what personality type you are.
However, some personalities can be more prone to them. Like extroverts when it comes to overconfidence because, as Susan Cain states it, they get a “buzz” easier from public speaking — which often makes others, like introverts, feel self-defeated.
As shown from President Coin’s example though, introverts are just as likely to feel anger and act ambitiously on it, with an exception though. Snow, who was eager to maintain his power, describes his blindness toward Coin’s plan because he was caught up with Katniss too much by saying, “My failure, was being so slow to grasp Coin’s plan. To let the Capital and districts destroy one another, and then step in to take power with Thirteen barely scratched. Make no mistake, she was intending to take my place right from the beginning… but I wasn’t watching Coin. I was watching you, Mockingjay [Katniss]. And you were watching me. I’m afraid we have both been played for fools.” With Coin’s careful plotting to overthrow the Capitol, she had strong feelings of revenge and a want for power, yet acted on them methodically.
What was the fate of Snow and Coin?
Well, it seemed like Katniss took Snow’s hint that Coin was just as cruel of a person as he was, if not more — (because of Katniss’s sister “unnecessary loss of life”, as Snow puts it) because Coin was actually going to continue the Hunger Games (note that Katniss, who’s probably an introvert too, agreed with her on. It was only Peeta who seemed to have better judgement had wanted to cut the cycle of revenge (do you think he was an extrovert (because of his charisma on stage) or introvert (because of his deep-thinking)?), that Coin had an unfortunate end at the same time as Snow.
Note: I have a theory that both Katniss & Peeta are high self-monitoring introverts because of their adaptability in both social and isolated settings.
Takeaway
Introverts and extroverts both have their good and bad qualities. With any human though, nonetheless of whether one personality is more prone to bad traits, qualities like revenge and a want for power are still prevalent.
Coin had good intentions for overthrowing the Capitol and could have very well have been a good ruler, but for some reason she just had to repeat what the Capitol did — what, 84 yrs prior? Starting the next Hunger Games.
If it wasn’t for Katniss having taken her out, then her world would have continued its doomed, repeated pattern. The thing is though, could it have still?
As Plutarch says at the end of the series, after Katniss asks him “are you preparing for another war?”
“Oh, not now. Now we’re in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated,” he says. “But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We’re fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction. Although who knows? Maybe this will be it, Katniss.”