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The dystopian setting of The Hunger Games is as bleak and miserable as fans of the genre would expect, and Suzanne Collins created a memorable world that includes two key parts of the story: the First and the Second Rebellion. As Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to be one of the two District 12 tributes in the 74th Hunger Games, she learns more about the devastating and dark history of Panem, and she is never the same again.
The First and the Second Rebellions are some of the most fascinating parts of The Hunger Games franchise, which has a compelling cast of characters along with some of the saddest scenes in the dystopian YA genre.
What Is The First Rebellion In The Hunger Games?
There are two civil wars in The Hunger Games, and they are both integral to the plot since they emphasize the story's themes of corrupt, evil governments not allowing citizens to have control over their lives. District 13 plays a key role in The Hunger Games and its residents battled the Capitol 74 years prior to the events of the first book and film in the franchise.
The civil war went on for three years and centered around the residents of Panem wanting more power and agency over their own lives. Ultimately, "The Dark Days" took place and the districts agreed to be under the Capitol's control once again. Unfortunately for every other district, District 13 separated and didn't want to help the others fight back anymore. That meant that the districts were too weak to keep going.
Box Office Stats For The Hunger Games Film Franchise |
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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): |
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014): |
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015): |
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023): |
The districts and the Capitol both engaged in violence throughout the First Rebellion. The Capitol killed many people and those in the districts set up air raids on the Capitol. The First Rebellion is something that Katniss and her friends and fellow District 12 residents always heard about but didn't feel that they knew much about. Another key aspect of the First Rebellion is the fact that the Capitol used muttations against the districts.
The First Rebellion happened because each district became tired of following every single order that the Capitol gave them. While each district has an industry, they would never get credit for any technological advancements, and they could never make the money that they deserved. Instead, the Capitol ruled each district with an iron fist.
The First Rebellion is a key plot point in The Hunger Games prequel, which has a vague ending that sets up the rest of the franchise. At the beginning of the movie, audiences learn that General Crassus Snow passed away while the First Rebellion was raging on. His son, President Snow (Tom Blyth), is only 18 here, and he becomes Lucy Baird's (Rachel Zegler) mentor, a tribute from District 12. Although Lucy isn't part of the Hunger Games trilogy, she's a memorable character in the prequel film who is just as tough and independent as Katniss.
What Is The Second Rebellion In The Hunger Games?
75 years since the First Rebellion, the Second Rebellion in The Hunger Games takes place. While the First Rebellion happened before the story that fans know and love, the Second Rebellion takes place after Katniss volunteers as the female District 12 tribute. Just like the Quarter Quells are a dark part of the story, the First and Second Rebellions are both terrifying and exhilarating. While it's exciting to see the districts standing up to the Capitol's evils, many residents die, which is scary to see.
Memorable Deaths In The Hunger Games:
- Cato
- Glimmer
- President Snow
- Alma Coin
Fans disagree on what prompted the Second Rebellion, which involves the districts rebelling against the Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland). For some, Katniss displaying District 12's memorable gesture, the three-finger salute, is what begins this second civil war. For others, Rue's (Amandla Stenberg) death is what starts this war as it's heartbreaking to see this strong, compassionate, and sweet young girl die.
How Do The Hunger Games Civil Wars Affect Katniss Everdeen?
Both civil wars spur Katniss into action and make her realize that she is not only just fighting for her own life, but she wants to save everyone in the districts as well. After Katniss volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games, the Capitol comes up with a terrible and horrifying idea for the 75th Hunger Games and forces the winners to fight each other. Katniss learns a brutal lesson about history as she realizes that she and her fellow residents of Panem haven't been told the truth about the First Rebellion or District 13. She knows that she can't trust anyone but herself and becomes stronger and more self-reliant.
The two civil wars inform every move that Katniss makes because she can't rest until she has found a way to stop the Capitol. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Suzanne Collins spoke to David Levithan from Scholastic and explained her historical inspiration for the series:
“I thought a lot about the period after the Civil War here in the United States and also the post-World War II era in Europe. People trying to rebuild, to live their daily lives in the midst of the rubble. The challenges of food shortages, damaged infrastructure, confusion over how to proceed in peacetime. The relief that the war has ended coupled with the bitterness toward the wartime enemy. The need to place blame."
By the end of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Katniss has gone on a life-altering journey. She might never find true happiness as the story makes it very clear that she can never forget the pain and suffering that she saw during the Games. However, Katniss feels proud and satisfied that she did all that she could to save the residents of Panem and stop the Capitol's continual rise to power.
The Hunger Games
In a Dystopian future, food has become the world's most valuable resource, and children must fight to the death in a televised event in order to win resources for their home districts. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister's place, she sets in motion an uprising to change the world. Based on the hit YA novels by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games quickly became a phenomenon with four star-studded movies based on the original series and a prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, released in 2023. The series has featured performances by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Peter Dinklage, and Rachel Zegler.
- Created by
- Suzanne Collins
- Cast
- Jennifer Lawrence , Woody Harrelson , Donald Sutherland , Josh Hutcherson , Liam Hemsworth , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Jena Malone , Elizabeth Banks , Rachel Zegler , Peter Dinklage , Viola Davis , Stanley Tucci
- Movies
- The Hunger Games (2012) , The Hunger Games catching fire (2013) , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One (2014) , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part Two (2015) , The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
