How "The Hunger Games" is unrealistic, agree or disagree?

I haven't read the book or watched the movie, so bear with me XD

Anyway, yes - mentioning cramps or something to that effect might have been a nice touch to add to the realistic aspect of the story. But it would have been just that - a touch. The whole children killing children aspect needs to be backed up by a certain type of society, its pressures, regulations, etc. Terrible tragic things like that can be realistic (given the proper circumstances). The holocaust was a real event, wasn't it? With certain people in charge, the proper amount of brain washing, fear tactics, and so on - it happened.

You said rape was possible, but I'd like to point out that with stories - you don't need every realistic element possible included (that could actually have an anti-effect on a story, making it unrealistic). You just need what the reader needs to think, "Okay, I could see this happening." Alright... for example... we've got this character named June. Let's say she's anorexic. Well, she's not anorexic just because she is. What are the possible reasons? - being bullied in school, abusive home, low self-confidence or anxiety/depression, media of "perfect" women, etc. A few of these things possibly influenced June's anorexia. That's just it - possibly. You don't need every reason to be anorexic. A realistic element or two would be fine. For something on a larger scale - children killing children, obviously more elements need to be considered.

Lastly, back on about the period thing - I read a book (Why Don't Zebras Get Ulcers) about stress recently. The book talked a lot stress putting a hold on different activities in the body. One of the examples it gave was about a lion chasing you after you just had a meal. You start running away - you're stressed (if you're not, that's a bit odd :P) Now your body is going to divert the energy it was going to use to digest that meal to help you run.

The book also talked about how very athletic women may miss their periods often. So, that further backs up the whole energy being diverted to another process (i.e. - energy it takes to complete a menstrual cycle goes to physical exercise). Not to say stress can't make your period start or come sooner. People release hormones called glucocorticoids when they're stressed. They can pretty much affect any cell of the body. They'll mingle/mess with other hormones, ya' know. This stuff varies from individual to individual. Our body compositions are different. But - by large - the tendency is for physical activity to delay periods/make them lighter. And I'm assuming Katniss and the rest of them bunch in The Hunger Games were pretty active. Not all, "Meh, I don't think I'll get killed here. I'm gonna sleep all day long and be lazy." All in all, the period thing is just such a tiny detail.

So, that doesn't answer your actual question (whether I think the book is unrealistic or not), but there's my take =)

Funny, I was thinking about this earlier today.

In my opinion, it would be rather awkward - not just for the reader - to mention it. I mean, would a 16 yr old want to talk about her period? It seems to me that it's more realistic leaving that part out. Urinating - something everyone does pretty much every day - would not be that uncomfortable.

As for the other thing: firstly, I doubt the tributes would be in the exact state of mind to do it. Some tributes need to focus on winning and those who don't will just have to find other tributes who don't care about winning to do it with. Secondly, it may have happened before but the Capitol could have removed that part because it would kind of be defying the Capitol by making love instead of putting on a good show of blood and guts. And maybe Katniss - bless her innocence - didn't pay attention or didn't want to.

I think that the thing about The Hunger Games, is that they live in a world where things like "Children killing each other to survive", is more of an accepted normality.

For example, District 1 and several others were more motivated to kill, likely from how they were raised, and the society that they live in. The negative emotions associated killing would be far less then in our world, and probably wouldn't be attributed with menstruation. (although, I am a guy, and this may not be 100 percent accurate.)

The other thing with the lack of"sex", along with the obvious fact that they're being recorded 24/7 via live video feed to their district's television screen, could be that "sex" along with many other things, may be a highly discouraged practice in this dystopian universe. And the fact that these kids are KILLING each other, would probably rule out any sexual attraction to each other.

I'm gonna have to say that "The Hunger Games", under the right prior circumstances, is as realistic as a Teenage Deathmatch Moshpit is gonna get.

Personally I don't think there is a need for periods to be brought up in the book. We don't see Katniss go to the toilet do we? No, because we don't need/want to hear about it, it doesn't make interesting reading. As with rape and sex, I think your wrong, personally, I would be too preoccupied by the fact I have to be the sole survivor to think about sex, and rape, well, its not necessary either, unless there happened to be some sick individual within the 24 children picked. In essence your complaints are about the lack of menstrual cycles, rape and well child pornography basically. The killings is what the books are solely based upon, its the reason for the revolution, the backbone of the story hence it being more necessary than your points, I mean do we really want to read about Katniss having her period?

***Ok maybe she does, personally I don't remember that part of the book, but while we are on the subject, while Katniss was dehyrdrated in book two I think, perhaps, in the real world she should drink her own urine, but Collins doesn't mention it because its unglamorous and not what the reader wants. Can you honestly say they would be better books if they included your aforementioned issues? I don't think so.

Do you honestly think that, in the middle of Katniss saving Rue or whatever, Collins would choose to have her say "Hang on love, I need to go and put in a tampon"???

EDIT: I'm a girl, and I did read the question.

Serious answer - it isn't necessary. I only know of one book which mentions a period, and that is because it is relevant to the plot. The fact that women menstruate is something which is not exactly needed to be mentioned in a story - Rowling doesn't mention it, neither do most authors with female leads.

In fact unless the story is related to pregnancy, movies/TV shows hardly mention it either. It isn't so much taboo as completely unnecessary. I only recall one story/movie/TV show where a period was hinted at, and that was a UK drama - we are led to believe a character was pregnant, until we see her buy a pad from a machine. That's relevant - mentioning it in the middle of the Hunger Games isn't. It'll probably put people off or make them wonder what the heck the author was thinking!

As for your theory that stress brings on periods, it isn't true. Stress can in fact halt periods more often than not.

Finally, when you say about the fact it glorifies child murder, have you never read Lord of the Flies? One of the most widely read books in high-schools, and that contains brutal child murder. In a way it shows the true desperation of the main characters.

If I was put into a fight to the death, the last thing on my mind would be sex. All the running you're doing in the Hunger Games would make your period come late. And maybe she got her period right before she went to the Games. The book is unrealistic not because of the reason you stated, but because it's a dystopia and there are districts and a game where teenagers have to fight to the death. Maybe the fight to the death could happen in a third-world country, but not here.

I find it very hard to believe that as far as we have come as a society that we could slide that far backwards. I am also surprised that Predident Snow wasn't assasinated years before the events in the book took place. All it would have taken would be one parent desperate enough to protect his or her child.

Stress doesn't make you period start. As for child murder, I think it is believable a society could become that corrupted. Look at the gladiators, various genocides, slavery, child soldiers....people are capable of becoming monsters. I guess that's part of what the book has to say.