So, I couldn't help but imagine that this stuff was really happening, and I was one of the chosen fighters...what would I do?...Well, what would you do?
If you've read the book and still choose "Resist, try to kill captors (hopefully with help from other fighters)" please explain how that works, and I might join you on that vote!
You can suggest options if you like, until I hit 10.

I haven't read the Hunger Games, but I decided that I would simply try to survive.

Why is there no option for "train to fight, then turn my newly-acquired fighting skills against my kidnappers, most likely with the aid of my fellow gladiators, who, like me, have almost nothing to lose"?

I added another option, does that fit?

Perfect, thanks. I voted for it.

Cool! Glad to help.

I'm torn, I don't feel like trying to kill anyone would be the right thing to do (unless I knew they were behind all of it), and surviving, I would have to get by everything after the games...I'd probably pray for the rapture or something.

Since you haven't read the book (and I don't really recommend it), I'll tell you something if you don't mind a spoiler: If you survive and are the last one standing, you have to watch video, with close-ups and everything, of each bloody, morbid death of all the other contestants, so winning would probably feel worse than dying, but, (if you don't get killed or something for simply hiding the whole time), you would then get to see your family... just thought I'd give you some extra, possibly helpful, details.

Pray to God, but row to shore. Your kidnappers, by definition, are not innocent. It is sinful to value them above your fellow gladiators, and foolish to value them above yourself. Moreover, the premise of the story is that this happens every year, and God didn't rapture your predecessors. Why are you so special?

I didn't say it'd be rational to do that or anything...I didn't say I'd do anything rational at all in fact. Trying to kill people, innocent or not would be a pointless thing to do from what I've gathered reading the book...that dome thing is a virtual world that is controlled from the outside anyone trying to attack someone like that would probably disintegrate before they started to move. Besides, when would you do this? Who do you refer to as your kidnappers? I agree it'd be a good way to go, I guess, assuming that the people we're talking about aren't simply trying to provide for their own family (a cowardly way to do it, but suppose their family would be killed if they refused to do their job?), then it would get you killed, and possibly make those in Panem value security more in the future.

What good is it to make a plan (even a hypothetical one) if you're going to plan on behaving irrationally?



Well, I haven't read the book, so I'll defer to you on that. Does all the training take place inside the dome?



I haven't read the book. My exact strategy would depend on circumstances I can't know without knowing more about the plot.



Whoever took me against my will to kill innocent people, and whoever works with that person or group.



That's a tough situation. If indeed their families were threatened with death for their refusal to do their jobs, I would take extra care to avoid killing them if at all possible. But I would still fight, because if I don't, not only will I be killed, but twenty-two other innocent victims will be killed every year into the indefinite future by whoever organizes these games.



Chances are I'd die no matter what. We all have to die, and in this situation, I essentially have the choice to die as:

1. A groveling slave, begging for my life,
2. A murdering slave, killing for others because I fear them and discarding all principles along the way,
or
3. A hero.

I know what I'd choose.

My answer stems a lot from my position on self defense. I'm not sure I have much to say on the subject, since individual beliefs would play a large part in people's decisions. I will say, though, that many great things have happened in our past because men and women of courage were brave enough to make a stand. I love the phrase "If good men do nothing, will evil ultimately triumph?". I would rather die protecting myself and my fellow participants than let men in ivory towers tell me I have to subject myself to the survival of the fittest mindset.




I agree with Sam. It's a tough situation, but I believe that killing an innocent person (and by doing what is required of you in the Hunger Games you do have innocent blood on your hands if you force these teens into the arena) in order to protect your loved ones is wrong. You are called to protect the innocent. Doing the wrong thing (gathering up innocent people for slaughter purely because people will find enjoyment in it) for the right reasons (protecting your family) is still wrong. God have mercy upon us if we must make these decisions. When I hear questions like this, it makes me think of the men and women in other countries who are told to deny their faith or watch their children be killed.

What is your answer?
Your post sounds reasonable, I have one thing to say (that I can think of right now), and it's just something about the games' purpose: The Hunger Games are (I think,) a terror tool turned sport-originally designed to shock and scare people into submission, and embraced by many as a sport.
Anyway, the main reason I don't think I'd fight back is because I can't think or (or, maybe remember) a decent time to try...kill the judges when you show off your skills?...kill who? In most cases, trying to kill anyone other than another contestant would be suicide, like disobeying someone with a machine gun trained on you (which, of course, I believe I'd do in some circumstances, and I know God can make things happen that seem impossible or, in this case, unlikely).

So, the bottom line is, I'd probably not fight back unless I felt God specifically lead me to it, because I can see no way that fighting back would be beneficial to anyone but myself (because I'd die)...the person to do that might be killing their own family in the process anyway.



I didn't say I'd do something irrational either.

OK.



I would examine the circumstances as best I could and determine the best time to strike. I don't claim that my chance of success (defined here as "surviving and ending the Hunger Games") would be high. But I don't see that my other options are preferable, and I would rather die fighting the bad guys than murdering their victims.



What does that mean? "I feel God specifically leading me to do X." I don't see how any option besides fighting or running away is either ethical or wise, and running away sounds likely to lead to an ignominious death, whereas fighting leads to a heroic death. Warm feelings in my stomach don't trump ethical rules or logical thinking. If fighting is the right thing to do, then God is leading you to do it in the only sense that matters, and vice versa.



I don't follow. The person to do what might be killing his own family?



If you are not acting rationally, you are by definition acting irrationally. Unless you're unconscious.

My answer is the same as Sam's.


Yes, I agree. That doesn’t change my choice, though.


You kill those who attack you. I'm not talking about starting a revolt. I'm talking about making a stand for what is true and right. If contestants refuse to fight then they can all make a stand together. If the fight moderators come in and try to kill you, you fight for one another.


I have a question of my own. If a man has a machine gun trained on you, and tell you to deny Christ, would you deny Him in order to survive? I see no difference. I would not (God help me) do what is wrong in order to prolong my life. We are called to be accountable to God first.


I feel that God does call us to fight for the innocent, which mean I would fight for any other contestant who chose to stand against the atrocities and not be subjected to the evolutionary agenda.

Makes sense-unless the people sent to stop you are also the bad guys' victims (which I referred to before).



I guess I'd like you to interpret that as "I have no idea what I'd do until it happened." Until then, it's hard to speculate how I would feel convicted to act a certain way.



By revolting against The Capitol, you endanger the life of your family because they want to control people, to do this they use terror, if someone revolts, they kill that person and their family (I think).



A quick summary: I didn't say what I would do would be rational. I didn't say
that what I'd do would irrational. How you came to the conclusion that I said I would refuse to act rationally is beyond me.



I wasn't trying to change your choice.



Okay, this is sort of a spoiler (I guess, don't wanna risk it without the spoiler cover anyway) but they can kill you from outside with an arsenal of gadgets at their disposal, like a videogame. One such gadget flung fireballs. You would have no target.



Okay, hadn't I just said that in some circumstances I would disobey the gunner? This would be the foremost of those circumstances...as you say, God help me. In my weakness I might submit, but I pray that I would not.

Ok, so what were you saying it'd be wrong to do? Not attack the people that put you in the arena? Or are you saying it'd be wrong to kill other contestants (if that's what you're saying, then I agree)?



I agree, but I don't see how it would be possible to fight against the above-mentioned "arsenal of gadgets" or, rather, those that wield them.

I would defend myself if someone was trying to kill me, (i.e. I would probably kill in self-defence) and I would defend others whom were being killed. (i.e. if I saw someone getting attacked, I would step in and kill the attacker, if need be)

If I died at the hand of the Capitol's gadgets, so be it. Either way, I'd be dying whilst doing the right thing.

Amen, Aussie, I agree.

I would spend my time avoiding the others and trying to find a weakness in the arena.
I would not kill anyone even in self defense (running is one of my specialties.)
Yes I would probably get killed but I'd much rather die than have the lives of 20 others on my conscience.

I think I'd do one of two things:
1. Become demented and start killing people psychotically/with an air to entertain (like The Joker of Batman)
2. Avoid killing, even if die comes. Like, my odds are bad to begin with, and seeing how there'd likely be at least 10 people intent on winning, I don't see myself as having much of a chance. I think I'd try to find an ally, and defend ourselves together.

But killing could oh so easily turn me into a monster, as it did lots of other tributes. I'd rather die a human then live a monster. Plus, 'To live is Christ, and to die is gain.'

That's a very good point, Kelcin. I agree.

So I'm reading all this with the knowledge learned in the later two books as well, so it's interesting. But it also means this will have a lot of things in spoiler. So if you're planning on reading them, don't read the stuff in the spoiler, I beg you. If you won't, there's no harm in reading it.

Yes, if you resist or show any sign of resistance, they kill your family. Haymitch, for example, used the force field that traps everyone in it to kill his last opponent by dodging a thrown axe that rebounded back. In return, his family was killed. A man in book 2 gave a small sign of resistance at a public event. The guards hauled him up on the stage and shot him. Katniss resisted, and *BIGSPOILERtheyfirebombeddistrict12SPOILEREND. The Capitol controls the tributes through the threat of harming their families, and others they care about. Not even stylists are safe.
As for getting out, it's a force field, as I mentioned earlier. You'd have to short-circuit it to get out.

As for what I'd do, I'd act in self-defense. I'd just try to find the cameras that are everywhere and get rid of them. My paranoia would not be helped by knowing I'm being watched by invisible cameras.

Lot's of interesting and good answers here. Having pondered this while doing the dishes just now (doing the dishes is a great time to ponder...just about anything other than the fact that I'm doing dishes...because that fact really annoys me if I think too much about it, unfortunately), I think I finally have an answer, and I admit it is influenced by other people's answers. But I don't believe it's peer pressure that causes that influence, rather, deeper thought from having seen the different perspectives on this...(I didn't read Varon's spoiler, so no one else reveal it please! I just might change my mind about reading the other books...maybe )

Ok, so for my answer: "Simply try to survive" no longer works for me, at least not in a certain scenario that I've thought up as a possibility; of course I can't cover all the variables, but this would be my hope and plan when getting ready for the games.
I would train in the woodcraft sections, learning camouflage and snares and such, as well as any other woodcraftish things that I wouldn't already be familiar with (I can't remember what was there in the book)...basically make it so I could just run away from the Cornucopia with the stuff around it and survive on the 'land'.
Then I would try to watch out for any tributes I may have noticed that are similar to Rue, not careers, and not eager to kill in cold blood. I would then form an alliance with as many people like this as possible and fight for their safety - mostly on the defensive...should somehow there be three of us left at the end (and no one wants to betray everyone else), then when the people outside send in those disgusting human DNA-injected muttations or whatever you wanna call 'em. I would most likely die trying to help the others get onto the Cornucopia or some other safe place if possible. Also, before then, I would risk my life in place of my friends whenever given the opportunity (Lord willing,) and, Lord willing, they would be somewhat curious about why I would rather help them than do all I can to survive myself and go back to my family. If it so worked out, this would be an opportunity to share the Gospel, and that would be the best possible thing I could do in there as far as I can imagine.

I hope that makes sense-I'm going to try and formulate another option in the poll...not sure what to call it yet, but I might use 'Rue' to signify "anyone that would ally with me that I can trust"
I'm so bad at this, Poll-making, that is, I keep adding options.

Didn't know that would erase everyone's votes...sorry guys.

@Varon: True, about the spoilers. But if my doing the right thing was going to endanger my family, I should not let it stop me from doing the right thing. I would have to follow God's lead, and trust Him with the ones I care most about. Those are my thoughts, anyway.

I would train to fight and survive. I would kill in defence, and I might kill careers if I got the chance. (I say might because I know it's strategically wise, I'm just not sure I could kill someone in their sleep.) If I survived, I would SPOILERgo to district 13.

I don't know what I'd do. Frankly, any choice you make causes SOMEONE to die. Surviving isn't a picnic either.
The issues with alliances is there is a possibility you could kill each other. In that situation I may kill myself, but God is not in favor of suicides either.

Yes, it's a moral quandary...killing careers makes sense since they are basically on the...the Capital's side and are enemies as if you were in a real battle...but if you ask me the others are victims and I think I'd not kill them if I could help it.

It's a mixture of "Train the best I can and kill quickly" and "protect Rue and others like her and share the gospel".

I'm NOT going to allow someone trying to kill me to kill me. I know it's proud, but the very idea of someone taking my life unjustly without paying for it DEARLY makes my blood just boil... Also, I'm going to protect other people's lives the best I can as well in accordance with the sixth commandment to protect life.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "I work out because I know that if I don't, I would be one of the first to die in the Hunger Games."

I know I could kill someone if it meant protecting others or myself, but I definitely wouldn't in this case. I don't think I would even bring myself to maim anyone greatly. I would stow all of my weapons and (with all of the cameras watching) sing praises to God at the top of my voice. All of the people in here would be trained to think or behave like animals whether because they expect to win or they know their family will suffer. I can't put the weight of so many lives in my hands. My family would know that they would be sought out if I was in the Games because I wouldn't play. But my family, where my daily bread comes from, it isn't some crazy Capitol.

Of course, when I face my first potential killer, I would attempt to reason with them for their sake, but I can't think of a greater witness in darker times than standing In Christ Alone on national television.

I'd try using non-lethal snares to slow my enemy from hunting me, try to blend in, look for opportunities to escape or get back at my captors, offer my alliance to anyone who would take it, be willing to share the gospel, and prevent my fellow contestants from committing murder by killing in self defense if they attempted to kill me.

I would pray before going up the tube thing that takes you into the arena, run off before the countdown is finished and get blown to bits by landmines. I definitely wouldn't win, so I would rather die quickly than suffer and be slaughtered by someone else.

The tricky bit comes in with the question, "Is that exactly suicide?"

Depends on your definition, I suppose... I think that suicide means killing yourself on purpose, why would knowingly stepping on a landmine be anything other than that?

Some would say that if you're going to die anyway, then simply choosing a different form of death isn't suicide...

That's a topic for another thread though.

What would I do?

I'd ally and befriend the innocent ones, like Rue. I wouldn't go hunting for the other tributes, but I would fight aggressively to protect my friends and keep them safe as possible. I wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone threatening those sided with me.
*protective-aggressive-adoptive-compulsive*

That being said, I'd be sharing the gospel every chance I got. Maybe that sounds like an oxymoron when I defend myself and my ally, but that's what I'd do. That injured, not-quite-dead tribute left to die in the woods would hear it. That person who has no more will to fight, is desperate for hope, he would hear it. And anyone close to me would hear it as well.

In a realistic situation, I probably wouldn't be able to share the gospel with those trying to kill me (unless I had a knife; I could carve John 3:16 into every tree-trunk). I'd have to leave them in God's hands, pray for their salvation, but if they tried to kill me, I wouldn't hesitate to kill them first. Most of all, even if I had to die to ensure this, I would make sure my companion/ally/friend had the chance to survive.

Maybe it would be more heroic to sit and refuse to play their games. But no one remembers the legacy of the first-dead. And isn't that essentially suicide? I'd try to make a lasting image on them, just so they would know what I stood for. Fight to defend myself and those close to me, and share the Gospel when I could.
Maybe that sounds contradictory, but I think that's how I would approach the Games.

Okay I see what you mean. I think in this case though you'd have a chance at making a important impression on someone if you didn't go blow yourself to smithereens right away.

I think that I agree with your ideas there, Ciela. Even if you find yourself doing something seemingly inconsistent but you can't think of something that would better serve God, I think that'd be the thing to do.

That is a very good point, Ciela.

Woe betide my foes in those games.
I have a simple strategy.
Run out as soon as the time begins. Sneak back later and plunder the place.
In the meantime and ever after, sing this song: My Strategic Song
Ideally, you use this strategy in tandem with having allied with someone with a range weapon. Basically, I would act as bait and lure in other tributes by being so annoying that they can't stand leaving me alive. As soon as they try to come after my unarmed self, my ally shoots them. My bro and I worked out this strategy while listening to the Hunger Games audio book.

...or I would go completely insane and act like Gollum the whole time... but the game makers would probably not be cool with that.

...Sorry I don't have an option in the poll that directly fits your strategy.