Songbirds and Snakes, Part 2: Darkness Done Right

​I admit, there was just so much food for thought that came from Suzanne Collins’ prequel to the Hunger Games novels that I find myself writing yet another post about it!
           
I mentioned in the previous post that I was thankful to know in advance that this story would not have a “happy” ending. In some ways, this book reminds me of reading Fairest from the Lunar Chronicles, in that it catalogues the journey of a decent character into the role of villain. Yet, reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was not so dark and depressing as Fairest. The evil queen from Marissa Meyers’ works consciously refused the options that would have kept her from her dark path, whereas Coriolanus’ descent is more of a series of unfortunate events. His history of growing up in the war-torn Capitol causes him to choose order over freedom and slowly costs him a happy life in lieu of one filled with comfort and power.
           
The saddest moment for me was not the actual falling out between him and Lucy Grey. I already knew things would not work out for them, based on the fact that he becomes President Snow in the trilogy and Lucy is nowhere to be seen. So, I did not have positive expectations there. For me, the true disappointment was when Dr. Gaul – the odious, despicable Dr. Gaul (I really didn’t like her) – makes light of his experiences as a Peacekeeper in District 12, calling it a “summer vacation.” As if the time he spent being stripped of his future, considering suicide, betraying his best friend, loving the girl of his dreams and then leaving her to die was somehow meaningless except as an educational experience. I admit, it brought tears to my eyes to think that the most pivotal moments of his life were being swept under a rug.
           
And yet, despite the disappointments and dark moments, Coriolanus’ story has real redeeming value as it gives a crystal-clear picture of a world without hope. Having grown up during the war and its aftermath, he knows only the desperation to survive, and equates survival with having power. Having no other refuge to place his trust in, all of his choices keep him circling back to the Capitol as the source of order and stability against chaos, clinging to power as his only option for comfort. It made me wonder: had he known Christ, and had something else to pin his hopes on, could his story have ended differently?
           
I’ve never been a big fan of any story that doesn’t have a happy ending, as I’m sure many of y’all know by now XD. But I’m starting to see that maybe the dark tales, the ones that don’t end on a high note, may in fact have their place after all. They say that if you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning – and what better arena than that of the written word to display both the darkness and the light that shines against it?

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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