The whole world watches the Hunger Games. It's held primarily as entertainment for those who live in the Capitol, but every district has giant screens that the town gathers around to watch their tributes in action. It would understandable if many chose not to watch - they're not forced to, and a silence protest is perhaps the safest - but no, they tune in, just like the richer viewers. What exactly do so many have to root for, though? Their tributes obviously, but is it just a staunch loyalty that keeps them glued to the action? Well, no. In the books, it's made clear that the winning district gets fed; an extra grain for a whole year to be precise, so there's good reason not to rebel. Also not mentioned in the films - if you rebel against the Capitol, you have your tongue cut out. Avoxes, as they're known, are mutes that work community service in the Capitol, as punishment for standing against the government. So with just two extra lines of dialogue in the movies, we could have all admired Katniss even more for putting her neck on the line. As it stands under Snow's regime, a district has a 1 in 24 chance every year of acquiring more food for their family. That's probably more likely than striking out against a mega-rich dictatorship and not getting your tongue removed. The phrase "May the odds be forever in your favour" making a bit more sense now?
