The Hunger Games: The Bystander Effect

The decision of whether to stop and help others in need or turn your head and walk away distinguishes a courageous person from a cowardly one. While driving along the road, you witness a terrible car crash. In this moment is when the decision is made whether to stop and check on the driver, or drive past in hopes that someone else will do it. This is an example of the difference between morally courageous people and bystanders and the circumstances can vary in many ways. Most bystanders do not take action because they believe that someone else will help, they think it isn’t their business, or their too scared to interfere. These thoughts and actions are known as the “bystander effect” which Sam Sommers from Psychology Today says, “occurs when

During the annual reaping ceremony in District 12, that declares which two children will fight to the death in the 74th annual Hunger Games, Effie Trinket chooses Primrose as the female tribute (The Hunger Games). Out of all of the teenagers and children that are standing in the Hall of Justice, only her sister, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers as tribute to protect Prim so that she won’t die (The Hunger Games). Katniss shows an immense amount of bravery by volunteering her life because Primrose is her little sister that she cares for immensely. Everyone who stays quiet is too scared to volunteer because they do not believe it is worth it to risk their life for someone that they barely know. This scene is an example of why some individuals offer to help someone while others do not. Not only does Katniss risk her life to save her sister, but Peeta risks his life to help Katniss. While the careers and Peeta chase after Katniss in amusement, she climbs up a tree so that they can not catch her (The Hunger Games). The careers attempt to climb up after her and shoot her with arrows, but before they are able to kill Katniss, Peeta intervenes and suggests that they should stop wasting their energy and kill Katniss once she comes down from the tree. (The Hunger Games). By doing this Peeta risks his life by almost blowing his cover and

The Hangman walks into a town and sets up a scaffold in the center of the town square. This brings him attention and soon most of the residents come to see why he is there. The Hangman explains that if people help him they will be hanged. Soon after he announces this, he picks a person to be hanged on the gallows-tree at random. Instead of standing up for their neighbor and friend, the residents of the town keep quiet and let the invader hang him without a fuss: “And he stepped down and laid his hand on a man who came from another land and we breathed again, for another 's grief at the Hangman 's hand was our relief. (Ogden 23-24). All of the townspeople are too scared to stand up to the Hangman because of their fear of getting hanged themselves. Once again proving that bystanders do not speak up or fight because they are selfish and cowardly. A courageous person would not let the person be hanged without a fight. Although no one stands up to the Hangman the first time he hangs someone, the next day a brave townsperson stood up to him and “cried, "Murderer!" One cried, "Shame!" And into our midst, the Hangman came to that man 's place” (Ogden blank). The only courageous person in the town tries to yell at the Hangman in attempts to get him to leave or stop the