Original artwork, not a still
The Hunger Games • 2008
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A cheery blessing that is really a lottery slogan, spoken over children who may be sent to die. Collins lets the Capitol's good manners do the horror work: the words sound like a good-luck charm and function as a threat. The phrase escaped the book to become shorthand for facing long odds, though it is often misquoted without the stressed ever that makes it ring so false.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Hunger GamesShow the scene
The Hunger Games, chapter 1, the reaping in District 12. Effie Trinket, the Capitol escort who draws the tributes' names each year, is known for her Capitol accent, her upbeat attitude toward the Games and this sign-off, which she delivers with the word ever stressed. She draws Primrose Everdeen's name; Katniss volunteers in her sister's place, and the boy tribute is Peeta Mellark. Earlier in the same chapter Gale teases Katniss with the phrase in a mock version while they share a berry, so readers have heard the sentence before the Capitol says it.
Sources (3)
- Hunger Games Wiki: Effie TrinketBiography, The Hunger Games sectionReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Hunger GamesThe Hunger Games (2008), p. 8Reference checked
- Wikipedia: The Hunger Games (novel)PlotReference checked
Context reviewed