The Hunger Games (Night Vision Glasses in Games) | Database of Machine Vision in Art, Games and Narratives

Brief description

A few night vision glasses are in the Cornucopia at the start of the games. Katniss found a pair in the backpack she grabbed, but she thinks they are regular sunglasses that don't work well until Rue tells her they are night vision glasses and that the Careers also have them. The Careers use the glasses to hunt Katniss and Rue in the night. Katniss uses her glasses to evade the Careers.

The descriptions of the Careers using the glasses portray them as inept, "tromping" (p. 229) with their "heavy, branch-breaking bodies" (p 248). The night vision glasses give them an unfair advantage, perhaps? Whereas Katniss feels "relaxed" and does not use hers to hunt, only to hide and augment her senses after an explosion has made her temporarily deaf.

Pull Quotes

In the seal’s light, I can see Cato and the girl from District 2 put on their night-vision glasses. The boy from District 1 ignites a tree branch for a torch, illuminating the grim determination on all their faces. The Careers stride back into the woods to hunt. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) (p. 225). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The first thing I do is dig out my own glasses and put them on, which relaxes me a little, to have at least one of my hunter’s senses working. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) (pp. 225-226). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

There’s no sign of Rue, not on the ground or in the trees. This is odd. By now she should have returned, as it’s midday. Undoubtedly, she spent the night in a tree somewhere. What else could she do with no light and the Careers with their night-vision glasses tromping around the woods. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) (p. 229). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Let them come with their night-vision glasses and their heavy, branch-breaking bodies. Right into the range of my arrows. But I know they won’t. If they didn’t come in daylight to my fire, they won’t risk what could be another trap at night. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) (pp. 248-249). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

“Let’s try out these glasses.” I pull out the glasses and slip them on. Rue wasn’t kidding. I can see everything from the leaves on the trees to a skunk strolling through the bushes a good fifty feet away. I could kill it from here if I had a mind to. I could kill anyone. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1) (p. 206). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.