Comparing Government In The Hunger Games And Today

The first book in the Hunger Games trilogy has sold over 28 million copies in the U.S alone and an astonishing 65 million copies total across all three novels. The Hunger Games is a clear example of how a corrupted government can negatively impact the world. This fictitious novel is set in Panem, a country that is separated into thirteen poor districts and the very wealthy Capitol. Every year, the Capitol forces every district to send two kids ages 12-18 to fight in what is called the Hunger Games; a brutal fight to the death. This is what the Capitol does to show the districts that they are the follows to the almighty leader as well as provide entertainment.

Society as a whole is drawn to dystopian media primarily because of the evident similarities between the government being portrayed in the media, and the government that society has to live under. A film that is constantly spoken about for its almost satirical comparison between America’s own government and the government presented in the film itself is The Hunger Games. The comparisons made show similarities between the civil unrest within communities under the oppressive government, and the acts of defiance that follow. In the film, by keeping disturbance prevalent within the separate districts, the leaders keep themselves safe from unrest being directed towards them. The government - in the film, the totalitarian government - is well aware of their actions, and justifies them by giving the districts the belief that “It was the price [they] had to pay” (Ross). In addition, districts are shown to have a deep-rooted hatred for each other as a result of the competitive nature of the Games; this enmity keeps them from fully seeing the tyranny of their leaders. This can be related to real life: in America, there is a consistent tension between several different racial groups or religious societies because of circumstances that the government or significant leaders, such as Donald Trump or Roy Moore, create for society. However, the film implies that members of the community are not completely blind to the government’s tactics, and because of this, small acts

Can you imagine the feeling knowing that at anytime, a close one could be taken away. A best friend could be stolen. A family member could be killed. Even yourself could be sacrificed for nothing. Do you think that the emotions a family member may encounter, the sadness of an entire community, or even just the thought of dying, is worth it to provide a dominant government their “Hollywood ending”? Well, in the book “The Hunger Games” written by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen lives in a dystopian society where her community is divided by 13 different groups. Each year, their government randomly selects two participants from each group to play in the Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death among the other participants. In the book, Katniss’

The government’s role for the people is to challenge them like how contestants from “The Amazing Race” or “Fear Factor” are challenged. Government should be like a reality competition show filled with adventure and danger (Amazing Race, 2003) (Fear Factor, 2005). Just like the government in “The Hunger Games” (Collins, 2008). People should compete for rights and liberties. The competitions can be held under the government’s supervision. These competitions can involve multiple life daring tasks and only the ones that survive win. The losers or the ones not so fortunate die in the process, a true fight to the death. Government works from a federal standpoint and does not get involved in local affairs.

Allowing people to get their needs for food and entertainment, without too much effort on them, was what many different dictatorial societies did to control their communities for certain periods of time, in the past. This was also dictatorial society's method to gain control over the districts and the Capitol’s people of the country called Panem in The Hunger Games trilogy of young adult dystopian novels written by American novelist Suzanne Collins. These games were an entertainment that provided a place for the Capitol's riches to spend time and money in abundance, a dusty page reminiscent of capitol's victory in the war against districts, and a coercion to show off the capitol's power.

While it is perceived that The Hunger Games is about action and romance, there is a deeper meaning behind this well-known movie. The movie is essentially about a nation, Panem, that has been divided between rich and poor. The rich lived in the Capitol and the poor lived in the twelve districts. In the beginning of the movie, the upper class is shown to be dominant and superior. However, as the movie goes on, the lower classes begin to rebel in order to make their voices heard and to not be looked down upon any longer.

For thousands of years, governments have been oppressing their people. Although their reasons for doing so may have been different, the outcomes were all the same: a revolt of the people. There are many examples of this throughout history, such as in the French Revolution and the American Revolution. The Hunger Games, a tale of a dystopian society filled with maltreatment by “The Capitol,” displays the path to insurrection triggered by the mounting cases of misery brought on by their government, that was attacking lower classes of people. By using common themes of oppression and rebellion found throughout history, The Hunger Games is a striking example of how repression by government will eventually lead to a revolt of the people.

The first similarity noticed between the two were the social class divisions between the citizens of both Panem and Eurasia. In The Hunger Games, Panem is divided into the capitol and 12 districts, where the lesser citizens spend their days. Seeing as though the society we live under today also contains such social divisions, it’s not seen as socially unjust. However, the problem with the social divisions of Panem is that the people in the districts further away from the capitol live miserable lives. District 12, the home of Katniss ( the protagonist), is one of the poorest districts, if not the poorest. Many people live in poverty and struggle to feed themselves. Katniss occasionally hunts outside the district fences illegally, just to be able to provide for her family considering her mother struggled to do that ever since her husband died in a mining explosion. President Snow is well aware of the circumstances these families face but still does nothing to help, leaving them to find their own ways of keeping themselves alive.

they have censorship, authority, and laws. Lastly, Suzanne Collins writes about a new type of

In the movie film The Hunger Games, the nation of Panem is a society very dissimilar to our own. This nation once began with 13 districts, until the thirteenth district chose to take action against the oppressors. They were quickly put down, the remaining 12 districts were punished and were forced to fund two participants which were known as tributes , a boy and a girl of young age to the Capitol each year to compete in the Hunger Games which is a brutal fight to the death. The winner of the huger games is then rewarded with a number of rewards, as well as their home district receives an extra amount of food for one year. The government of Panem administrates these annual “games” as a reminder

As cited before, Panem revolves around a caste system. Residing in a caste system means that it is nearly impossible for one to move out of the social class that they were born into. The social classes in this movie include the people in power which is the Capitol, the people who live a decent life which are districts 1 and 2 because they are closest to the capital, and lastly the dirt poor which are districts 3-12. By using the extreme caste system, the plot successfully showcases the two most basic statuses which are achieved and ascribed. They are both very prevalent in Katniss. Because of her survival skills and hunting prowess, she “earns” her way into winning the Hunger Games which in turn made her a hero for district 12. This demonstrates how she achieved her status. Nevertheless, she was born poor in district 12. This status was ascribed to her. The most important status, which the second movie revolves around, is Katniss’ master status. This status is meant to dominate all other statuses. Her master status is

The Hunger Games promotes the idea of a total government control. The Capitol controls everything that the twelve districts do. The world of Panem is divided into 12 districts where each district has its own role to fulfill from luxury to coal mining. "Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch. This is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy" (Collins 18). This shows that the districts all pay a yearly sacrifice to the Capitol in the form of tributes. Another of showing that the Games is a dystopian society is that any evidence of an act of rebellion will result in the government having to kill anyone who gets in their way. "Look how he take your children and sacrifice them there is nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District 13" (18).

The Hunger Games contribute to the sea of dystopian films, within this film social commentary is exposed in the gruesome scenes of murder preadolescents are forced to commit. In the dystopian film, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capital. Each year two young representatives from each district are chosen to participate in The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are televised throughout Panem and are used as part entertainment ,and as part retribution for a past rebellion. The 24 participants are forced to kill one another until there is one left. During this gruesome act the citizens of the Panem are forced to watch. Social commentary is shown throughout the whole movie as subtle evaluations of the society

Reality television has differed throughout the years. At one point it was meant to be a literal depiction of everyday life. Now, reality television has changed to be more dramatic and outrageous than an average person or family’s life. The Hunger Games, in a way, depicts the lives of those who live in the poorer districts where the necessities for life are not in such abundance as in the Capitol. Although children are not forced to kill each other in the districts, there is still the struggle for one’s livelihood. That reality is depicted in the games and it seems that The Capitol takes that theme and develops it into The Hunger Games that we know and love. The Hunger Games suggests that reality television is manipulated to the point where the viewers see what the creators (game makers) want them to see.

The Hunger Games presents a rather dystopian alternative to life in the United States as compared to the present time. To audiences, the story provides exciting entertainment as well as raising many ethical, moral, and political questions. However, there is another aspect of The Hunger Games which proves fascinating in an economical sense – the technology. Throughout the drama, contrasts in technological advancement show how important technology is to economic health.