The Hunger Games
In the Book series/ Movie trilogy the apparent theme of government weakness is portrayed and incitingly accurate in this dystopian themed series. The Hunger Games is a fictional representation on the dos and don’ts on how one nation should conduct themselves between the bottom of the social class up until the very top, where government officials and businessmen dwell. Seemingly enough all throughout the entire series the obvious mistreatments amongst the nation of panem’s Citizen’s becomes more brutally prevalent!
In the opening chapters of the “The Hunger Games” The main character, Katniss Everdeen, She explains the differences between each of the districts that are governed by the “Capital” which is the fictional representation
…show more content…
Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts."
Inferences based on the quote above strictly labels the fictional nation of panem eerily close the the 1800’s nation of America. This can be shown and proven based on the statement” The things I would blurt out about district 12, eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble”. By katniss saying this America and its “lesser peoples”AKA (slaves) where not able to speak out against their government without being casted down upon ruthlessly which could ultimately lead to punishment towards her people!
“We’re going to form a republic where the people of each district and the Capitol can elect their own representatives to be their voice in a centralized government… It’s worked before." Regardless of the nation’s statement on how they hope to run its government for the people to ensure the safety and for them to have an word in their government is shown directly that it hasn’t worked before which is what ultimately led their government to indulge in an civil war which resulted to the ultimate mistreatment amongst all of the nation’s
In the novel, The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian young adult book that is based in Panem that is divided into twelve districts. Each year the districts have to send a boy and a girl into an arena to fight to the death. The novel’s protagonist is Katniss, who lives in the poorest district. Katniss makes the audience think of the important ideas of bravery, societal class and love.
A typical characteristic of dystopian literature: having the ability to seize and destroy anything that threatens its power, the Capitol rules Panem without humanity. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the novel, resides in district twelve which she describes as enclosed by “a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire loops” (Collins 4). From the beginning of the novel, the readers can understand that the characters are isolated from nature. The Capitol set up the fence to protect the citizens from wild animals, yet in doing so, it successfully creates a distrust and fear of nature in the minds of the citizens. Furthermore, this shows that the citizens should have trust in the Capitol because it is protecting them. Katniss also reveals that “trespassing in the wood is illegal and poaching carries the severest of penalties” (Collins 5). The citizens are forbidden from entering and exploring the forest, thus showing the Capitol’s intention to prevent its citizens from searching for new areas and ideas to rebel against it. The citizens are born and live to work until they die without being able to produce new and radical changes in order to improve their living conditions, while only the Capitol, having absolute
In the novel The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, “Government control” is emphasized through the Capitol being prosperous financially which enables them to have control over the poor districts. An example that shows this is “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there is nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you...” This shows that the Capitol will emphasize that they are better than the districts using The Hunger Games and that since the districts
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
The film shows that Katniss Everdeen belongs to the proletariat and it was exploited by the bourgeoisie. Karl Marx (1818-1883) believed that “were the proletariat of any given country to act as a group, regardless of their differences […] the current power structure would be radically altered” In the scene, the people in the districts work to provide the Capitol with everything from coal to expensive jewelry. Also, “The Hunger Games are their weapon and you are not supposed to be able to defeat it.” This part reveals that the district was the laborers or worker who produced a product to the Capitol to earn more money. This also reveals that the Hunger Games are a very useful tool for the leaders of Panem. Katniss has managed to use the leaders’
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.
The Hunger Games focuses on a dystopian society in which there exist distinct social classes and cruel acts perpetrated by the acting government. Panem, the nation established in the territory of the former United States, contains a special cultural event driven by the control exerted on the people: the titular Hunger Games. Young people, forced to participate by the government and chosen through a random selection system, must survive and claim victory for their respective District. Only then does that individual earn a slightly better existence. However, many of the poorer Districts’ citizens continue to live in poverty and hardship. By describing constant hardship and violence in the dystopian, media-driven world of Panem, Collins provides a major warning of the inherent dangers of human nature and behavior.(this is a very broad topic- and could you change human nature once warned?)
In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the government of Panem is very corrupt. The people in the districts suffer greatly because the government doesn't care about them. Penem has a very bad government. These reasons are corruption, death for entertainment, and a violent nature.
First of all, Panem is a dystopian society because it’s futuristic. In the book, an example of it being futuristic is their advanced technology and medication. In page 42, it says that their train’s average speed is 250 miles per hour. In the modern world, our average train only travels 150 miles per hour. In fact, in page 187, Haymitch sponsored Katniss special ointment that healed her burns by the next day. Our medicine
Corruption is a fraudulent behaviour that occurs excessively in the world of Suzanne Colin's novel, "The Hunger Games". Furthermore, this form of activity takes place most often in the Capitol. It's difficult to say if the capitol is corrupted or not, however many believe that the capital is doing what they must to survive. Citizens of the capitol do radiate a form of corruption over power. The capitol is undeniably corrupt and advantageous. Three meaningful reasons that corroborate to the contention are: The totalitarian government of Panem is noticeably corrupted because of the drastic differences in the treatment of its citizens. Secondly, the capitol forces voyeurism to symbolise authority and power, to grasp obedience from the districts. Thirdly, the future of the districts will be non-existent if the Capitol continues to make them pay sacrificial benefits with their respective citizens. These reasons noticeably state one of Suzanne Collins most prioritised morals. Too much power leads to corruption.
In the beginning of the journey, protagonist Katniss Everdeen’s ordinary world is introduced. This is where the epic hero’s background, personal history, or everyday life is presented. The epic hero’s life is usually shown as situational or uncomfortable so the audience can identify the protagonist through sympathy. Katniss lives in the poor, oppressed community of what is called District Twelve, in the country of Panem. There are limited food rations and many of the people of the District are starving, just like the other eleven Districts. The citizens of Panem live under a totalitarian government called the Capitol. The Capitol annually forces children of ages twelve and up to fight to the death in the nationally televised Hunger Games.
The Hunger Game holds several messages of dystopia; there is also a separation of class, both a difference between the Capitol against the rest and the twelve districts and decreasing living standards and government approval. The residents of the Capitol are kept uninvolved to the problem of the rest of Panem by virtue of their high
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
Like unjust societies in the past, Panem restricts the basic human rights of its citizens. In one way or another all articles from the Declaration of Human Rights have been breached by the government of Panem; specifically, the right to live free from torture, the right to life, liberty and security and also the right to move freely. Importantly, throughout this text Collins celebrates the power of the individual spirt to triumph over these injustices. Despite economic, political and social control, the citizens of Panem find ways to resist and rebel the Capitol. Early in the text, this is seen through the example of “the Hob, the black market that operates in an abandoned warehouse” (pg. 13). The Hob is significant as it represents the subtle rebellion of the districts and their desire to be autonomous. The desire to self-govern and control one’s own life is most prevalent when Katniss threatens to eat the berries. This is the ultimate act of rebellion against the Capitol and its ways evident when Katniss narrates “when I poured out those berries, I was only thinking of outsmarting the Gamemakers, not how my actions would reflect on the Capitol. But the Hunger Games are their weapon and you are not supposed to be able to defeat it” (pg. 435). Collins uses war-like language such as ‘weapon’, ’actions’, ’outsmarting’ and ‘defeat’ to reflect how Katniss’ actions were an act of war and resistance against the
In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, a sadistic but realistic country is born. Risen from the ashes of a post apocalyptic North America, Panem is a refined collaboration of the negatives in real world society. The negative societal aspects of Panem that relate to us the most are the media, pop-culture, and hierarchy of the districts. Some would argue that, due to the story’s unorthodox themes, The Hunger Games is a work of pure fiction with no relation to our society. However, this claim is fallacious and can be corrected easily.