Themes of Dystopian Politics within The Hunger Games PDF

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Dystopian Themes in the Hunger Games...

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Themes of Dystopian Politics within The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games and the other Trilogy books are among the most popular dystopian genre novels. A dystopia in the literary sense is, “A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control.” Suzanne Collins elevated young adult fiction to a new level in 2008 when she published the first of her trilogy featuring bold characters, extreme environments and the impending need for survival. Taking place in the fictional sovereign nation of Panem, the

 orth America are split into 12 districts, all of which hold a distinct lands of what was N characteristic and yield raw materials or commodities to the Capitol where the rich ‘bourgeois’ live in vibrancy and are in stark difference from the oppressed populations forced to work for near-nothing in their given districts. In the novel Panem, along with the very rich Capital, is separated into 13 districts. The nearer a district is to the capital, the more wealthy the district is, beginning chronologically from the first district. Nevertheless, this could include District 8 through 13, the poor folks, the furthest away from the capital that represents. While the Capitol wants to press for all districts to be equal, the clear-cut divisions of the social class from district to district are too shiny to gloss over. This dramatic difference in the standard of life and the message of equality from the government is an almost obvious nudge to the state of the real world and touches on the equality versus inequality theme.

Collins first takes the reader to district 12, with the main character, Katniss Everdeen. Fatherless because of a coal-mining accident and facing a life of starvation, Katniss is a tough character facing immense pressure to feed her remaining family: a sister, Prim, and her mother who was debilitated from the loss of their father. In light of her father’s devastating death in the mines, the family was lost to starvation and so Katniss, determined and steeled by her dedication to keep her sister out of the community orphanage, fought to stay alive by hunting and gathering in the woods outside of the fences of District 12. Katniss commits these criminal acts on a daily basis outside of school hours, because it’s not uncommon for citizens of Panem to die of starvation amidst the oppression they face from the Capitol, all of which seems to go unnoticed or unfaced by the population.

Ever since the uprising 74 years ago, when the districts rose up against the absolute rule of the rich Capitol inhabitants, Peacekeepers have been issued to all districts, little-to-no mercy is shown to civilians, and the Hunger Games were created in order to show their power over the weak working class. The system is simple with no sympathy: at the age of 12, each citizen from each district must submit their name into a lottery every year until the age of 18. As an incentive to up your odds of ‘winning’, the children can give their name multiple times and receive payment in the form of grain and other menial portions. This results in many of the starving citizens being in the lottery anywhere between 30-50 times by the time they’re of age to go and work in the

mines. The Capitol skews the impression of the Games to be a privilege and an honor, a yearly spectacle for members of the Capitol to place bets and entertain themselves with the brutality. Although, most districts view it for what it is: a harsh reminder that the Capitol is an ominous power that controls the lives of everyone in Panem. One boy and one girl are sent to compete from each district, equaling 24 tributes in the games each year that fight to the death until only one victor is left. While each district sends away two children each year with no way to know who will come back, one thing is sure: the Capitol is ever-present and all-powerful over the lives of its every citizen.

There are the obedient tributes who are truly proud to compete in the games and whose districts make a habit of training their youth to be well-prepared. Oftentimes tributes will even volunteer themselves for the deadly competition. Although this isn’t the case for most of the dozen districts, in fact, most people resent President Snow and the foolish people within the bright city limits. Even while Katniss remains silent on her thoughts and resolves to a steely demeanor, her best friend and hunting partner of nearly five years, Gale, is very outspoken about his dissent of the way they’re forced to live. The two have grown up quickly by going out into the Meadow, beyond the parameters of District 12, to hunt whatever they can to sell, trade, and otherwise sustain their families with. They risk whippings and possible death- if their Peacekeepers weren’t some of their most dedicated customers.

The fact that the very people able to prosecute Katniss and terminate her family’s well being are the very same to consume her illegal harvests is just another symbol of how the Capitol will only let you push the limits to their own extents and never further, constantly teetering on a fine line. This strengthens the façade that is Panem: supposedly a grouping of dedicated working-class citizens living in a placid existence, doing as they need, following the rule of President Snow because they owe the Capitol after the rebellion of their ancestors. When looking at the definition of a political dystopia, it’s stated as “[A situation] when any type of political party, organization, or ideology takes over. Many times these are seen as governmental controlled societies.” Suzanne Collins has created such an intricate world of this dystopian society, there are many layers and perspectives to dissect, but one thing is certain: Panem is a strongly controlled governmental society. Collins continues this theme throughout the remaining two books of her trilogy as she pursues further rebellion, dives deeper into how President Snow is deceitful and conniving, as well as how he detests Katniss for her nearly accidental or naïve acts against the Capitol.

Katniss Everdeen is instantly seen as a very strong character in a very controlled society as the story begins. Katniss and Gale venture to the woods on Reaping Day (the annual announcement of tributes to the Games) along with their hidden contraband of weapons to try and find a good bounty for a special treat on the grim day. After selling to the mayor (p.11), they try trading in the black market- known as the ‘Hob’- and finally make off with the day’s haul back to her poor neighborhood of the Seam where miner

families generally live. This presents an interesting power dynamic, even just within District 12. The reader is shown the mayor who- like many from the town center- is a rich man who feeds into the celebration of the Reaping, along with his daughter who is almost giddy for the ceremony, although she doesn’t have her name in the lottery more than 5 times, so the odds are i n her favor (p. 12). In stark contrast you see the desolate members of the Seam that prepare for the worst: knowing their names could easily be drawn from their dozens of entries.

Katniss continues to exhibit her strength in an act of almost blind defiance as her sister’s name is called (with only one entry in all of the thousands of names) and volunteers herself as tribute (p.22) because all this time she has hunted, fought, and nearly starved- all for the sake of 12 year-old Prim. The District’s Capital liaison treated this as a win, as a proud moment and congratulated Katniss on her being able to have the honor (p. 23). The next to be called is Peeta Mellark, a boy who saved Katniss’s life at her very worst day in life (p.28-29), but now, she realizes she is going to be asked to kill him. It’s a jaded view to think that this ‘brave act’ from Katniss is an honor because those from the capitol truly feed into the idea that the Hunger Games are the same to everyone: an exciting spectacle removed from their own personal lives. Removed from the personal lives of everyone except the tributes forced into a killing match.

While Katniss is fierce and resilient, a trait we see present itself time and time again within this novel (and trilogy), it was always Gale that brought up grievances and

controversial opinions during their time in the woods. Katniss had remained silent, understanding that they can’t change their lot, but fighting in her own way as well during her time in the woods. As her and Peeta, the baker’s son, are shipped off, they meet their team of helpers, mentors, and stylists. Training within the Capital borders is a short preparation just to inevitably face their deaths- an outcome they’ve both accepted as relatively malnourished teenagers going up against the ‘Careers’ which are the tributes that have been conditioned and trained for the games. During this transition from District 12 to Capitol, the reader is presented with a few blaring points of interest that further the grounds to support the fact that these characters are undeniably oppressed under the powers of a dystopian government. From the moment their mentor, Haymitch starts consulting and advising in his drunken stupor, Peeta and Katniss need to consider their presence, appearance, and overall façade in order to gain support from sponsors. These are the people keeping them alive once their feet hit the arena.

The more these two tributes act up the part of brave and patriotic, the more they gain support from the spectators and are able to receive a gift that could save their life. Most citizens have only seen the Capitol through forced broadcasts because they’re removed socially as well as physically, however, Katniss is caught off guard by the vibrancy of colors, makeup, and cosmetic surgeries that transform its inhabitants. “All the colors seem artificial, the pinks too deep, the greens too bright, the yellows painful to the eyes like the flat round disks of hard candy we can never afford… [I’m] sickened by their excitement, knowing they can’t wait to watch us die” (p. 59-60). Immediately,

the two characters are sent to the ‘Remake Center’ to be made-up and disguised as something other than the poor children from District 12. A character who sees through this constant façade is Katniss’s stylist, Cinna. Presented as a very practical and plain persona in the midst of the Capitol’s extravagance, he reads Katniss easily and her thoughts on the excessive lifestyle they lead, “how despicable we must seem you” (p. 65). He continues to dedicate his work before the games to show Katniss as the Girl on Fire rather than a poor girl from a coal mining community. She becomes a strong heroine that gives hope to the suffering communities outside of the Capitol borders. Transforming her from meek, obsolete, and underfed, to dazzling, powerful and unforgettable.

Moving into the true preparation before the Games, Katniss and Peeta feel the ever-present surveillance of the crowds, already placing bets and preparing for the death of 23 children before the month is up. The tributes are given three days of group training to pursue their skills, learn what they can about survival, and see how they square up against all the other tributes. While survival is nothing new to Katniss because of her ability to wield a bow and arrow without fail, Peeta is relatively lost aside from his strength obtained from years hauling bags of flour. Although, these Games are all about strategy for sponsors and the need for surviving on skills other than gifts, so Katniss hides her bow abilities and focuses on learning new things to help her live through what she can while in the arena. Hamymitch serves as their strategy mentor, Effie their Capitol consultant and organizer, their stylists even help them through this

cunning competition of poker faces and deception. Not to mention the fact the Katniss is given quarters larger than her house and Avox servants to give her endless amounts of food. But even the Avox is a symbol of how cruel their government can be, seeing as they’re criminals that have been captured and had their tongues forcibly removed (p. 77). Between all of these guardians and watchful eyes of the Capitol via surveillance cameras (both for the spectators and the security of the Games’ tributes), Peeta and Katniss find it hard to get an honest opinion or personal story across to each other without thoughts of repercussion and opinions of their sponsors (p. 83).

The tactics continue as the tributes are presented to the nation during individual interviews where they are expected to play to the audience, share details, and act their overall part as a complacent and excited tribute for their country’s entertainment. Again, strategy plays a big role here, and Haymitch teams with Peeta in order to gain Katniss sympathy points as she isn’t exactly the most tactful player amongst the lot. It is here, in these nationally broadcasted interviews, that Peeta confesses his love for Katniss as the girl who was always too busy, too dedicated, for anyone’s attention. And this is also where the duo’s strategy unfolds into one big production of playing up the romance for the sake of sponsorships, much to Katniss’s surprise (p. 138). However, it soon becomes clear that, for Peeta, this is no act. Once again, emotions are forced, manipulated, and otherwise disguised for the sake of the production.

Once interviews and training are done with, it’s time for the tributes to face their fates: the Games have officially begun. This is when readers see the full extent of how severe the Game makers can be. These are Capital officials who create the arena, plan out the beasts, deadly fires, and other tricks to motivate or otherwise influence the Games. Even in this extreme situation, the tributes are still tormented by the meddling of officials because they need to put on a good show. There’s instantaneously a bloodbath at the cornucopia, a large metal structure that houses all of the supplies to get the tributes through the games… if they can survive their way into it. “They never intended to let us both love. This has all been devised by the Gamemakers to guarantee the most dramatic showdown in history.” (p. 342)

Unlike a utopia, an imagined ideal world, a dystopia (from the Greek root dus, evil, and topos, place) is described as an imaginary world where everything is evil. Popular topics include government surveillance, low living conditions, authoritarian regimes, brainwashing, knowledge hiding, police brutality and status crimes. Some dystopian novels attempt to shine a light on a single problem by pushing it to the extreme while others present dystopia as a result of a mix of many issues. As Sean P. Connors put it, "they reflect an attempt on the part of writers to use literature as a tool for addressing contemporary social and political issues which, if left unattended, could have unwanted consequences for people"

In the film Katniss is subverting the features of the totalitarian structure of the Capitol. "The acts of rebellion by Katniss also do not suggest awe-inspiring acts of courage and

patriotism.On the contrary, she indulges more often in small gestures of resistance which inspire others to come together as a collective and work for change. Though Panem is certainly a dystopia, control by President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) is not absolute and the citizens have the power to subvert it. The first example seen is that of Katniss hunting to help her family: whilst it's illegal, in District 12 the Peacekeepers (Panem's police force) turn a blind eye to it because they too focus on her game to survive. While they are introduced to hold people in line and fearful of public punishment for crimes, they play an important role in providing Katniss and her family with the means to survive. Most notably, however, the Capitol's omnipotent monitoring and broadcasting is being used against them, greatly subverting their regulation.

To sum up, some of the dystopian societies' themes and values can be applied back to the real world. Problems in dystopian societies are issues faced not only by young adults but also by people of all ages, but not to the same degree as in dystopian literature.Themes such as social class inequalities, beauty norms, and entertainment ideals are all present in today's culture, in The Hunger Games, and this likeability is part of what makes the book series so effective....