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Sydney Dippel
Professor Kendra Parker
English 113-03
30 January 2015
The Achilles Heel of Modern Society
People watch movies for a multitude of different reasons, and each reason has its own
distinct advantages. Some of us want to escape a specific stressor in our lives, while others are
looking to see their ideal society played out on a screen. No matter the reason that someone
watches a movie, the content and theme of a film can alter someones point of view on a
particular topic. Movies remain an integral part of American society so their cultural influence
on our impressions of global issues cannot be denied. Even with a topic as sensitive as the
breakdown of society, movies influence how we see our current world and how we think the
future will play out. Through the illustration of flawed post-apocalyptic societies forming from
the ashes of a past nation, movies like The Hunger Games and The Giver has begun to examine
current societies and force viewers, especially those within American culture, to consider the
flaws within their own society and view their way of life through a different lens.
Firstly, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies highlights the informal
separation of people into social classes, which raises issues about where the United States is
headed. In The Hunger Games, the people of Panem, the country depicted in this movie, are
separated very rigidly into districts, each of these districts being responsible for providing a
certain aspect of society for the others. The wealthiest region of Panem is the Capitol, where the
lawmakers live and work as the officials of the country. The rest of the districts work to supply
the whole country with natural resources, food, and energy, but they live in poverty. Because the

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people of the Capitol can keep the citizens oppressed under the threat of force, the districts
continue to starve and struggle along while the Capitol lavishes in the riches of their hard work.
In American culture today, people are divided into social classes based on their socio-economic
status, their background, or where they live. Although these divisions are unlike those in The
Hunger Games because they are unofficial, this entire concept is contrary to what the United
States was founded on. The basis of the United States Constitution is that everyone was created
equal, however, our current practice of this suggests that not everyone should be treated equal. It
may be a slippery slope from informal social classes to rigidly enforced separation of people, and
the United States may be heading in the wrong direction down that slope.
Similarly, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies exposes the subtle racism that
still exists within American society, which may escalate cultural movements surrounding racial
inequality. Although every United States citizen is equal in the eyes of the law, deep-seated
prejudice against African Americans in American culture still causes tension and even
discrimination in some cases. In The Hunger Games, there is an entire district consisting mostly
of African American citizens, and this district is responsible for growing and harvesting the
crops that feed all of Panem. The relationship between the racial composition of this district and
its role in agriculture, suggests subtle ties to slavery and the history of African Americans in the
United States. This parallel between the racial stereotypes in this movie and recent events that
have brought racial discrimination to light, may cause tempers to flare as people think about how
they have been treated in the past. Discrimination still exists in American culture, despite
unrelenting efforts to eradicate the idea that not all Americans deserve equal treatment. Because
of the differing conclusions that people draw from movies, current demonstrations surrounding
racial inequality may become escalated due to the subtle racism implied in the movie.

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Moreover, the recent rise of The Hunger Games portrays a negative view of a revolution,
which may provoke a controversial opinion on how the American Revolution was different. As
an American, the American Revolution is presented as a courageous feat by strong-hearted men
to get what they deserved, independence. But, from the view of the oppressed people in The
Hunger Games, the Revolution of District 13 is an irrational attempt to get even with the Capitol.
The people of District 13 fought against an enemy for what they thought they deserved, just as
the 13 American colonies did with Great Britain in the 18th century. The primary difference
between these situations is that the American Revolution was successful, which is why the
American people revere it as a triumph against a tyranny that catapulted our nation into the
global structure. Instead of a victory, the Revolution of District 13 gave the Capitol an excuse to
annihilate the district and use that situation as an intimidation tactic against the rest of the
districts; thus the commencement of the first Hunger Games competition. If Americans start to
perceive the defining historical events of their country through the perspective of this book, a
very different interpretation of the American Revolution may begin to emerge.
The rising popularity of movies depicting a flawed society after the assumed breakdown
of the United States makes people consider the governments control in their lives, which may
demonstrate that the government is beneficial because it organizes and institutes order in our
world. Most people would agree that some facets of governmental control are necessary to
maintain a society and keep it running smoothly. But in the movie The Giver, almost all of the
people believe in a very extreme version of this concept. Because the government controls every
aspect of their lives--including their jobs, marriages, childbearing, and death--they do not feel
pain, they do not suffer, and they do not experience loss. These negatives emotions are
nonexistent in their lives because the government, the Elders, thinks that ignorance is bliss. The

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people simply see that all of society is in order, that all is as it should be, and that they are
experiencing the only way of life anyone has ever known. While this is an extreme example of
governmental interference, many people in todays modern society have a similar view when it
comes to governmental control. They think of government as the institution that helps a society
run smoothly and that people should buy into that system. Although some may not agree with the
extent of governmental control as in The Giver, that society functions smoothly with minimal
despondency from the citizens. If that is not the goal of a community then, what is?
On the other hand, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies makes people
reevaluate the governments prevalence in their lives, which may imply that the power the
government has over the American people is too great. Contrary to the vast majority of the
citizens in The Giver, the main character Jonas and his mentor, The Giver, are not limited to
recognizing only pleasurable emotions. Their job is to receive all the memories of the world, in
order to be of counsel to the Elders when a decision requires this higher knowledge. The Giver
transfers all the memories, all the emotions, and all the realities of the past to Jonas, as it
becomes his responsibility to take over the position. He begins to see and understand everything
that his entire community does not. He sees that death is painful and tragic, he learns about pain,
and failure, but he also learns about love and what it means to yearn for someone. Jonas realizes
that the Elders have been depriving the rest of his community of what it truly means to be
human. This movie puts the whole institution of organized government under the microscope;
making the viewers examine how much of their own lives is actually under their control.
Obviously, the United States government is not wiping the brains of its citizens clean of all
emotions, but the concept makes viewers consider the motivation behind the restrictions that are

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being implemented on them. Maybe to experience life in its entirety, people must be exposed to
unimaginable pain, so they can better appreciate unimaginable joy.
Simply put, post-apocalyptic movies and how they depict the potential future of our
world may cause people to examine how they fit into their own society. Whether or not people
choose to take action against the problems they discover is the defining factor in determining
how this cultural influence will play out. Even if the vast majority finds themselves writing this
issue off as just another cultural anxiety that will pass in due time, some may perpetually wonder
if these stories are warnings. While some may preach the advantages of living in the moment,
others may be more long-term thinkers. To whichever camp you belong, let your rational
analysis of these types of movies, as well as the world around you, guide you into the future with
a logical perspective.