Ashley Claudio

Claudio 1

Professor Marsh
English 115
November 2, 2015
The Hunger Games Analysis
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is about a future day dystopian society in which
the government held unquestionable control. But, like every society, the country of Panem has its
history as well. The Hunger Games are held as the consequence of a rebellion of an uprising by
what was once known as the districts of Panem. Before the second rebellion led by Katniss
Everdeen the people start realizing and wanting to take action against the governments corrupt
ways.

The American Revolution is a great comparison to the districts of Panem. We can assume
the first 13 districts rebelled for the same reasons that Katniss herself eventually fights the
government. The people of the districts were worked endlessly for the pleasure and enjoyments
of the government of President Snow and to keep the capital up and running.

Claudio 2
Ironically enough, the US was once only 13 colonies as well ruled by the British and King
George the Third. Under British rule, the colonists were worked and taxed all for the benefits and
enjoyment of their rulers. Just as Panem had Peacekeepers patrolling the districts and keeping
everything in order, King George had British soldiers in the colonies, ready to put down any
rebellious citizens. In another similar fashion, British soldiers would not hesitate to execute any
outspoken citizen nor would the Peacemakers. Both societies also committed symbolic acts in
order to prove themselves. For example the citizens in the 12 districts of Panem would use the 3
toned mocking jay whistle and the citizens of the colonies would chant No taxation without
representation both of which came to be symbolic for both revolutions. Although the outcome
for both revolutions might have been distinct, the reasons that drove both societies to rebel are
undeniably similar.

Looking at our own modern day society, we are fascinated with things that are well
reflected in the Hunger Games. Society loves and values outer beauty, entertainment, reality tv
and wealth to a point of obsession. These are all factors that the capital of Panem holds highly.
The aristocracies were all obsessed with their physical looks just as today their equivalent would

Claudio 3
be celebrities who all tend to take immense care of themselves. Not only that, but in the series,
the annual Hunger Games were broadcast as entertainment for society and we do the same thing.
With shows such as Fear Factor in which people do fear filled tasks for the enjoyment and
entertainment of society. Children today are raised with so much violence both in their cartoons
and television, the same type of violence that the Games displayed to their own society. In the
series there is also a clear distinction between the wealthy and the poor just like we have now a
days. The wealthy do not mix or integrate very often with the working or poor class. The wealthy
will live separately, educate themselves separately, work separately and carry different lifestyles.
This distinction is even reflected in both societies through food. In Panem there is starvation and
only basic foods to go around while the aristocracy spends extravagantly on food themselves.
Today, many are obese and waste food while some families do not even have food to eat for a
daily basis. Is our own society really that different from the antagonists of the Hunger Games?

Like Adolf Hitler once kept the Jewish people in ghettos and concentration camps,
President Snow made the twelve districts live in dehumanizing conditions as well. The districts

Claudio 4
of Panem were full of illnesses, starvation, and poverty just like the ghettos and concentration
camps. In Panem, when the children turn the age of 12 years old they are able to put their name
in the reaping in order to receive oil and wheat to make bread but there was a catch to it, every
time you put your name in to get bread, your name was put in once more for the reaping of the
Hunger Games. The government did this purposely because without the oil and wheat they most
likely wouldnt survive so this was the perfect chance to get tributes for the Games. In the
Holocaust concentration camps the prisoners were only fed rations of bread and every once in a
while soup broth. The captives were not fed every day just like the people from the districts of
Panem. Most families starved for days so that they wouldnt have to put their names in the
reaping but when hunger calls, hunger calls. Both the captives of Hitler and those who lived in
districts starved because not to ask for food meant that in some way they were able to protect
themselves and their loved ones. If you asked for more food in the concentration camps you
would wind up shot. The Nazis believed they were already being generous enough giving them a
ration of the plainest food a human can have; bread. As for those living in the districts of Panem,
not asking for food meant that their young had a higher chance of not being chosen as tribute for
the Games.

Claudio 5
The Purge is a movie based on a totalitarian government that was founded in 2010 by the
NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America) after the economic collapse of the United States. The
Purge is a day a 12 hour event in which people go out and commit crimes and for those 12 hours
all crime is legal. The crimes being theft, torture, rape, or murder are completely acceptable from
7pm till 7am. During this period, all emergency help is unreachable so people who are harmed
will receive no help. This holiday is really for the amusement of the rich like the Hunger
Games. In the movie, there are rich families who are able to buy a person and take them to their
home to kill in safety. The movie shows how rich families are able to buy different sorts of
security systems to protect them for the night while there are poor people who have to cover their
doors and windows with wooden boards. Like in The Hunger Games he rich dont really worry
about this holiday because they have the means to protect themselves. While on the other hand
the poor are constantly worried and scared as well as the easiest people to target. The people of
the Capital of Panem dont have to worry about their children being taken as tribute or starving
to death because they have the resources not to. Those in the districts are constantly in fear
worrying about whether their child is going to be the one whose odd werent in their favor or
having to put their name one more time into the reaping because they feel hungry.

Claudio 6
Saddam Hussein was a dictator in Iraq for over 30 years who ran a totalitarian
government while using censorship, propaganda, and terror tactics to keep his country under his
control. Like Saddam Hussein, the President of Panem used the same type of tactics. President
Snow never showed or told the people of the Capital how those of the districts lived. He
attempted to cover everything cruel that was going on. All the Capital knew they didnt live as
well as them but never did they know the extent the poverty went to in the districts. Right before
the reaping begins, the sponsors in charge of the district play a video reminding the district as to
why the Hunger Games are held and attempt to glorify the games in some way. the various
districts of Panem would offer up in tribute one young man and woman to fight to the death in a
pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor bathed in riches (The Hunger
Games). Snow wanted to bring the good out of the Games but there was nothing good about the
Games, the Games were used to make sure there would not be another rebellion. The Games
were used to instill fear into the people of Panem.
In all, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins depicts actions of a corrupt government
and society that have a lot to do with things we still have now a days. We are very superficial; we
try to avoid seeing all the bad in the world and let those covering it up get away with it. Although
like history shows, we will finally realize it and rebel.

Claudio 7

Work Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.

Jensen, Lisa. "What Are Some Examples of Places Under Totalitarian

Governments?" Http://classroom.synonym.com/. N.p., n.d. Web.
The Hunger Games. Lions Gate Entertainment Inc, 2012.
The Purge. Universal Pictures, 2013.