The Hunger Games: Unequal Distribution Of Wealth

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins’ brilliant adventure novel, highlights the unequal distribution of wealth and the effects on the citizens of Panem. In her depiction of the “haves” and “have nots” of Panem, Collins sheds light on the wealth gap in American culture and the “blind eye” cast upon the poor by the wealthy. In the novel, Collins distinguishes the wealth gap between the capitol and the lower districts. The citizens in the capitol are unaware that the wealth they have is coming from the suffering of the poor. The citizens seem to think that the hunger games are simply an entertaining event, they do not think what is happening is real. One of Katniss’ workers on her fashion team told her story of when someone died, “I was still in bed! I had just had my eyebrows dyed! I swear I nearly fainted!" (354). The way

In the book, Collins shows the “blind eye” cast upon the poor by the wealthy. In the modern American culture, an elite few are rich and they are the ones who rule the country. The wealthiest people in the country have the same amount of wealth as the rest of the citizens. On the earth, “just 62 people in the world have the same wealth as… 3.6 billion people.” This shows how many people suffer everyday but a select few get to live like kings. The “haves” of the American society do not realize how many people are poor and do not have jobs to provide for themselves. Daniel Goleman, a New York Times reporter, has a different approach,“Reducing the economic gap may be impossible without also addressing the gap in empathy.” Goleman is trying to convince the wealthy to recognize the wealth gap and act on it. The gap between the poor and the moderate American family would significantly reduce if the rich truly cared about the poor. In the American culture we live in today, no cares for anyone but themselves, and to reduce the gap people have to come together and