Class Mobility: A Character Analysis of the Metaphor for Transformation in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Devil in A Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
This literary analysis will define the metaphor for transformation and class mobility of Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Devil in A Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Easy is character working as a day laborer in Los Angeles that is asked to find a woman for a friend in Texas, This opportunity to show his skills as a detective raise him out of the working classes and into a higher class environment. These talents in detective work are a character metaphor for transformation, which allow him to improve his class status. Similarly, Katniss is
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After she has been forced to choose herself over her meek sister, Primrose, she enters the games with the ability to hunt and use her intelligence to outsmart the other competitors. For instance, she is able to pretend she is love with Peeta during the games in order to trick the audience into accepting her into their upper class and privileged society. This form of survival tactic makes her successfully in gaining allies in the games, which accents her ability to shoot a bow and kill her opponents: I take Rue’s pair of socks, cut holes for my fingers and thumbs, and pull them on. I fill her small pack with some food, a water bottle, and bandages, tuck the knife in my belt, get my bow and arrows. I’m about to leave when I remember the importance of sustaining the star-crossed love routine and I lean over and give Peeta a long, lingering kiss (Collins …show more content…
Surely, this is an example of the metaphor of transformation of her class status as a member of the working classes in District 12, which defines Collin’s example of class mobility through Katniss. Also, Mosley allows Easy to become an African American detective, which he had no previously qualifications after he was laid of fro his job as a day laborer at the aircraft company. In this manner, Easy is able to raise himself out of the lower working classes and to become a professional detective. This higher pay grade defines a similar class mobility than what is seen in Katniss when she wins the hunger games. These are important aspects of the characterization of class mobility that becomes a metaphor for transformation in Katniss and Easy. Certainly, Mosley and Collins create these characters to show the potential of certain individuals to utilize their survival talents as a way to overcome class barriers and access to a higher quality of living. These are important literary aspects of Easy and Katniss that reveal the class mobility in these two novels of survival that allow a character transformation into a higher state of
Jeanette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle and Marshall Bruce Mathers’ “Mockingbird” both contextually illustrate the undying love and compassion between a father figure and his offspring. In the memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette anxiously believes that there is a monster under her bed. This results in her father, Rex Walls, taking her with him to try and find the monster under her bed so that they could face such a frightening beast together. They then check all over the house and end up going outside and Rex is bravely yelling and calling out this monster and Jeannette ends up joining him too. Eventually, after a lengthy period of time yelling at the monster, they ultimately decide that the monster is just a figment of Jeanette’s imagination. By calling out the monsters name, it is blandly obvious that Rex wanted to show Jeannette how to face her fears and confront them. Rex and Jeanette sit down and Rex explains to her “That [is] the thing to remember about all the monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run. All you have to do, Mountain Goat, is show old Demon that you’re not afraid” (Walls 36). This quotation emphasizes the fact that the monsters that Jeanette perceives and the fear that she experiences, while lying in bed, is only a delusion created in the confines of her mind. In doing this, Rex Walls demonstrates the characteristics of an excellent father by demonstrating the compassion and love that he has for his child. Rex establishes this notion by teaching her life lessons, such as facing her fears, which prove to be helpful later on in the novel, as they assist Jeanette when she is in an anxiety provoking situations. The persona of a great father figure ...
Love and hope, together are a timeless literary thematic duo, which continue to inspire countless variations and sub-genres of romance literature. For the last many centuries, romance as a genre, is arguably the most popular of all narratives. However, the theme of love often takes presentences and overarches other thematic interpretation of stories. So why then are people seeking romance in the literature they ready? Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games with the intent to introduce her young adult readership to a number of politically charged themes. Although Collins's work is acknowledged for successfully presenting themes of sacrifice, versions of reality, and power, her audience conversely identifies with the debatable sub-them of love. Social forums, such as the Official Hunger Games Facebook Website exposes an insider's perspective of sort, which reveals public perceptions and interpretations of Collins's work. Even though the purpose for the fan-website built around The Hunger games is to provide a discussion space. Participant's discussions however, unintentionally reveal a...
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Hunger Games Allusions and Cultural References." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. .
When Gary Ross’ 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ famous novel ‘The Hunger Games’ exploded on screens, it was received as an action-packed, thrilling story of survival, determination and over-coming corruption. Audience’s watched in equal parts awe and horror as Katniss was thrust into Panem’s battle arena and fought for justice, family and friendship. However, if we as an audience think more critically about the film; if we think beyond the wild costumes, gripping action and skilful performances, we can see that the story explores complex philosophical ideas that strongly relate to the experiences of humanity in the real world.
It has often been said that there is nothing new under the sun. In this vein, authors across all literary genres often borrow themes and plot from the stories of long ago. Many of those authors choose to borrow from the rich mythology of the ancient Greeks. Suzanne Collins has been asked on numerous occasions where the idea for The Hunger Games originated. She readily admits that the characters and plot come from Greek mythology and more specifically, from Theseus and the Minotaur (Margolis 30). One familiar with both both stories can easily recognize the identical framework upon which each of these stories are built. Both Theseus and Katniss Everdeen, Collins’ heroine, volunteer to go into battle for their respective homelands, they both fight beasts of strange origin, and they are both brave in battle and emerge victorious, but it is the uniqueness of the characters that makes each story appropriate for the time period and audience to which it belongs. Collins modernizes the classic hero of Theseus by changing his gender, his motivations and altering his selfish personality, and by doing these things she creates a heroine that better resonates with today's audience of young adults.
When looking at the facts, it is evident that novel is widely immersed in a dystopian society that bonds references to Greek and Roman mythology and the deeper meaning to the characters. Suzanne Collins utilized symbols to show how The Hunger Games is more than a novel about child war, but more as an overview as to the possibilities of a world that depends on the decisions we make as a society.
The class struggle is all too real in Panem, drawing parallels to our Society’s unequal distribution of rewards and opportunity, by way of institutional discrimination and brute force. Katniss Everdeen resides in one of the 12 Districts forming Panem, District 12, a destitute coal mining district. Here, the only options for food are tightly regulated Tesserae, tokens worth a meager year's supply of grain and oil for one person, and equipped with the risk of being selected as a Hunger Games tribute. For
The story of The Hunger Games is an intense depiction of a totalitarianism society that is reigned by the Capitol, whom of which has complete political control over the twelve districts that are all located in Panem. Those who live in the twelve districts must undergo the possibility of entering into the infamous Hunger Games that are intended to remind and represent the Capitol’s authority over the powerless districts. Suzanne Collin’s novel and Gary Ross’s film of The Hunger Games have several things in common but also a few differences as well.
In our Society when you don't follow the rules, you become an outcast to the rest of the society. Suzanne Collins’ novel series, The Hunger Games criticizes our society and its demands for people of specific genders to act in certain ways and become certain things. Stereotypes concerning gender are prevalent in our society and all over the world. However, The Hunger Games gives a very refreshing tone of “mockery” to these stereotypes. Katniss Everdeen isn’t your typical 16 year old girl, and neither is Peeta Mellark a typical 16 year old boy, especially when they are fighting everyday just to survive. The Hunger Games is a work of social commentary, used to convince us that there can’t and shouldn’t be any defined “roles” based on gender. A mixture of “stereo-typical” gender roles within a person and their actions is what people need just to survive in our world that is changing every day.
The American Revolution will forever be remembered as the turbulent period when Americans fought for their independence against the British. As a result of this revolution, America is truly the land of the free and home of the brave, where citizens have control of their own fates. In the book, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, there are many events described in the plot that parallel the historic events of the American Revolution. Both the American Revolution and The Hunger Games portray a group of underdogs rebelling against a greater power that is ruling corruptly.
Murty, Govindini. "Decoding the Influences in "The Hunger Games"" The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Katniss, from The Hunger Games, comes to realize that the government is twisting the true meaning of the Hunger Games The government is twisting the meaning of the Hunger Games by taking what the true meaning ment when they first starting to do these so called Games. She also realizes that the government dehumanizes the population of each District.
In the novel The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins a new country is created. Panem is born in place of North America, were the Hunger Games began. In the Hunger Games, there are 24 tributes. Tributes are people who live in the districts. The tributes in the Hunger Games are all the same. They kill one another and become the Capitols puppets. The tributes become violent, emotionless puppets. Then there is Katniss. Katniss is an excellent hunter and becomes lethal during the games. However, she has not lost her compassion. Katniss does not think of herself as a good person. When in reality she is a good person with a large heart, who puts others before herself.
“Hunger Games” can be seen as a text with an authoritative and an undermining class, displaying the Marxist Literary theory in this aspect.
The main character, Katniss, volunteers as tribute for her district to save her sister from having to be tribute. Upon arriving in the Capitol for the games, she sees just how vast the gap between the Capitol and districts are. To fight against this class struggle, she begins to revolt. At first this comes in the form of small things, like shooting an arrow at a pig feast of Capitol higher-ups and refusing to kill her friend in the games, resulting in the first ever co-victors of the Hunger Games. Katniss’ actions soon lead to full blown rebellion in the districts, starting a revolutionary war between them and the Capitol. At one point Katniss remarks: “My ongoing struggle against the Capitol, which has so often felt like a solitary journey, has not been undertaken alone. I have had thousands upon thousands of people from the districts at my side.” (Catching Fire 90). In true Marxist fashion the working class needed to use a violent revolution to confront the class struggle against the ruling