The Hunger Games: Fiction or Reality?

1226 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of politics influenced by TV

Fiction is “the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining”, but in Suzanne Collin’s book, The Hunger Games, fiction is merely a reflection of what is already going on in the world today (“Fiction”). Could this fiction novel, The Hunger Games, really be America’s future? Well, major themes in the book such as inequality between rich and poor, suffering as entertainment, importance of appearance, and government control point toward the answer being yes.
Primarily, the major comparison between the novel and our world today is the theme of inequality between rich and poor. In The Hunger Games, there is an immense gap between the rich and the poor. The rich living in the city’s capitol, Panem, and the poor living in the twelve districts, therefore “the result is a huge disparity between their lives and the lives of the poor” (“The Hunger Games”). This lack of equality reveals itself in many ways throughout the novel. The first example being food, and starvation among district twelve also known as “where you can starve to death in safety” (6). Katniss and her family struggle to survive, forcing Katniss to hunt illegally outside of the district electric fences. If it were not for her hunting, her family would starve. Another example of inequality, is the tessera system and the way the tributes are chosen for the games. The day of the reaping is when tributes are chosen to participate in the hunger games. The concept is for the drawing of names to be as fair as possible, yet that is not true. In addition to the first time the children’s names are put in, the children can enter their names further times in exchange for extra rations of food and oil. Therefore, the poor are more likely to have more entries than wealthy families, due to the...

... middle of paper ...

...tive or imaginative art form? Or does it derive its ideas from the world today? In Suzanne Collins case, The Hunger Games uses major themes to display the connection of fiction to reality. The real question is, are the odds ever in your favor?

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.
"Fiction." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2014. Web. 02 May 2014.
"The Hunger Games - Book Theme Hypable." Hypable. Ed. Brandi Delhagen and Donya Abramo. Hypable, 2013. Web. 01 May 2014.
"The Hunger Games." SparkNotes. SparkNotes LLC, 2014. Web. 01 May 2014.
"Survivor." TV.com. CBS Interactive Inc., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
"Hunger in America." Outnumber Hunger. Feeding America, 2014. Web. 02 May 2014.
"U.S. Hunger." Bread. Convio, 2014. Web. 02 May 2014.
"William J. Clinton." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Hunger Games: Annotated Bibliography

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    The article also compared the government of the Hunger Games to the government in reality. Kids are already showing signs of sci-fi behavior. The movie and the book can influence the generation greatly. The Hunger Games can motivate kids to become rebels of this generation. Rees Brennan, Sarah.

    Read More

  • Comparing Ray Bradbury‟s Fahrenheit 451 and Suzanne Collin‟s The Hunger Games

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another blaring difference between the two societies in Fahrenheit 451 and the Hunger Games is that of their government. The form of government in Fahrenheit 451 consists of a democracy whereas the Hunger Games government is corrupt and resembles nothing of a democracy. Even though we may see the world of Fahrenheit 451 as strange and bad there is still a democracy, which we consider to be fair. A similarity between the two governments systems would be how they both suppress things much like it is today, that each government believes could hurt the stability of society. The Hunger Games government suppresses interaction between districts to instill conformity because they know if there was interaction it could cause unhappiness and take away from the level of cooperation between the people and the government.

    Read More

  • Social Psychology Essay

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie The Hunger Games, originally based on a book by Suzanne Collins, is about a place called Panem, which is ruled by the Capitol and has 12 districts within it. These 12 districts are separated founded on their economic statuses, meaning the higher the district, the more impoverished the residents are. There are 2 tributes that are chosen to participate, forcibly, in The Hunger Games each year. Each competitor is instructed to eliminate one another in order to survive and come out on top. There is only one tribute allowed to come out of the arena alive. Katniss lives in District 12, which is the most impoverished district of them all, and she volunteers as tribute in “the Reaping” when her sister is chosen to participate. She and the other tribute from her district, Peeta, make it into the arena with the hopes that one of them comes out the winner and above all else, alive (Ross, 2012). I will refrain from going any further just in case you have not read the book or have not seen the movie. In terms of soci...

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games Philosophy Analysis

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Imagery In The Hunger Games, By Suzanne Collins

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Suzanne Collins has, through her writings, used great imagery to expose the meaningful side of ‘The Hunger Games’, the side that is not all about what takes place in the arena. The Capitol’s rule over the districts, the reality-show part of the Hunger Games and the Mockingjay pin are all fragments of deeper meanings that create the basis of all that the story is. Suzanne Collins has depicted the country of Panem as a place overruled by a large city, known as the Capitol. The Hunger Games is apparently a means to keep peace and a fair punishment for the rebellion of the districts, where district 13 was obliterated in the mess. However, Collins has spun this interpretation around and unveiled a different perspective – that The Hunger Games is

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins And The Hunger For Symbols

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparing Themes In The Hunger Games And The Hunger Games

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    A multitude of authors have written novels about a dystopian society in which most of them share similar themes and motifs. These novels present a government that unjustly revokes the citizens from their freedoms and ability to live a prosperous life. Most of the characters that follow the government rules live in oppression and a repetitive lifestyle of making their contribution to the leader. Throughout reading the novel 1984, the reader could make several connections to The Hunger Games series because of the comparable ideas and themes. These two novels share the similar ideas of which the birds represent hope for the people, giant screens allow the government to communicate to the citizens, and multiple divisions that provide for the whole

    Read More

  • Reality Television In The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

    2464 Words  | 5 Pages

    Entertainment can come and be enjoyed in many different forms. Television shows and movies are some of the different forms of entertainment can be in. The lives of famous actors from shows or movies are constantly scrutinized on and off screen. Within the world of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins a version of reality entertainment is the televised murder of innocent children. Those who are chosen to be within the Hunger Games become a scrutinized celebrity. Katniss and other tributes that are forced to fight and kill show how human identity can become lost as they become objectified for the people of Panem. The Hunger Games helps represent the harm that reality television can have by using the glorification of death with the objectification

    Read More

  • Comparative Essay: The Hunger Games

    194 Words  | 1 Pages

    In both books they share some traits, even though they may not look anything alike they are. both of these novels are dystopian novels and many characters share similarity’s.

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games: A Myth in Disguise

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Murty, Govindini. "Decoding the Influences in "The Hunger Games"" The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Sociological Theories Of Social Conflict In The Movie 'The Hunger Games'

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Conflict in the movie was only worried about the high class and nothing more. Also, they only cared about the power they could abuse people with instead of helping the need. “The Hunger Games” will remain one of my favorite movies of all

    Read More

  • Hunger Games Poverty

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Hunger Games, the inequality between the rich and the poor is the biggest theme presented in the book. Throughout the book, Katniss mentions that starvation is common in District 12, and she has often gone hunting illegally in the woods for food for her family. This is an example of how the rich and the poor are separated. Wealth is only centralized in the hands of the rich, while the poor are left to starve, leaving disparity. The best examples of the inequality between the rich and the poor is seen in the tessera system, and the way the tributes are selected for the games. In the novel, they have what is called “the reaping”, which is the lottery at which they choose the tributes for the games. It is said in the book that the poor is more likely to be picked than the rich are. In the tessera system, children

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    The book The Hunger Games, portrays a society where people are treated unfairly based on factors that they cannot control. The people are born into one of 13 districts. There lives vary drastically based on where they are born. Someone born in the Capitol has a completely different life than someone born in district 12. A person born in the Capitol lives a wealthy life and is always treated with respect. On the other hand someone born in district 12 has a life of constant back breaking work. They live in poverty and struggle to survive.

    Read More

  • The Sociology of the Hunger Games

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a not-too-distant, some 74 years, into the future the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games; these children are referred to as tributes (Collins, 2008). The Games are meant to be viewed as entertainment, but every citizen knows their purpose, as brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts. The televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eradicate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. The main character throughout the series is a 16-year-old girl from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen.

    Read More

  • Capitalism and Oppression in The Hunger Games and Kindred

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    The residents of the districts in The Hunger Games are cruelly treated by the ruling Capitol. In the poorest districts, their labor as miners (District 12) or farmers (District 11) is exploited for the good of the rich while they slowly starve or are injured or killed by their dangerous work. This is very clearly a tale of capitalism run amok: the wealth disparity between the rich (the Capitol), the poor (most of the districts), and the “middle class” (the districts with Career tributes, 1 and 2) mirrors that of contemporary American society. Katniss is a vocal critic of this structure throughout the novel, often thinking things like “What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at the press of a button? How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? What do they do all day, th...

    Read More

More about The Hunger Games: Fiction or Reality?

Open Document