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Politics in the Hunger Games

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Submitted By pip24d
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For my book analysis I chose the “hunger games” by Suzanne Collins. This book follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a young woman who grows up in the future of what was America. After the United States falling apart due to famine, war, and greed, a new country has formed named Panem. Under their control the remaining population has been divided up into twelve districts that are separated by what they export and contribute to the Capital and other districts. To maintain control the capital holds “the hunger games” each year where 2 children from each districts must fight to the death in order to gain respect and food for their district. The hunger games is there to remind everyone of what happened when rebellion broke out with in the districts against the capital. Katniss gets involved in the games when she volunteers to be a tribute to save her younger sister from the horror and pain in the hunger games. Katniss is a unique tribute because she is not concerned with following the rules but keeping those she loves safe, this makes her the embodiment of a rebellion. The purpose of this novel is to warn against the destructive and cruel nature of humans, the unjust social pyramid, and the danger of power.
One of the big ideas of the book is that our democratic system is not perfect, neither is any other political ideology. All of these have weak spots and one that crosses all is they lack compassion. A major idea in this book is that no matter how you run a government, the government need to be aware of its people, and the people need to be aware of each other. When people stop seeing other people as human and just another part of the system than we start to lose respect for one another and the planet, we start to see everything as policy and money instead of what is right and wrong.
Another integral part of the book is the way the capital divides the districts to make sure that a rebellion will never happen again. One of the most powerful ways is threw economic disparity between the districts. The districts are organized 1-12, with 1 having the most wealth, this enables them to have the luxury of being able to train the children in the richest districts giving them an upper hand in the games. Most of the children that have won in the games come from richer districts, this means that when they win for their district, they are given more food and funding, making the games a way to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer. Another way the capital demands control is by limiting what each district can do. Each district is known by their export that is given to the capital. The people in each district are given an education up to a certain point and is then planned and expected to the same career their parents had. In most cases the districts all have manual labor to complete in order to keep the capital running. But how does this book relate to us?
Even though this book may be considered fantasy it is relatable to everyone. The book focuses on topics such a greed and control, not just by a single person but by a nation. In the book the districts are so focused on winning that they fail to realize the true evil, the capital. The districts play into the games and cunning of the capital without realizing that they are doing more damage to themselves than good. The main character of the book Katniss Everdeen is considered the embodiment of rebellion because she did not want the life that the capital wanted for her, she did not want to get married to a miner, have some kids and keep her mouth shut. She wanted to hunt, take care of her family, and keep to herself. She was the face of rebellion because she showed compassion, love, and bravery, when everyone else was concerned with fame and greed. Another great message is that even though we are all different and come from different backgrounds, we need to all come together in order to enact change. The most powerful message the book portrays about our culture is that we all are a part of a culture of fear, that fear is the basis for many of our problems. In the hunger games people are told lies, given false reports, monitored around the clock and live in fear. This sounds like a stretch for us but it is not, a lot of our culture is based on fear, and a lot of the political power comes from them promising a way out of that fear. The true way to become a better nation is to not let fear lead our minds and decisions.
This book is very relevant to our class because it shows the power play between a nation and those in control but also the different way people are influenced and view each other. This book makes you look at the flaws in every society and within yourself.

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