![]() ![]() ![]() In that sense, we can recognise this clear division of political camps in our own history, looking at past and present dictatorships and their opposition groups. The political commentary of The Hunger Games is open to contextualisation, but it clearly depicts a tyrannical government, The Capitol, and its opposition movement, The Rebellion. President Snow, at the head of the Capitol Readers must reflect on these in their own present context in order to understand what made war and Panem possible, and how we must avoid Panem and the Capitol becoming a reality. By reflecting on Panem’s political system, its socio-economic and racial divides, its media industry and its environmental impact, Collins shows the anti-war commentary is embedded in wider reflections that her readers must take into account. She portrays very complex mechanisms like the use of entertainment games to assert power over people the overuse of media in culture the social divides within the districts, with undertones of class-colour divides which opens up her story to racial interpretation the danger of tyranny the danger of rebellion the destructive force of individual desire for power the destruction of habitat. Yet one can say that Collins offers far more that an anti-war commentary in her books. She traces back its historical roots, drawing an interesting parallel with Romans and their arena games, linking past and future and showing how humanity always had, and still has, an impulse for war and destruction. Whether she chooses to or not, she ultimately becomes an embodiment of rebellion, a ‘weapon’ against the tyrannical system.Ĭollins creates a dystopian state called Panem, a successor state to the USA. As the books go on, Katniss gets more actively involved in dismantling the system and the Capitol. She volunteers instead of her sister to protect her, and takes her place in the arena. Forced to appear on camera constantly, physically changed and shaped for entertainment purposes, the tributes remain under the Capitol’s control. The winner, after killing all the other tributes in order to survive, has to deal with the pain and the nightmares. They confront dangerous animals and cruel tactics implemented in the games with the sole purpose of destroying the teenagers both physically and psychologically, and entertain/control the crowds. To strengthen its tight control over the districts, the Capitol organises games each year where 24 children and teenagers called ‘tributes’ have to fight to death in an arena. For those who don’t know the plot, it is set in a near future where countries have been destroyed and replaced by 12 Districts under the control of the Capitol. ![]() Katniss Everdeen saves her family, but in doing so she also frees a whole nation from tyrannical oppression. ![]()
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