The Hunger Games is a cruel set of games where children fight to the death for fame and wealth, which is a very dystopian idea seemingly. Although the book and idea of The Hunger Games seems to be dystopian and unrealistic in today’s world, there are many modern ties and similarities in modern society. The Hunger Games in the book are broadcasted for the entire world to watch and enjoy, while literal children fight for survival and wealth. In a sense, this ties to many modern reality shows that are common in today’s society. Reality shows such as Survivor, Naked and Afraid, and even Love Island all have similar ties to The Hunger Games in the sense that their entire experience is broadcasted for the population and watchers enjoyment. Not only the broadcasting, but some of these shows put the individuals competing through stressors that most common people would never imagine to do, but love to watch and enjoy to watch other people do in competition.One important factor to note about The Hunger Games is the wide gap of wealth between the top districts and the bottom districts, this shows the poverty and privilege in today’s society as well. Alliances are formed throughout the game in a similar way that alliances are formed in these reality tv shows, sponsors are involved to help competitors through the games, and the drama seems to be the most important factor of the games rather than the violence and cruel acts. These all have ties to modern society and reality television shows, so why does The Hunger Games seem so dystopian and unrealistic to many readers? While there are clear differences in the dystopian world of The Hunger Games in the way that the competitors do not have the choice to compete in the games unless they volunteer, and the key difference that these are children fighting to the death, while modern reality shows are adults fighting till they are voting off or lose and go home. The Hunger Games novel is so dramatized and violent, that it creates a sense or surrealism to the readers, when in actuality the similarities to today’s violent world are shown throughout many aspects of the novel.
Susanne Collins’ hope to draw attention to the desensitization of violence is clear in her writing when compared to the reality television shows and modern versions of The Hunger Games in today’s society. The role of The Hunger Games in the novel is to show the violence that the world has developed into normalizing in today’s society and recognizing these similarities and differences are important for the readers to understand the messages the book is trying to convey.
I also think there are many similarities between the Hunger Games and real-world reality TV as well as society in general. While Peeta and Katniss are in the cave just after learning about Thresh’s death, Katniss explains, “I burrow down in the sleeping bag next to him, pulling my hood up over my face to protect it from the cameras. I just need a few moments of privacy where I can let any emotion cross my face without being seen” (309). One may initially feel bad when reading this line because it seems so barbaric that the cameras would not leave Katniss alone to be vulnerable and grieve, but then the realization hits that reality TV shows are the same exact way. They show a contestant’s most vulnerable moments because that is the drama that makes viewers invested in the show. While the idea of watching a contestant become very upset seems like a dystopian idea, society in real life also enjoys watching people become upset just for the “drama” factor. Many readers may believe that dystopian novels can never depict the real world. However, they fail to acknowledge that dystopian novels scare people so much because they depict aspects of how real-world society already is.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that there are similarities between modern society and the hunger games. The contestants on the show are idolized the way Katniss and the other tributes are idolized. I also see a similarity between the capital and modern day wealthy people or celebrities. The characters in the capital are described as flamboyant, colorful and extravagant. They have an interesting fashion sense and the way they style their hair. In chapter 4, when Katniss and Peeta enter Panem it is explained that, "[i]f anything, they have not quite captured the magnificence of the glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues that tower into the air, the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal" (Collins 59). This reminds me of the modern day celebrities with their fancy cars and outrageous outfits. This also reminds me of the met gala where celebrities and wealthy people wear extravagant clothing. The influence of media is also a similarity I noticed. The games are televised and watched by not only the citizens of the capitol but also the districts. It is a form of entertainment for the capital and this is a clear theme of the influence of media and its impact on society. The media is also something that runs everyday life in our world. Media is used for entertainment like reality TV shows. I also see a similarity with how the capitol uses propaganda to control their narrative and maintain power. This can also be seen as a reflection of how propaganda is commonly used in modern politics. The Hunger Games is not far off from the reality of modern society which is a scary thought and something to be talked about.
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