You’re probably familiar with the themes talked about in The Hunger Games, but the way they portray these topics is fascinating. The Hunger Games is a dystopian franchise written by Suzanne Collins that compelled viewers with its storyline and characters. Its unique plot of selecting 24 individuals of different economic backgrounds to fight to the death until a rebellion struck captivated the minds of people. I’ve never been a fan of dystopian entertainment, but when I watched The Hunger Games movies, I was obsessed. There are so many aspects to it that make it so consuming.
There are noticeable and not as noticeable details used to show the inequality in the movies. For example, if you were to look at a map of Panem (the country they live in, a dystopian version of North America made up of 13 districts), you see the placement of all the districts and the Capitol. Throughout the movie, it is seen that the districts that are closer to the Capitol are richer specifically Districts 1 and 2. It becomes obvious that districts 1 and 2 are the richest districts which is displayed by their extravagant clothing and how they are invited to the excessive parties thrown by the Capitol. Starvation is a known problem throughout the different districts, especially 12, and in one of these parties, it shows that the wealthy drink some concoction to make themselves vomit in order to eat more. This shows the privilege they have. The fact they have no fear of not having anything, unlike the other districts that are so poor they have to register for tessera (food and supplies) at the cost of raising their chances of being chosen for the games as taking these necessities are given by the Capitol and in return it enters their name into the ballot more.
Favoritism is a huge thing that is portrayed throughout. We learn about the tributes from Districts 1 and 2. They aren’t like any of the other tributes; they are trained to be in the games basically their whole life. Because of this training and favoritism, they are given the nickname “career tributes.” Keep in mind there are two tributes per district, so that’s 4 specially trained tributes in the arena. So, while the closest to the Capitol are given the tools to live, the poorer are basically sentenced to death. It is the survival of the favored.
Power dynamics is a huge topic in the franchise. The whole game started so the Capitol could show the power they have over the districts. The Capitol is always the most powerful and will do wild things to prove this. They purposely alter some things throughout the games, such as sending tributes after one another. They destroyed District 13 to show what would happen if anyone tried to rebel against them. One thing that isn’t really talked about is the way they are okay with killing to take away any sort of advantage you have against them. For instance, Haymitch Abernathy from District 12 was in the 50th Hunger Games, where for the 50th anniversary, there were 48 tributes in the game that year. Haymitch against all odds then won his games by outsmarting some system things within the arena. The Capitol, however, did not like this one bit. After his victory, they killed his entire family and girlfriend. They left him with nothing but an empty Victor’s house. They did this to prove that he had outsmarted everyone and won, but he still did not have any power at all. The Capitol lives off having complete control and power over everything.
Overall, The Hunger Games franchise was beautifully written and executed. It captures real-world themes in an interesting concept while also not sugarcoating things; it has a way of making some concepts reflect society today (The richest crazy clothes are equal to the Met Gala for example) and it makes its audience think about our world. It successfully executed a dystopian concept that mesmerized many with its well-thought-out details.
