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Like many science-fiction stories, “The Hunger Games” portrays a future that we're invited to read as a parable for the present. After the existing nations of North America are destroyed by catastrophe, a civilization named Panem rises from the ruins. It's ruled by a vast, wealthy Capitol inspired by the covers of countless sci-fi magazines and surrounded by 12 “districts” that are powerless satellites.

As the story opens, the annual ritual of the Hunger Games is beginning; each district must supply a “tribute” of a young woman and man, and these 24 finalists must fight to the death in a forested “arena” where hidden cameras capture every move.

This results in a television production that apparently holds the nation spellbound and keeps the citizens content. Mrs. Link, my high school Latin teacher, will be proud that I recall one of her daily phrases, “panem et circenses,” which summarized the Roman formula for creating a docile population: Give them bread and circuses. A vision of present-day America is summoned up, its citizenry glutted with fast food and distracted by reality TV. How is the population expected to accept the violent sacrifice of 24 young lives a year? How many have died in our recent wars?

The story centers on the two tributes from the dirt-poor District 12: Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ) and Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ). The 16-year-old girl hunts deer with bow and arrow to feed her family; he may be hunkier but seems no match in survival skills. They're both clean-cut, All-Panem types, and although one or both are eventually required to be dead, romance is a possibility.

In contrast with these healthy young people, the ruling class in the Capitol are effete decadents. Effie Trinket ( Elizabeth Banks ), bedecked in gaudy costumery and laden with garish cosmetics, emcees the annual drawing for tributes, and the nation gets to know the finalists on a talk show hosted by Caesar Flickerman ( Stanley Tucci ), who suggests what Donald Trump might do with his hair if he had enough of it.  

The executive in charge is the gamemaker, Seneca ( Wes Bentley ), who has a beard so bizarrely designed that Satan would be envious. At the top of the society is the president ( Donald Sutherland ), a sagacious graybeard who harbors deep thoughts. In interviews, Sutherland has equated the younger generation with leftists and Occupiers. The old folks in the Capitol are no doubt a right-wing oligarchy. My conservative friends, however, equate the young with the Tea Party and the old with decadent Elitists. “The Hunger Games,” like many parables, will show you exactly what you seek in it.

The scenes set in the Capitol and dealing with its peculiar characters have a completely different tone than the scenes of conflict in the Arena. The ruling class is painted in broad satire and bright colors. Katniss and the other tributes are seen in earth-toned realism; this character could be another manifestation, indeed, of Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-nominated character Ree in “ Winter's Bone .” The plot even explains why she's adept at bow and arrow. 

One thing I missed, however, was more self-awareness on the part of the tributes. As their names are being drawn from a fish bowl (!) at the Reaping, the reactions of the chosen seem rather subdued, considering the odds are 23-to-1 that they'll end up dead. Katniss volunteers to take the place of her 12-year-old kid sister, Prim (Willow Shields), but no one explicitly discusses the fairness of deadly combat between girl children and 18-year-old men. Apparently the jaded TV audiences of Panem have developed an appetite for barbarity. Nor do Katniss and Peeta reveal much thoughtfulness about their own peculiar position.

“The Hunger Games” is an effective entertainment, and Jennifer Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role. But the film leapfrogs obvious questions in its path, and avoids the opportunities sci-fi provides for social criticism; compare its world with the dystopias in “ Gattaca ” or “ The Truman Show .”  Director Gary Ross and his writers (including the series' author, Suzanne Collins ) obviously think their audience wants to see lots of hunting-and-survival scenes, and has no interest in people talking about how a cruel class system is using them. Well, maybe they're right. But I found the movie too long and deliberate as it negotiated the outskirts of its moral issues.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Hunger Games (2012)

Rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images — all involving teens

142 minutes

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta

Liam Hemsworth as Gale

Elizabeth Banks as Effie

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Wes Bentley as Seneca

Directed by

• Suzanne Collins

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The Hunger Games – review

I f sport is violence by other means, then reality TV is cruelty, envy, spite and group hate … by exactly the same means. The Hunger Games is an exciting dystopian fantasy-thriller on this theme, taking place in a world of circuses but no bread. It is directed by Gary Ross, and based on the 2008 young-adult bestseller by Suzanne Collins, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ross.

The entirety of North America has become a totalitarian state, traumatised by chronic food shortages; these once inspired a people's uprising in outlying regions, which was brutally suppressed but the relevant communities "forgiven" on condition that they annually supply 24 young people by lottery to compete in a televised survival contest in a fenced-off woodland arena, provided with weapons and food, fighting with the elements and each other until only one remains alive.

In this way, the authorities hope to siphon off the people's tendency to violence and resentment. At first terrified, the chosen contestants are soothed by the pre-contest period: they had been living in dirt-poor rural areas that have regressed to a parody of 19th-century pioneer austerity, like something out of Laura Ingalls Wilder. But the chosen teenagers are brought to a gleaming futurist metropolis beyond their dreams, where people dress with absurdly obvious decadence and foppery. Lavished with food, luxury, top-notch athletic training and the intoxicating thrill of celebrity, they begin to glow: sacrificial lambs who think they're rock stars.

Among them are tough, level-headed Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), two people with some emotional history together. When Peeta confesses his feelings for Katniss and the ratings explode, the thought of lovers who must fight each other to the death begins to electrify the TV public, and requests for a rule change are pressed on the malign president, played, perhaps inevitably, by Donald Sutherland. But is Peeta just playing to the cameras?

The Hunger Games is partly an entertaining throwback to satirical pictures such as Norman Jewison's Rollerball (1975) and Sidney Lumet's Network (1976), although those movies had a very adult, sexy-sleazy feel; The Hunger Games is notably chaste, despite all the fighting. It could also have been inspired by Kinji Fukasaku's Japanese nightmare Battle Royale (2000) and Daniel Minahan's excellent and underrated satire Series 7: The Contenders (2001). The film also awoke in me a very happy memory of the classic first-season Star Trek episode "Arena", in which Captain Kirk is teleported to a uninhabited planet where he has to fight the giant reptilian Gorn, and is told there are raw materials there to create a weapon, if only he can find them.

But these points of reference existed before reality TV took its grip. Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games, on the other hand, has been created by and for people who have grown up with it. Now pop culture is steeped in Pop Idol, American Idol and all the other reality shows in which young people are ritually exposed or humiliated or capriciously promoted to headspinning, temporary fame. The Hunger Games reflects a weird kind of post-ironic accommodation: it doesn't read as satire in quite the same way. The vicious use of Warhol's 15 minutes to oppress and cheapen the public is not presented with distancing black comedy, more a protracted growl of pain.

Yet the vinegary tang of satire is still there. When Katniss has to demonstrate her archery skills to the drawlingly callous judges, she sneers: "Thank you for your consideration." Could this be a sly dig at the campaign language for Academy award nominees? I laughed at Sutherland's shrewd dismissal of the Hollywoodised "sympathy" narrative: "There are lots of underdogs in this world," he snaps, "if you could really see them, you would not root for them either."

Just as in The X Factor, the contestants have preening mentor-figures – here they are Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz). And just as in Big Brother, warring contestants make short-term alliances to manage the outcome, to prolong their presence in the contest, but also because a sociable denial-mechanism is hard-wired into them: for much of the time, they behave as if death is not looming. Reality television's horrible fascination, amplified here, is that we can see this on our screens; they can't. The humiliation of failure on a real reality show is mortifying: the contestants' non-celeb ordinariness counts against them, and their dignity levels plunge well below zero. A living death?

The Hunger Games is a very enjoyable futurist adventure, presented with a compelling, beady-eyed intensity. The worry now is that with big-screen versions of the next books in Suzanne Collins's series coming down the line, the impact will be lessened, and it will become a Twilightish soap. Already there is a hint of a Team-Jacob-vs-Team-Edward conflict as Katniss may have her eye on another hunk, Gale (Liam Hemsworth). For the time being, however, this is supremely effective entertainment.

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The Hunger Games by Gary Ross – Film Study Essay

The Hunger Games is a fictional movie produced in the year 2012. The movie’s plot is based on a novel written by Suzanne Collins in the year 2008. The movie features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games) . The story occurs in a post-apocalyptic age in the country named Panem. In the country, children between the ages of twelve and eighteen years are required to participate in The Hunger Games.

The games are carried out yearly and are televised (The Hunger Games) . The events require the contestants to wrestle to the death until one competitor becomes a winner. The remaining contestant is then celebrated in a large ceremony. In the movie, Katniss agrees to take her sister’s positions in the events. Together with her friend Peeta, Katniss takes a trip to the city to prepare for the coming events under the supervision of past winner Haymitch (The Hunger Games) . In the article, the above movie is reviewed through the lens of conflict analysis and resolution.

Based on the movie, Panem is led by an affluent Capitol (The Hunger Games) . The Capitol oversees 12 shoddier districts. For the last few years, conflicts have been witnessed between the Capitol and the smaller districts. The conflicts have led to successive rebellions. Owing to the increase in rebellions and social unrests, the president requires each district to offer two teenagers to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The teenagers must be a boy and a girl aged between twelve and eighteen years. The two teenagers are selected through a lottery. The winner of the events is rewarded with a distinction and riches.

In one of the districts, Katniss’ sister is chosen to represent the region in the annual events (The Hunger Games) . In a bid to save her younger sibling, Katniss volunteers to take her position in the games. Thereafter, Katniss together with her friends leaves the rural community and sets off for the city to prepare for the fight. Those who accompany her are Peeta and Haymitch. Peeta is Katniss’ age mate and comes from the same neighborhood.

On the other hand, Haymitch is a past champion of the event who currently suffers from severe alcoholisms. On their way, Haymitch informs them about the significance of having promoters. Haymitch believes that promoters have the ability to offer gifts and necessities required during the games. The above illustrations portray the conflict of men verses the society (Chigas 27). The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, Peeta and Katniss are expected to uphold the dignity of their district by winning the games (The Hunger Games) .

When the three teenagers arrive in the city, they have a number of interviews with the media personnel (The Hunger Games) . During some of the interviews, Peeta claims that he is in love with Katniss. Katniss confirms the claims with the aim of attracting sponsors’ favor. In this episode, Katniss and Peeta have to tackle with the conflict in romance (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54).

For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she has to decide whom she actually loves. By confirming that the two are in love, the contestants depict the theme of resolution. With regard to the game’s rules, the two contestants are required to fight one another to death until one contestant is left.

However, Katniss and Peeta resolve to work together with the aim of attracting more promoters. Later, during one of their training sessions Katniss learns about Marvel, Glimmer, Cato, and Clove. The four individuals are representatives of District 1 and District 2. Katniss notes that the four individuals have been unlawfully working out in the training arena from their younger ages.

Another conflict depicted the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants (Gwartney, Lynne, & Gayle 54). Before the start of the games, Haymitch advises Katniss about the rules of the game. During the advising session, Haymitch informs her that she should not try to acquire materials from the centre of the arena. When the games start, Katniss does not obey the rule. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.

Thereafter, she tries to stay away from the centre of the arena as far as possible where most of the contestants are situated. In a bid to keep away from the other contestants, the event director uses other contestants to trigger events that force her to be exposed to other participants. Owing to this, Katniss runs into other contestants who are siding with her friend Peeta. In the crowd, she is forced to run up a tree. On the top of the tree, she meets another contestant from District 11 who is trying to hide from other contestants.

Later, the two work together in fighting against other contestants. With their courage, they kill a number of contestants and force others to flee. District 11’s contestant aids Katniss in treating her wounds. Because of this, they develop a mutual friendship. They later come up with a plan to secretly demolish a store of supplies relied on by their competitors.

The initiative forces their competitors to doubt each other. A contestant named Marvel later identifies their plan. The friendship between Katniss and her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. By doing so, the two managed to achieve a lot of success that they could not achieve without their union.

Later, Marvel murders Katniss’ friend (The Hunger Games) .In revenge, Katniss murders Marvel using an arrow. Katniss spends several days mourning for the loss of her friend. Her moments of sorrow are captured by the media personnel and broadcast them to the public. On receiving the information about how dangerous the game was, the members of the public engage in riots in a bid to force the government to end the games.

The public initiative to condemn the games is a sign of resolution. The media show them the harmful effects of the game. In return, the public wants the government to move with haste and end the events. To control the conflicts, the president summons the games’ coordinator and tells him that the turn of proceedings does not augur well for the games.

After the games’ coordinator returns from the summons, Haymitch convinces him to alter the rules of the game so that two survivors would be left as the winners. The sports coordinator agrees to the suggestion. When the changes are made public, Katniss seeks out for Peeta. She finds Peeta injured after fleeing from the other contestants. She moves him to a safer place and goes to get medication from the centre of the arena where Clove tries to kill her. She escapes from being killed after District 11’s contestant kills her enemy.

She returns and gives Peeta the medicine. Thereafter, the two prepare for the final session of the game. As the two are training, the games coordinator sends out wild animals that kill District 11’s contestant. Owing to this, Cato, Katniss, and Peeta are left as the only contestants. Later, Katniss and Peeta move to the centre of the arena where Cato is positioned. Cato tries to kill them before the wild animals arrive at the arena. Cato’s plans are thwarted by the arrival of the wild animals that eat him up.

After Cato’s demise, Katniss and Peeta wait to be announced as the winners of the competition the following day (The Hunger Games) . As the two await for their distinction, the game’s coordinator attempts to invalidate the new rule in order to recognize one winner only. When Katniss and Peeta learn about the plan, they threaten to ingest some lethal fruits forcing the coordinator to uphold the new rule.

The following morning, the two champions are crowned victors. With their victory, resolution occurs because the two contestants have outsmarted the game. Thereafter, they return to their homeland. On their way, Haymitch informs Katniss that she has attracted a number of rivals ever since she joined the game. Finally, the president kills the games’ coordinator for failing to advance the games.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the chief conflict affecting the characters in the above film is the conflict between men and the society. The society expects the contestants to participate and win in the games. In this respect, people from the district where Peeta and Katniss come from expect them to win the games not to disgrace their home place.

Another conflict in the film is the conflict between men and feelings. For instance, Katniss has to select between Peeta and Gale. The situation forces her to acknowledge that Peeta and Gale are her best friends. Nevertheless, she is obliged to choose that person she is really in love with. Another conflict in the film occurs between Katniss and other contestants. When the game starts, Katniss does not want to follow the rules set. As a result, she is nearly killed. Notably, more than a half of the contestants are killed for ignoring the rule.

Resolutions are depicted when Katniss and her friends come up with drastic measures that allow them to proceed with the game. For instance, Peeta and Katniss inform the media that they are in love to win sponsors. Equally, the friendship between Katniss and some of her friend depicts the theme of resolution. Although they are rivals, the situation forces them to resolve their differences and work together to outdo their competitors. Eventually, their victory symbolizes resolution because with the help of it the two contestants outsmarted the game.

Works Cited

Chigas, Diana. “24 common sources of community conflict.” Communities Journal 128.1 (2005): 25-35. Print.

Gwartney, Patricia, Lynne Fessenden, and Gayle Landt. “Measuring the Long-Term Impact of a Community Conflict Resolution Process: A Case Study Using Content Analysis of Public Documents.” Negotiation Journal 18.1 (2002): 51-74. Print.

The Hunger Games . Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2012. HD-DVD.

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The Hunger Games Movie Review

My friend, Anthony Thatcher, is uncertain as to whether his girlfriend will relish her birthday night-out watching “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins (2012). As a long-trusted childhood comrade, I desire to see Anthony create memorable moments with his adventurous companion named Theresa Jones. Besides passing time and getting entertained, I believe that the movie will help the couple to reinforce their connection, relieve stress, and appreciate art. Additionally, the film will sensitize them about social issues and offer unforgettable film therapy (Ross, n.p.). Since the narrative involves an apocalyptic world where a sixteen-year-old girl is relentlessly trying to survive in dystopia, Anthony and Theresa will discover new approaches to overcoming life hurdles and remaining focused on their personal and collective goals.

Unless Anthony first becomes conversant with the story’s plot, the idea of watching the proposed film is inevitably unpersuasive. The film is directed in a post-apocalyptic republic of Panem that was formerly called North America. The tale is told through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old girl baptized Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games (HGs) denote a countrywide yearly event where a girl and a boy aged twelve to eighteen years are selected from each of the Panem’s twelve districts to participate in a gladiatorial woodland battle (Ross, n.p.). Panem’s government dabbed the Capitol consists of the most powerful, connected, and wealthiest citizens. The HGs are deadly sports designed by the Capitol administrators to entertain themselves and discourage public rebellion.

The narrative begins with the announcement that Katniss from district 12 is the appointed female tribute. Katniss’s counterpart named Peeta Mellark is her former classmate who once saved her family from starvation. Katniss is disturbingly surprised by Peeta’s claim that he loved her since their childhood. The match began with the killing of nearly half of all the warriors over a fierce struggle for weapons and supplies. Katniss defies her mentor’s advice to flee, and instead, she hides in a thicket until when an unprecedented inferno forces her out. In the process, she is captured by Peeta’s sympathizers. Another tribute named Rue rescues Katniss before dying in these skirmishes. A moment later, rules of the game are changed to permit tributes from the same territories to contest as partners. Katniss and Peeta immediately forms a coalition and ultimately becomes the only surviving pair. However, bylaws are altered again to force Peeta and Katniss combat each other in a thrilling finale. These tributes defiantly arrange to consume lethal night-lock berries (Ross, n.p.). On discovering their plan, the game organizers declare both Peeta and Katniss as victors and awards them with a warrior’s reception in district 12. Sadly, Peeta realizes that Katniss’s actions were trickster strategies to gain sympathy. Despite their success, Katniss is troubled by the news that the authorities are planning to punish her for disobedience.

The omitted details on the plot increase the level of suspense that is evident at the end of the story. The unanswered questions in the synopsis along with the unfinished dramas in the summarized tale invokes the couple’s curiosity to watch the film. Specifically, both Anthony and Theresa will want to learn the actual background that inspired Collins to write her novel title The Hunger Games, which was afterward dramatized in the movie under discussion. Certainly, these young admirers will excitedly uncover that the narrative originated from the author’s obsession for channel surfing, fascination for reality shows, and her father’s experience in the Vietnam War. The Roman gladiatorial sport and the Greek fairytale of Theseus motivated Collins to create characters such as Katniss, Peeta, Rue, and Haymitch (Ross, n.p.). For instance, the writer killed young actors early in the story as a reflection of the human suffering in conflict zones. Thus, the film will entertain the couple and simultaneously inspire them to reminisce about their past and future.

The thrill of watching dangerous movie actions executed with a great sense of cinematographic skills will strengthen the lover’s bonds by changing their typical leisure activities. Since birthdays are largely special moments for young women, Anthony will successfully exceed her partner’s expectations of exceptional treatment. In particular, the film will create an exciting experience for them by combining humor with theatrical fright. For example, the audience will feel the tension that characterized Katniss’s courageous move of sneaking into the woods and covertly bombing the enemy’s supplies (Ross, n.p.). Just as other viewers, Anthony and Theresa will laugh and enjoy watching Katniss destroy the well-trained rival groups using a simple bow and arrows. The happy moments of melodramatic irony, comedy, and scare will revitalize the couple’s interests to try new leisure activities that naturally rejuvenate people’s romance.

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The Hunger Games Review

23 Mar 2012

142 minutes

The Hunger Games

Probably the greatest achievement of The Hunger Games, and there are many, is that in adapting a phenomenally successful teen novel its creative team have produced something that works as a film, not just as an adaptation of a book. There’s no required reading before entering the cinema in order to ‘get it’, and it’s well above the ‘all your favourite bits but with pictures’ business that has become the accepted standard. When a series has sold millions of copies, as Suzanne Collins’ trilogy has, the default position is to produce something that will look just as readers imagined, to show what we were all thinking, rather than offer something nobody had considered. The Hunger Games as a novel has been dissected, expanded and retooled into something intelligent, immersive and powerfully current.

The world of Panem, a futuristic America, is established elegantly in about 90 seconds. First we see two men discussing an event called The Hunger Games in front of an audience; both men evidently so luxuriating in time and money that they can tint and trim every inch of their surface until they resemble painted couture clowns. Then, with a literal scream, we cut to District 12, where all is grey and people dress like the cast of a regional stage production of Little House On The Prairie. This is how Panem is divided. There are the haves and the have-nots. The haves live in The Capitol, amid great wealth and power. The have-nots live in a series of impoverished districts, put under oppressive rule after a failed uprising some time in the indefinite past. Each year two of every district’s youngest members are selected to battle to the death in an arena, from which one will emerge victorious for... no real reason. The poor will do as they are told, however senseless, and the rich will keep on keeping on. The echoes of the 99%ers are clear and not unintended.

This world bleeds with a cruelty from which director Gary Ross never retreats. Even luxury is portrayed as almost oppressive — gluttonous and requiring constant effort. Our heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), is introduced hunting a cute little deer — typically movie shorthand for a complete monster. She has no time for being wistful because she has to survive. This runs right through the film: what is survival worth? Lawrence is perfect as Katniss. There’s very little softness about her, more a melancholy determination that good must be done even if that requires bad things. She stretches many of the tightly anguished muscles built in Winter’s Bone — the District 12 scenes have a similar hard-bitten feel — plus some other more traditionally gym-honed ones.

The violence and cruelty is most explicit in the Hunger Games arena, a vast, synthetic forest where 24 children hunt each other, and the level of brutality is very smartly done. You don’t get a rating suitable for a teenage audience by gutting preteens or decorating the landscape with their blood. So Ross cuts around it. The constantly searching, handheld camerawork used throughout the film comes in most useful during moments of violence, flashing round the action and making you think you’ve seen everything without ever really clocking anything that would upset your appetite.

If this were real, it slyly asks, would you watch it? Well, would you?

It’s an old trick but a very effective one. The only clumsy element of these scenes is an intermittent commentary provided by Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones, which fills in incidental story details in a brash ‘Basil Exposition’ way. When it pops up, it kills the momentum.

Arguably more interesting than the cruelty within the arena is that going on outside, which is almost entirely of the film’s invention. Unlike in the book, we see The Capital’s Gamemakers pulling the strings, despatching contestants with casual stage directions. It’s all played with a cold, even hand, chilling in its absolute lack of concern for consequence. It’s these moments that linger after the film has finished because it doesn’t seem quite so very removed from reality. If this were real, it slyly asks, would you watch it? Well, would you?

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Movie Review On Sociological Analysis Of The Hunger Games

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Topic: Sociology , Film , The Hunger Games , Poverty , Hunger , Games , Family , Social Issues

Words: 1500

Published: 02/09/2020

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Introduction

The Hunger Games, based on the series of novels by Suzanne Collin’s, is about a televised competition in which two teenagers are chosen at random to fight to the death. The film is “directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik” (Hunger Games). The story follows the struggle of one girl, Katness Everdeen, who graciously takes the place of her younger sibling in the games. Thus, The Hunger Games is extraordinarily packed with deep sociological concepts and ideas within ‘ hunger’, and can be better understood by applying these concepts and ideas within a sociological analysis of capitalism and economy, poverty, family, social control and cultural media.

CAPITALISM AND ECONOMY

Why is this film so rich in capitalism and economy? The ‘hunger’ of a society to flourish, to become rich, often leaves some behind. There will always be an uprising of those affected by this poverty of being left behind. Emily Gould of the New York Daily News suggests, “The Hunger Games is, at its core, a critique of winner-take-all capitalism — a writ-large version of the same struggle that’s given us the Occupy movement and the idea that America’s top 1% is ruling badly and unjustly, with disastrous consequences. Again and again, the books contrast Katniss’s poor but noble hometown, full of dying miners and starving children, with her country’s corrupt Capitol, a fortress city where overdressed aristocrats vomit during banquets in order to stuff themselves again” (3). The economic status can explain a lot about the psychology behind the mind games; it is focused around a coal mine, the sort of service where unskilled labour could be highly effective in light of the worth of the underlying product. But rather the Capitol imposes just one customer of mine job and offers subsistence wages. Emigration to additional areas in research of better options is prohibited, as is exploitation of the seemingly bountiful assets of the encircling woods. Using the bulk of Seam workers struggling to get a good salary, even comparatively privileged townsfolk have small living requirements. If mineworkers made more cash, the Mellark family bakery might have more clients and much more motivation to purchase enlarged businesses. A developing service market would grow up round the mine. Nevertheless, the institutions maintain the whole Area in circumstances of poverty, regardless of the access to complex technologies in the Capitol. Thus, the economic status builds on the concept of ‘hunger’ within the poverty of this rich/poor economy.

Poverty in The Hunger Games can be analyzed by sheer survival. Hunger is both physical and psychological. While it is most commonly defined as a physical need to eat, it can also be a psychological desire to survive, meaning one must fight to survive and nourish their body. ‘Food’ and ‘fighting’ both stand out in the sociological concepts of poverty. For instance, the poor areas of residents don't have even enough to food to consume. Katniss notes that hunger is typical in the area she lives, and she's got to hunt illegally beyond the district's edges to nourish her family. The film implies that almost all of-the district's residents are unable to or do not understand the way to look, meaning even Katniss's family is still stricken with poverty. Moreover, all-but the most essential meals are luxuries. In comparison, when Katniss arrives in-the Capitol, she's dazzled by the magnificent feasts and elaborately prepared meals—she has never even had hot chocolate. The food in the Captiol area is ample and wealthy, while the outer districts suffer. In fighting, the lottery by which people are selected to fight, is arbitrary yet the poor are most likely candidates. They're more prone to get picked as an effect—they are more likely to have the psychological drive to stay alive and will fight for it. Furthermore, since they're frequently trained to offer to indulge in The Hunger Games, the wealthy who do become tributes often have an added edge. They're hence more likely to endure, since they are well-nourished and fed. The wealthy are honored to compete, while the poor are malnourished could be walking to their death.

Family is essential for survival within The Hunger Games. From sisterhood to adopted tribute family, the games are just that—a game of survival and one must have family in order to do so in this film. The film build on the theme of Katniss taking Prim's position to save her existence, because she cannot imagine losing her sister. The sense of family in The Hunger Games, also lies in the simple non-abandonment of Prim. Katniss refused to leave her, to let her fight. The sense that family always has your back in a massive motive and sociological theme in this film as family can often be seen as the one true constant in many people’s lives—whether on screen or in life. The sociological concept is that family is there for you, simply because you are family. Therefore, the concept is wildly evident and a fire starter for the motive behind the whole film. Katniss’ ‘hunger’ grows with the thought of protecting her loved ones and makes her that much stronger in the Games.

SOCIAL CONTROL

Through physical appearance we can examine the concept of social control. Through the entire film, her group and Katniss use her outward look, including how she acts and what she claims, to manage how others see her. At the service, for example, she will not weep or be emotional, because she does not need to provide the impression of being poor. Katniss conceals her tears all through the Games for the same purpose, as self-pitying tributes are unappealing to supporters. A homage's look and behaviour can hence function as a considerable portion in their survival technique. Furthermore, at the opening service in the Games, the film highlights how important looks are by concentrating a good deal on Katniss's preparations--attracting interest is more than simply conceit within the Games, it is a way to have social control.

CULTURAL MEDIA

Cultural Media plays a very big part in the sociological impact of The Hunger Games, because the actual Games depict suffering and anguish as mass entertainment, and the more the tributes endure, ideally in conflict together, the more enjoyable the Games become. The primary pull within the Hunger Games is its voyeurism; in this case it is seeing the tributes, who are obviously kids, combating and dying. Katniss focuses on previous Games and what made them effective or not so much, this drives her ‘hunger’ to survive. Thus, a repeating theme develops within ‘hunger’ being that the audience must see this anguish and mutilation to provide a lengthy suffering to keep the audience entertained. The suffering must be physical and emotional, too.

In conclusion, we examine education. Not in the sense that it was represented sociologically in the film, but in the sense that the film itself can have a sociological and psychological impact on the education of young people today. Often films and books are “important tools that propel thematic questions about identity, sacrifice, survival and, ironically enough, the decivilizing effect of violence” (Rosenthall). They are used in education to help understand, for instance, the capitalism that is evident in today’s economy. However, some disagree with the use of some media, due to its violent nature. “Jeanne Brockmyer, a psychologist and professor at the University of Toledo, said the educational benefit of controversial books and movies depends on how they are used in the classroom” (Rosenthall). Using The Hunger Games as a teaching tool can help young people understand concepts that can often surpass their knowledge, because it is not taught in a visual form. Thus, it is in my opinion that The Hunger Games is an extraordinary way to teach young people about deep sociological concepts and ideas, and how these concepts of capitalism and economy, poverty, family, social control and cultural media affect us today.

Works Cited

Gould, Emily. The real target of ‘The Hunger Games’: Why Americans young and old are so hungry for this story. New York Daily News. 25 March 2012. Web. 15 June. 2013. <http://www.nydailynews.com> The Hunger Games Film Official Website. The Hunger Games Network. Lionsgate Entertainment 2012. Web. 15 June. 2013. <http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com> Rosenthall, Brian M. Schools debate educational value of 'The Hunger Games'. The Seattle Times. 20 March 2012. Web. 15 June. 2013. <http://seattletimes.com>

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The Hunger Games

By suzanne collins.

'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins captures the dangers of totalitarian regimes through the eyes of the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.

About the Book

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

It has a strong female protagonist who acts as the catalyst for several events in the book. The main characters are well-drawn out and the world-building is excellent. The tone of the novel reflects its gruesome contents , making The Hunger Games one of the best Young Adult novels released in recent times.

Terrors of a Totalitarian Regime

The minute we start reading The Hunger Games , it becomes clear that we are no longer dealing with the world as we know it today. We enter the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem where the autocratic President Snow has taken control, and there is no freedom anymore – merely the illusion of it remains.

This is revealed to us at the beginning when we are introduced to the history of Panem by the Mayor of District 12 during the reaping . A great amount of world-building occurs here, as we are provided information regarding the 13 districts , their rebellion, their punishment, and subsequently, the birth of the Hunger Games.

Throughout The Hunger Games , we are shown the callous nature of those at The Capitol who care for nothing other than their luxury and comfort – and of course, the suffering of those at the districts . Watching the tributes fight amongst themselves to the death every single year is what they live for, and what provides flavor and excitement in their superficial and heartless lives. 

President Snow appears benevolent but is actually ruthless. He will stop at nothing to maintain control. Everything he does is aimed at expressing dominance, to remind the people in the districts that the Capitol always wins. Most people in the districts have either accepted their fate or have resigned themselves to a life of misery. Those in the wealthier districts have deluded themselves into thinking that they are the Capitol’s favorite, which gives cause for tension throughout the novel. 

All of this showcases a totalitarian regime, but one of the major drawbacks of the novel is the fact that it does not go into detail. It is written in a matter-of-fact and superficial manner which does not quite capture the gravity of the content. Nevertheless, it achieves the kind of world-building that is required for the readers to understand the plot, and sets the foundation for the sequels well.

The Spark Lit by Katniss Everdeen

The entire story is narrated by the 16-year-old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen . As such, the novel is in the first-person point of view – something which allows us to experience the horrors of the Hunger Games first-hand.

We are privy only to those things that are related to Katniss, and as a teenager who has had to take on the role of primary provider early in life, there is not much on her mind other than keeping her family alive.

As such, the novel is more about Katniss and her thoughts, feelings, and actions per se than it is about the Hunger Games themselves. We understand the Games from her unique perspective – one that is disgusted by the Capitol and laced with sarcasm and irony. 

However, this is not how others in the novel treat the Hunger Games. For instance, the Career tributes have made it their life’s mission to excel at the hideous Games concocted by the Capitol, while those at the Capitol itself revel in the mass killings that take place.

On the contrary, Katniss’s fury at the injustice of the Games grows steadily (and subconsciously) until it ends with her “trick” with the berries. Although Katniss’s only hope behind consuming the berries was to be left alive with Peeta, the very fact that she thought of killing herself is a mark of her awareness, as well as her subtle forms of rebellion.

Katniss undergoes a remarkable change in the short period it takes to complete the Hunger Games, and she transforms from someone who cares only about her family to someone who is deeply affected by the injustice of the Capitol. There is even a point when she thinks of the death of a tribute as “murder.” She reflects on the word the minute it crosses her mind, ultimately concluding that it is a fitting word to use in the situation.

Katniss has a fire within her that is longing to burst forth. Coincidentally, she becomes the “Girl on Fire” with the help of Cinna ’s creations but the references to fire do not stop there. Katniss seems to spark a fire that spreads throughout the nation of Panem with everything she does. The spark she ignites provides an unpleasant jolt to the people of the Capitol, while it acts as a beacon of hope to those in the districts. Soon, Katniss becomes the person who everyone in Panem admires and looks up to, whether she wants them to or not.

Supporting Characters

The plot of The Hunger Games is brilliantly set forth and moves at a breathtakingly quick speed. This is more than enough to sustain the reader’s interest till the end. However, the novel is a little lacking in terms of characters. No character other than Katniss is fully developed, other than through the thoughts and feelings that Katniss has about them.

You might think that her relationships are better explained but this is not the case either. We do not really know much about her relationships with her sister, Prim, who is the very reason for all of the events in the novel. We know that Katniss loves Prim and would sacrifice almost everything for her, including herself, but we do not fully understand why.

Similarly, the other characters in the novel are not provided space for their own development. This is the case for Peeta Mellark , Katniss’s co-tribute and love interest as well as President Snow, the main antagonist of the novel.

All of this could be attributed to the fact that The Hunger Games caters to a younger audience, i.e., young adults, but the novel is still missing some crucial character development.

The Final Pages of The Hunger Games

The concluding pages of the novel credit Suzanne Collins’ ability to hook the reader in. She introduces several twists in the novel, with the final one taking everyone by surprise. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster, where they are given hope (much like the characters themselves) that both Katniss and Peeta would survive, and subsequently given to despair as that hope is snatched away by the Gamemakers .

Ultimately, however, Katniss and Peeta end up surviving, and they come back home. The concluding pages also set the foundation for the sequel, which is based on the Capitol’s fury at Katniss’s rebellion. Lastly, we are left with the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, which takes shape in the next novel, Catching Fire .

Thus, the last pages of the novel act as a spark, much like Katniss herself, for the trilogy of The Hunger Games as a whole.

Did they kill Cinna?

Cinna remains alive by the end of The Hunger Games book 1. However, due to his transgressions in Book 2, where he creates a deceptive Mockingjay outfit for Katniss, he is tortured and killed.

Is Cinna in love with Katniss?

No, Cinna is not in love with Katniss. As her stylist, it is Cinna’s job to make Katniss look appealing to the public. He sees Katniss naked many times, but he looks at her body only professionally (to assess the outfits she needs to wear) and never romantically.

Who is Haymitch to Katniss?

Haymitch is Katniss’s mentor in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games . He is an alcoholic who drowns his sorrows in drink, but comes to care for Katniss very deeply. He tries his best to keep Katniss alive both times she’s in the arena .

Did Katniss ever love Gale?

Katniss does love Gale, but only as a friend. Though Gale confesses that he loves her, Katniss never viewed him as a romantic partner. She is closer to him than anyone else because of their hunting and poaching days, until she forms a bond with Peeta.

The Hunger Games Review: A True Young Adult Dystopian Fiction

• Writing Style
• Lasting Effect on the Reader

The Hunger Games review

The Hunger Games is a highly memorable young adult dystopian fiction. It is one of a kind and deals with several important themes that are relevant even in our world. The plot and pace of the novel are praiseworthy. It is commendable in terms of world-building and leaves an impression on the reader in an unsettling and uncanny manner. However, character development is weak and superficial.

• Incredible plot and setting
• Relevant despite being unsettling
• Good world-building
• Provides an immersive experience through the use of a first-person point of view
• Characters other than the protagonist are not well-developed
• Lazy writing at times
• Falls prey to the clichéd love triangle

About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

Cite This Page

K, NeeshaThunga " The Hunger Games Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/suzanne-collins/the-hunger-games/review/ . Accessed 5 April 2024.

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