Government Oppression In The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

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People dying, struggling to surviving, a rule of tyranny over it’s inhabitants, unnecessarily starving citizens, unevenly divided wealth and resources amongst every region, this is the world described in a fictional story… but it is also the world we inhabit today. This dystopian setting and unsatisfactory conditions where living is always a struggle make the country shockingly similar to a third-world country. Not only are the features of the country similar to a third-world country, it is similar to our world as a whole. In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins depicts the nation of Panem, a dark and dystopian world where the characters Katniss and Peeta must overcome their government’s oppressive rule. In this world, Panem is symbolic of the…show more content…
In The Hunger Games, Collins shows this idea when Gale and Katniss joke about the Hunger Games. “Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. ‘Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen’” (Collins 7). This is significant because it shows how the government utilizes threats and the Hunger Games by creating rivalries between districts and reinforcing its control. The symbolism behind Panem is also present when Peeta and Katniss discuss the Hunger Games the night before. “‘I don’t know how to say it exactly. Only…I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?’ he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? ‘I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.’ I bite my lip, feeling inferior. While I’ve been ruminating on the availability of trees, Peeta has been struggling with how to maintain his identity. His purity of self. ‘Do you mean you won’t kill anyone?’ I ask. ‘No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games,’ says Peeta (Collins 141). Peeta explains that he doesn’t want to lose his individuality. Panem’s authoritative rule forces people to lose sight of themselves and become people they are not. This shows that Panem resembles government oppression and abusive power inside of The Hunger Games since the Capitol, the core of Panem, threatens the

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