The Hunger Games Trilogy has become part of public discourse once more, thanks to the release of the series' prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The series came out when I was teenager. Back then, I had read the first book, but had never read beyond it. Now as a young adult, I have spent the past couple of days revisiting the series. I read all three books and watched all the movies in the trilogy. Looking back at the series as an adult, I see several notable insights regarding war, propaganda, and government.
Given the current political state of the world, with several countries in active war, and several more countries caught up in complex political alliances, now would truly be the best time to revisit the Hunger Games series. Though the books were written for a younger audience, the author, Suzanne Collins, eloquently captures insightful ideas regarding war and political turmoil.
Missing The Bigger Picture
Collins brilliantly captures how war and political turmoil can feel to a normal citizen. Katniss can see poverty, despair, and unfair policy all around her. Yet at many points in the series she lacks the big picture. She often finds herself questioning who to trust and who is telling the truth. Political discord is multifaceted and has many powerful players. There are players who are honest and true, and there are players, such as career politicians, who provide lip service but act completely differently.
Katniss notices the differences in opinion among the districts. Districts that are as poverty stricken and as oppressed as her district feel negatively towards the capitol. However, districts that are better off and are better funded have a more complex and diplomatic relationship with the capitol.
We see this in our everyday politics. We watch politicians, businessmen, influencers, celebrities, and those born with a silver spoon, side with policies and ways of governing that would be considered cruel and unjust by the average man.
When Katniss joins the resistance movement against the capitol, she meets many influential politicians and key military personnel who are in opposition to the capitol. Despite sharing their views, she quickly learns that hierarchy, classism, and greed infiltrates rebellion ranks as well.
In the same vein, we have many movements today, such as the Black Lives Matter movement or the Feminist movement. Though for noble causes, these movements are also susceptible to influence by corrupt individuals. These corrupt figures often sour the whole movement for the common civilians spearheading the cause.
In short, Katniss often finds herself with only side of the facts or only one side of the story. This is a clever and accurate depiction of politics. Everyone has a story and everyone has statistics and facts. But what version is closer to the truth is where it all gets tricky.
Divide & Conquer
The capitol has been holding these Hunger Games where kids from each district fight to the death. They have been holding these games for nearly a century. The capitol has effectively divided the districts and bred animosity and rivalry amongst them. The capitol itself lacks raw resources. By keeping the districts divided, the capitol remains in power. At the end of the series, when the districts unite, they easily overthrow the capitol and change the course of history.
This correlates with the foreign policy often employed by the western block. Western allies often infiltrate developing regions in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. They set up political schemes to foster rivalry and division. In the same vein, these developing regions are highly rich in raw resources. Their division is essential to the western block maintaining power. This may seem controversial, but a quick look through history makes this common and overused strategy blatant.
After the fall of the British empire and colonialism, the British left many regions in a disarray. A classic example is Palestine. The British promised to hand over the land to both the Jews and the native Palestinians. However, upon their departure they failed to tie loose ends and have left that region divided and plagued by wars since then. The western powers have done exactly this to several other regions across the globe.
The Hunger Games captures with great accuracy, the effects of division, and the cataclysmic aftermath of unity against a single oppressor.
Propaganda And Pawns
Katniss finds herself being used like a chess piece by both the capitol and the resistance movement. They tell her what to wear, how to act, what to say, how to present herself to the media, and even go as far as using her for propaganda clips called "propos." Katniss finds herself being given half the story, half the plan, and half the facts. She grows frustrated as each side attempts to take advantage of her to further their agenda. Most of the story, revolves around Katniss uncovering the truth.
Similarly, in the U.S., we have a couple of popular news channels. For instance, there is CNN, which is widely known as liberal media. There is Fox News, which is widely known as conservative media. However, both channels are owned by the same parent company.
This raises the question of which channel is telling the more "true" course of events. Both channels have opposing views and opposing tones when speaking on issues. Being owned by the same media conglomerate, makes many Americans suspicious that these "differing views" are mainly an illusion of choice.
In the same vein, every country and every civilization on Earth has its own propaganda and media messaging. Growing up in a certain area with a certain type of media messaging can heavily influence that individual's world view and perception of reality.
This is a rather daunting idea, as it suggests that the constant media messaging around one can determine one's reality.
Coping & Survival
Katniss and the cast of characters all cope with their tumultuous times in different ways. Katniss hunts and tries to provide for her family. Peeta's family runs a bakery and he spends her free time painting away his traumas. Haymitch is always lost at the bottom of a bottle and Effie spends her time consumed by fashion and makeup to escape the harsh realities of their country.
We as human beings today do the very same. We find different ways to cope with our environment. Some people have to learn to be frugal, while others search for escapism, while some turn to over-productivity, while some are submerged in mental illness. Everyone is coping in their own way.
With the recent downturn in the U.S., in terms of the economy, overall patriotism, and political turmoil, many Americans find themselves disappointed by the trajectory of their country. This disappointment manifests in protests, policy advocacy, movements, negative polls, among the usual affairs of escapism, such as binge watching Netflix, overspending, and disregarding the future.
Wrapping Up
The Hunger Games are a phenomenal book and movie series that touch on many sensitive subjects within politics, sociology, and human psychology. These references may be missed by the average consumer who is there for the fun and action. There is nothing wrong with that, because at the end of the day it is entertainment. But, these easter eggs can be spotted by the trained eye. There is a nuanced and intelligent commentary on humanity under the guise of the "dystopian teen action" movie trope. Nonetheless, what are your thoughts and opinions on this series?
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