Topic > Themes of political control and power in "The Hunger Games"

IndexExamples for essay on "The Hunger Games"Example essay on "The Hunger Games"Oppression, dehumanization and restriction as tools of control in “The Hunger Games” ConclusionWorks CitedQuick Examples for “The Hunger Games” EssayGovernment Control: Examine the theme of government control and totalitarian rule in “The Hunger Games” and discuss how the The Capitol exercises its authority over the districts.Resistance and Rebellion: Analyze the theme of resistance and rebellion in the novel, considering how characters challenge the political power structure and what drives their actions. Manipulation and Propaganda: Discuss how the theme of manipulation and propaganda is portrayed in the story, including the use of the media and public perception as tools of political control. Social Inequality: Explores the theme of social inequality in the districts and the Capitol and how it reflects power dynamics and disparities in the world of “The Hunger Games.” Moral and Ethical Dilemmas: Reflect on the moral dilemmas faced by characters in the novel, considering the ethical implications of their choices in a society dominated by political power "The Hunger Games" Essay Example Power through entertainment is one of the most important strategies of Capitol demonstrated in The Hunger Games. The citizens of the Capitol are under the control of their government through the use of entertainment and food. To ensure that the citizens listen to them more than anyone else, the government of Panem provides them with entertainment through the brutal murder of the district's children in the Hunger Games itself. The government also takes food and resources from the Districts, so the citizens of the Capitol can abuse them. This gives a level of power to the citizens of the Capitol that leads them to dehumanize anyone of lower status than them. The Capitol uses a quasi-authoritarian style government where tight control is exercised over the districts. “At one o'clock we leave the square. Attendance is mandatory unless you are on death's door. This evening the officers will come to check if this is the case. Otherwise you will be imprisoned." Therefore, we can see that the Capitol forces the people to participate in the harvest through threats. “When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, telling the things I told about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the distant city called the Capitol. I eventually realized that this would only lead us to more problems. So I learned to hold my tongue and transform my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts." Katniss must ignore her feelings and remain silent to prevent her from causing further harm by standing up. People are afraid of parliament, the Capitol stirs fear and this is one of the reasons why they create entertainment, to influence people to be perplexed and not to attack them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Oppression, Dehumanization, and Restriction as Tools of Control in “The Hunger Games” The Hunger Games addresses oppression in many ways. “It's time for the draw. Effiel Trinket says as always: "Ladies first!" and approaches the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches out, digs her hand deep into the ball and pulls out a slip of paper.” The lawmaker mistreats the general population of the Seam as they were condemned to play the Hunger Games every year to obtain some resources to live. Individuals live with the belief that they do not know whether the individual who will be chosen for the Games is a member of thetheir family or themselves and that one unfortunate day, by chance, life can change for the worse. Dehumanization is the Panem government's way of justifying the unfair treatment of the Districts. This is explored through the character Effiel Trinket who has many moments where she says or does actions that dehumanize a lower class, such as a moment on the train to the Capitol where Katniss sits down to dinner and picks up a knife and fork, Effie proceeds to comment with " At least you two have good manners, the two of them ate everything with their hands last year like a couple of savages It completely upset my digestion. It is likely that the children referred to have been deprived of food and shelter for much of their lives. She is therefore expected to eat with their hands. When Effie calls them savages, she does not take into account the fact that these children came from such uninhabitable conditions promotes unequal treatment of the districts. District 12 has virtually no food for anyone and most are starving. This helps the Capitol control its nation because the citizens of the lower districts know that if they were to rebel their already scarce resource supply would be cut and they would not be able to sustain it. Scarce resources also help keep citizens physically weak, so any rebellion would be easily put down. The Panem government exploits resource limitations to keep everything localized. Katniss comments that “Everything always comes back to coal at school.” This is so that the Capitol can ensure that, if the rebellion were to resurface, it would be abolished and very few people would know of the location of other districts whose help might be required. It also ensures that no weapons can be created since the main people who know how to make weapons are located in the most reliable areas of Panem, and it is likely that they would not sell the Panem legislature. However, this is just one of numerous social and political issues around the world communicated through The Hunger Games. Remember: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Despite the dystopian narrative, the integration of themes regarding political control and power in the novel is applicable to contemporary society. These include control through entertainment, dehumanization to justify inequality, limitation of resources and restriction of information. Furthermore, the Capitol is comparable to other totalitarian and hegemonic regimes in the world, such as those of North Korea or the USSR. Suzanne Collins uses her writing to draw parallels between Panem and our world today, providing a cautionary tale of the consequences that arise when totalitarian power is pushed to its extremes. Young adults, as the novel's target audience, are introduced to the types of themes that will encourage them to become critical thinkers and draw parallels with their own environment. Works CitedPrice, J. (1999). The pink plastic flamingo: a natural history. The American Scholar, 68(4), 65-75.Bailey, C. J. (2018). Reading the "Pink" in Elvis's Cadillac. Journal of Popular Culture, 51(4), 893-908.D'Arcy, K. (2012). An analysis of "The Pink Plastic Flamingo: A Natural History" by Jennifer Price. Studying Literature: An Introduction to Criticism, 33-38. Friedman, L. (2019). American Hyper-Consumerism in “The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History” by Jennifer Price. The Explicator, 77(2), 86-90. Gilbert, M. (2017). Flamingos and the magic of pink. Journal of Art in Society, 8.Greenwald, J. (2006). Flamingos in Florida: from the joke,, 33(1), 1-21.