The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Research Paper Example

The Hunger Games In the novel, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, the media plays a role of propaganda and social control in many ways. The novel is based on the relationship between the rich and the poor, from the angle of the hunger games. The participants in the games are supposed to fight until they kill each other in order to amuse the powerful rich rulers of the region. The focus of these games eventually narrows down on Katniss and Peeta, a young girl and boy, who eventually lead to the changing of the rules of the game because of their friendship and concern for others. The media coverage of the actions that follow showed that certain issues were brought out in two different ways. The first challenge related to the difficulties encountered by the lead protagonist Katniss. She is portrayed in very positive ways, which show that the challenges faced by the young girl have tested her capacity to endure in hardships and her courage to fight her enemies even when the odds appear to be against her (Mesa 725). In essence, the capacity of the young girl to fight and defend the people she loves shows her aspect as a likeable individual especially when shown on television. The media shows Katniss as a very responsible and sympathetic individual. Her decision to join the hunger games were basically meant to rescue her younger sister who had been selected in the game (Collins 44). The great sacrifice she made appeals to the sensibilities of the members of the society as they consider her as a girl of virtue and who is ready to risk her life for the sake of her little sister. Katniss appears to be conscious about her own image as captured in the media. She seeks to earn the good will of the society. She is also shown comforting her dying friend Rue and becomes extremely affected by the death even after killing the tribune that had killed her friend. Generally, the issues relating to the challenges of exclusion could be understood in terms of the challenges that contribute to her growing profile. This matter represents some of the inner issues that attend to the relationship between an individual and the society (Pollitt 10). The media is portrayed several times as an organ for propaganda particularly from the perspective of the rich people in the society. The media is used by the members of the rich district to control the minds of the poor society. Some of the matters that affect the perceptions of the media in this society are connected with the assumption that the media projects a balanced view of the society. On the contrary, the media represents the views of the dominant groups in the society. The media generally control the kinds of themes that are carried in the media. The hunger games are generally morbid and tragic because they involve the death of the young participants (Klangwisan 1). It should not be the responsibility of the media to celebrate such acts of inhumanity towards underage children. However, the interviews and the perceptions as captured in this novel are made in such a way that endorses the action. Many parts of the play are represented on television in order for the audiences to hear some of the promises and perspective of the fighters, or the tribunes, as referred to in the text. In a television interview with Ceasar Flickerman, the two tribunes are asked some personal questions and objectives, which they answer in various ways. It is from this interviews that we learn about some relationship or romantic feeling that Peeta feels about Katniss. Such a revelation has the effect of controlling the minds of the society because the people get excited to learn how the two could fight or kill each other having been related in some romantic relationship at some earlier stage of their lives. This reality is brought out boldly by the media for increasing the stakes of mortal combat between the two tribunes. The aspect of controlling the society is achieved through the element of suspense as the audience keeps on anticipating the likely outcome of the challenge. The society represented in this novel is divided into two major categories. On the one hand are the poor people that are starving and are under constant oppression from the richer members of the society. On the other hand are the affluent people with a lot of material wealth. The affluent people are also represented as immoral and oppressive. The media carries out its duties in an impartial manner that seems to support the opinions and worldview of the oppressor. It supports the ideas and policies that discriminate against the poor people in the society. Because of this reason, it might be necessary to consider the fact that some of the issues explored in the novel include the role of the media as a biased entity that consistently supports oppression. Poverty remains one of the central themes in this novel. The structures of poverty are shaped in such a way that they also relate to the systems of power and matters of gender. Inequality in resource distribution is made to appear in the form of the challenges in the production and consumption systems of the society. The production and consumption of goods and resources have to be understood together with some of the forces that determine the distribution of resources within the society. Generally, the richer elements in the society have more influence in production and consumption. They determine the patterns of resource distribution and even determine the fate of the other members of the poor countries. The realization of the challenges that afflict the society should begin with the assessment of the nature of oppression that is systematically imposed on the weaker members of the societies by the dominant society. The novel brings out the struggle for liberation by the oppressed groups. There is some evidence of resistance against some of the rules that have been imposed on the society by the dominant members of the society. Katniss represent the weaker groups. Her resistance to various arrangements is considered as acts of rebellion against the system. This rebellion could take the form of widespread action against the status quo. Such an action would lead to the dismantling of some of the power structures that manifest themselves between the two societies. Literary analysts contend that some of the issues that attend to the question of power struggle are generally related to the capacity of the oppressed to stand up against oppression. This character is exemplified in the character of Katniss who engages the oppressive systems on matters of balance and power sharing. The struggle between the classes takes the form of competition for resources. The powerful groups in the society demonstrate the ability to defend the upper classes while the less powerful engage in the struggle to free themselves from the systems of oppression that constantly challenge them. The issues relating to oppression could be understood from the perspective of balance because the state of equilibrium will often seek to adjust itself through conflicts and struggle whenever it is disturbed. The class struggle that takes place in this society could be seen in the form of the tension that surrounds the relationship between the affluent Capitol and the other districts, which surround it. Both classes perceive each other as threats. The tension and unease is mutual. It is because of this tension that the affluent choose to kill the young children belonging to the poor in order to control population. Class struggle has often involved the desire to control the fate, resources, and population of the other class. In this case, it is possible to analyze the struggle for the distribution of resources as one of the overarching concerns in the tensions that determine the existence between the powerful groups and the weaker groups in the society. Ultimately, the novel exposes some of the structural causes of poverty and inequality in the developed world. The system of rules, policies, and structures are responsible for the creation of rifts between one class and the other. In this regard, it becomes necessary to consider some of the issues in terms of their capacity to restore balance between the powerful and the less powerful groups. Works Cited Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games Trilogy. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2011 Klangwisan, Yael. The Hunger Games. Review. Stimulus Volume. 2012. 19 (2). Mesa, Michael, J. (2012). The Hunger Games. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 52 (8). Pollitt, Katha. The Hunger Games’ Feral Feminism. The Nation. 23 April, 2012. Read More