Rhetorical Analysis of The Hunger Games - Essay Example

17 February Rhetorical Analysis of “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, narrates the story of a 16 years old girl, Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to replace her younger sister for a televised game of survival. The story, which falls in the science fiction genre, “takes place in a post-modern North America” (Tamny par.4) which is in a state of ruin due to draught and famine. The country known as Panem has 12 districts, with its headquarters at Capitol, which is the major city “run by the governing elite” (Tamny par.4). The system of the game, designed for the sadistic pleasure of the upper echelons of the society, is that representatives from each of the districts will participate in a competition for survival from which only one will emerge alive. On the surface level, the novel is a political criticism as those who rule the country are both the organizers of the game as well as its connoisseurs, who repress and exploit their people. However, a more significant aspect of the novel is Collins’ use of moral and emotional rhetoric to criticize the manner in which media and reality shows, as illustrated through the game, are exploiting the sentiments of an audience that sells themselves to cheap gimmicks. Katha Pollitt, a noted writer, opines that the work of Collins can be interpreted as an “indictment of reality television, in which a bored and cynical audience amuses itself watching desperate people destroy themselves” (Pollit par.2). In the novel, the people in the Capitol seek gory and gruesome entertainment by pitting the teenagers from the 12 districts to fight against one another in a battle of survival. Collins deftly deploys the strategy of the rhetoric of morality by challenging the propriety of a reality TV show, where the participants as pawns. To achieve this objective, she uses the voice of Peeta, a teenage boy from District 12, when and makes the character say that he wants to show the people in Capitol that they do not own him and that he is “more than just a piece in their Games” (Collins 142). By illustrating such sentiments of the character, Collins primarily wants to communicate to her audience that the people in governance, through the help of media and reality shows are in fact exploiting people. Thus, by using the rhetoric device of moral appropriateness, Collins reveals to her audience that the government in Capitol is exploiting their own people. Secondarily, she makes her character retort that he is not a mere piece in their games. By emphasizing the character’s sense of self-respect, the author illustrates he dexterity in using the rhetoric of morality in communicating her ideas to the audience. In addition, the author also uses the rhetoric of emotion, through the voice of her character, is also declaring her concerns about how society is being manipulated by media and reality shows. Besides, Collins herself has confessed that her idea for the novel has been inspired from “flipping the television channels between reality shows and war footage” (Basbas 3). The emotion she thus brings out in her characters works as an effective strategy to demonstrate her disapproval of the system. Collins also uses the story’s theme, which is the power of the government and its misuse to influence people in a negative way. The government, in the story, is seen to be the Capitol, which controls the citizens and keeps a close eye on them and it uses media and reality shows to implement it. They punish those who rebel against them through the means of the ‘hunger games,’ which is also a reminder to other people of what the consequences maybe had they been the ones who rebelled. The whole show is telecasted so that the people of the districts know exactly what the participants are going through and so that the people of the capitol can fulfill their sadistic desires they harbor deep down in their minds. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) believes that seeking of enjoyment in the suffering of others is “one of the worst traits of human nature” and Collins uses this concept as her rhetoric by portraying the televised fight for survival that Capitol sponsors, to illustrate how media and reality shows exploit people, especially teenagers (Shaffer n.d). The story further brings to fore the fact that the government employs various tactics in influencing the minds of the citizens, especially by means of the media, in this case, reality shows. The author focuses on the future, how the world would be after many years and according to her, the future holds a dire scenario for the citizens of North America, who have succumbed to a fate created for them by the rich and wealthy sections of society. Her vision when analyzed closely is not too far from reality, as already the rich controls how the world works. In her novel, she portrays the future to be a reflection of the past, in terms of the hunger games, which are similar to that of the gladiatorial games that were considered the main means of entertainment, between 264 BC to the early fifth century AD. The gladiator games were eliminated when it dawned to people that it was pure cruelty and barbarianism at its peak, therefore indicating a phase that man had begun to think rationally and that his mind had evolved from that of a mere primate. However, in Collins’ novel, the barbarianism resurfaces guised in the form of ‘hunger games,’ and thus, she uses the rhetoric of historical relevance to show that the people have lost humanity and once again turned to savagery for exercising control over the masses. The author, through the story, basically criticizes the government, who through the media, are trying to enforce their totalitarian ideals. The novel features “dystopia,” where the society is “a repressed, controlled, restricted system” and it is exactly this kind of system that the Capitol wants the people of Panem to be (Basbas 1). Thus, the government utilizes media to exhort its ideals and it only shows what it thinks to be ideal for the citizens. Therefore, it is understood that although the hunger games is fully telecasted as a reality show, scenes that show hints of rebellion against the Capitol have been removed and cut, so that it does not instill in the minds of the audience a sense to revolt or rebel. One such scene is when Katniss pays her final respects to “Rue’s corpse” by adorning her dead body with roses (Collins 223). This scene is not telecasted as it is against the rules of the hunger games. The participants are required to show no mercy against their fellow members and their only goal is supposed to be to survive and emerge victorious from the rest. Collins, through her novel, wants to reach out to the general public, but above that, it can be seen that her main focus is on teenagers. She wants to communicate to teenagers the fact that reality shows are meaningless unless they understand the bigger picture, or as is in most cases, grasp the subtle elements of the picture. In ‘The Hunger Games,’ the portrayal of the protagonist, Katniss is done in a way so as to evoke a sense of responsibility as well as sacrifice in the modern generation. The fact that Katniss is the one who takes care of the whole household echoes in her statement “the last thing I needed was another mouth to feed,” when her sister Prim brings home a stray cat (Collins 3). The sense of sacrifice that the author portrays in Katniss is seen through her volunteering to suffer the perils of the hunger games instead of Prim. Another element that Collins wants to put under the spotlight is the practicality of things in life, especially in terms of intense feelings such as love. She characterizes Katniss as being practical and understanding the slightest hint of love even in the cat, as opposed to teenage girls of the present day, whose minds are oblivious to such practical aspects of life. This is seen through her observance of Buttercup, the cat, ceasing to “hiss” after she feeds him “entrails” and she realizes then that “this (was) the closest (they) would ever come to love” (Collins 4). It is to these girls that the author wants to become a source of inspiration through the protagonist and wants them to be able to comprehend the world around them just like Katniss does. Therefore, ‘The Hunger Games’ is a novel seen to be more than just a story that encompasses elements such as fiction, adventure and drama. It is a criticism to the political power who rule the world, engaging media as their primary means of weaponry, being aware of the fact that media is one of the most influencing and impacting feature in the modern day. She also wants to instill in her audience a sense of appreciation of life rather than watching reality shows and trying to imitate stunts that are pulled off in it. She wants them to see the world through the eyes of the protagonist Katniss, and hopes that they learn significant lessons from her. Works Cited Basbas, Amy. Collins “On Fire”: Teaching Cultural Literacy through the Hunger Games. Insight: Rivier Academic Journal, Vol.8, 2012. Web. 17 February 2013. This source, in which Amy Basbas evaluates the necessity for facilitating the students an opportunity to acquaint them with young adult literature, can be a valuable resource for students to understand the significance of “The Hunger Games” both in terms of its cultural context as well as a warning to governments that oppress people. The author also argues that this book needs to be given wider acceptance in the academic circles as it can foster student engagement as well as cultural literacy. The source identifies the cultural relevance of the novel by comparing its portrayal of the fight for survival among the tributes from the 12 districts to the gladiators of ancient Rome and by explaining how Collins responds to such gruesome entertainment. The author also believes that works like The Hunger Games will encourage students to a lifelong reading habit. Thus, the source will be of immense help to students in not only understanding the novel but also its significance to the academic curriculum as well as their personal development. Similarly, the author contends that through the promotion of literary, the work by Collins will also stimulate cultural literacy among the students. Besides, the work also provides the students a good sense of morality, especially through its protagonist, who only kills in self defense. In addition, the source also identifies the main focus of the book, which is the dangers of reality TV shows, which the media uses to mislead their audience. It is an absolute necessity for students to understand the pitfalls of media, which this source helps them to. Thus, overall this can be a very valuable for the academic community. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Inc. 2008. Web. 17 February 2013. Dunn, George A & Michaud, Nicholas (Ed.). The Hunger Games and Philosophy: A Critique of Pure Treason. Blackwell Philosophy and Culture Series. Web. This source contains several essays that illustrate and discuss various aspects of the novel. This can be a valuable source for students in understanding various types of symbols, cultural notations, historical context etc that Collins uses in the context of her novel. The editors claim that with this book they attempt to explore the fantastic and disturbingly familiar world that Katniss traverses through, and try to decipher the meanings of life through the protagonist’s eyes. Therefore, the essays in this book will help the students clearly understand the perspectives of Katniss about life. Besides, the essays also focus on her traits as a true heroin especially in the context of her taking responsibility and sacrificing herself in place of her sister. Thus, it will breed in the teenagers a sense of purpose in their life by understanding the true virtues of the protagonist. One of the especially noteworthy essays in this book is “The Joy of Watching Others Suffer: Schadenfreude and the Hunger Games,” written by Andrew Shaffer. In this essay, the author illustrates how the people in the Capitol watch and enjoy the fight and explains what its impacts are. The author further guides his readers by stating that to understand Capitol’s citizens we need to first look at our own society and how we treat celebrities. By using such connections and comparisons, the students can have a better understanding of the theme and connotations of the novel in the context of the present society in which they live in. Thus, overall, this source will help the students in gaining a better understand the novel and its allusions. Pollit, Katha. The Hunger Games’ Feral Feminism. The Nation 23 April 2012. Web. 18 February 2013. Tamny, John. Suzanne Collins “The Hunger” Illustrates the Horrors of Big Government. Forbes. 2012. Web. 17 February 2013. Read More