The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The first of these concepts which will be analyzed is that of the fundamental Marxist nature of the post-apocalyptic world in which the heroine finds herself. The reader is instantly greeted by a society that is highly stratified and one in which those that have actively work to ensure that those that have not will continue to find themselves in such a situation of want and/or deprivation. Although it is not the belief of this analysis that the author/filmmakers sought to portray a Marxist worldview, the fact of the matter was that the society in which Katniss survives is itself typified only by such a broad and overarching definition (Sharpe 1). In this way, the author presents a situation in which those who control the reins of society actively allocate and distribute the bare minimum to some whereas others live in abject poverty and still others (such as those in the capital) enjoy a situation which can only be defined as a type of largess. Moreover, this definition leads us conveniently into the second sociological element that the story itself engenders. Secondly, in the game (which one could argue is highly allegorical of the game of life) racial segregation and the biases that exist between class/region/gender/age are accentuated as the combatants adjust themselves to their own destiny, train for their future combat, and enter into the arena. Ultimately, the piece serves to act as a type of specialized sociological lens which humanity at its most basic level can be analyzed. Rather than seeking to analyze the nuances of how human behavior is exhibited within the normal world, the piece seeks to strip away every known detail of civility, trust, honor, and to a large extent love and friendship. Only at this point is it clear to the reader/viewer that the most primitive elements of humanity are able to be discerned as the confusing and/or complicating elements of human nature have been successfully stripped away. Thirdly, the segregation of class, race, gender, age, and geographic region of origin as well as the repression of power and wealth among key elements of society engenders a primal struggle for resources and a power conflict that defines the way in which the course of human history has been decided (Cassel 1). One cannot argue that the quest for resources and the disagreement between groups upon how those resources should be allocated has led to nearly every conflict that has ever existed within recorded history. Again, this struggle for resources based on the factors that have been listed ultimately relates back to the selfish motivations that encourage an individual to behave in a given way based upon their social interaction model and/or the level of personal gain they believe they will accrue by behaving in such manner. As such, the novel and subsequent film serves to provide a running dialogue not only of the sociological issues surrounding needs and wants but of the economic realities that define that only certain groups will be able to achieve a certain status based upon pre-conceived and oftentimes inalterable understandings of gender, race, class, and/or geographic origin (Jeffries 1). Although this element blends somewhat with the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More