The Hunger Games (social issues)

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http://mereduet.blogspot.com/2015/04/los-juegos-del-hambre.htmlIn this trilogy, Suzanne Collins depicts a society in which many issues are denounced. She presents social issues giving place to an unfair society full of injustices trying to make the reader conscious of such problems. These issues are very well linked with the plot of the novel and they are easily identifiable, among these aspects such as government oppression, hierarchisation and classism are present in the trilogy, and they will be treated below.


In first place, it should be remarked that their society is ruled by an oppressive government which is not worried about the injustices and inequality of classes but about controlling people for their own welfare. This leads to a big and one of the main social issues covered within the novels: the social hierarchisation. Panem, their country, is divided into districts, and each district belong to a social class. Therefore, if someone belongs to one of the lowest districts, as the main character does, he will have to get by and survive to precarious conditions. People who belong to these classes have to resort to hunting, collecting and even to barter and illegal activities to survive because if they ask the government for food, they will have more possibilities of being a tribute for the hunger games. This is the way in which poverty together with hunger become important social issues.



Resultado de imagen de pobreza en los juegos del hambre

Furthermore, it may be commented how the participation and victory of the main characters, Katniss and Peeta, in the hunger games suppose a change in society, because... How two people of the lowest classes have been able to win such a “game”? Once the main characters win, they use their power and social influence to call the masses and fight against the Capitolium. As the Capitolium sees a hazard on them, they make use of ideological propaganda in order to control people and avoid the lowest classes to rebel, by doing this they create insecurity and fear among people. They also get this feeling among people by using a huge police force. They do not try to change any injustice, but they just want to assure their own safety, and sometime when they do not want to be aware of the “outside” world, they abuse of drugs consume and other “luxuries” of which high classes can make use of.

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  1. Rodrigo23 de mayo de 2019 a las 4:13

    Very interesting article deepening into a recurrent topic nowadays, the control of some governments over their societies. It is curious the fact that the two protagists can congregate such quantity of followers from the lower classes, being this an example to take into account for our non-fictional lives.

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    1. Andrea Sánchez23 de mayo de 2019 a las 4:23

      What an interesting perspective!
      There is a Whatsapp group in which all these topics are discussed! If you are interested in joining the group, please, do not hesitate to contact us!

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