How Does The Hunger Games Present The Inequalities Between Rich And Poor?

‘The Hunger Games’ is a written/extended text (novel) written by Suzanne Collins, which is a dystopian novel written in the voice of a 16 year-old, Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic nation of Panem. The Capitol is a highly advanced metropolis, which has full authority and control of the entire nation that consists of 12 surrounding Districts. The Hunger Games itself, is an annual event where one by and one girl is selected as tributes from each of the 12 Districts to participate and compete in a televised battle till the death, where only the last one standing will be victorious.

One of the key idea in the text reveals the inequalities between the rich and poor. This idea is made evident through the division of Panem. The people of Panem are divided into 12 districts and welfare levels between the districts vary, although no district is nearly as wealthy as the Capitol. Because of the strict oppressive rules that are heavily enforced by the Capitol, almost everyone, especially the people of the poorer Districts,
such as Districts 10, 11 and 12 are deprived of social interaction, opportunities, as well as simple necessities such as food and water, to live on a day to day basis.
Katniss refers to the starvation and deprivation in District 12 when she says ‘In District 12 looking old is something of an achievement since so many people die early.’ Because of the technological differences and vast wealth that the Capitol possesses, in comparison to the other districts, especially District 12, they are able to control everything and are able to keep everyone in line by asserting their power using their so called ‘Peace Keepers’. This text goes over the contemplation that rich communities have the best of everything and so therefore they’re more powerful and able to control those who are less fortunate. This idea of inequalities between the Districts, more particularly District 12 and the Capitol itself, forced me to think of societies in the world that are more wealthy
than others. This is thought-provoking because it allowed me to come to the realisation that our world in the 21st Century today, could be viewed as one similar to that of Panem. Realising that I would be considered lucky by many others, to live a privileged life with all the necessities being available at the fingertips, in comparison to others, not only made me feel grateful, but also guilty that I have often envied those that have more than me instead of thinking about the wider social groups that have less and appreciating the wealth and opportunities my socio-economic status and class affords me.

I find the annual event of ‘The Hunger Games’ itself quite unfair and dysfunctional because of how the Capitol punishes their citizens for what happened during the ‘Dark Days’ of the nation and the uprising of the 13 Districts against the Capitol. The Hunger Games takes place in the post-apocalyptic, dystopian nation of Panem, the country that rose up in place of the once previously corrupted and collapsed remains of North America. The result was a shining nation ringed by 13 Districts, and ruled by the Capitol, the colloquial name of the official government which exercises complete economic and political dominance over Panem, and is where the nation’s most wealthy and powerful citizens live. Then came the ‘Dark Days’, the uprising of the 13 Districts who revolted against the capitol for their oppressive rule over the nation, together in a rebellion. The result was disastrous, with the Capitol quelling their uprising and completely annihilating District 13 in the process. Because of the Districts’ lost, the Capitol decided as a form of punishment to create the Hunger Games as a reminder of their defeat. The rules of the Hunger Games are simple as described by Katniss, ‘… In punishment for the uprising, each of the 12 Districts must provide one girl and one boy, called ‘tributes’, to participate. The 24 tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena ... Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.’ The Capitol uses the Hunger Games as an event to provide entertainment for their citizens and to remind the Districts of their power and lack of remorse, forgetfulness and forgiveness for the failed rebellion of the current competitors' ancestors. It must be extremely difficult to watch as the people in power are able to take your children and make them suffer, knowing that if you don’t comply, you’ll get executed immediately. ‘Taking the kids from our Districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy ever last one of you. Just like we did in District 13.”’