Marxism In The Hunger Games

The Hunger games also coincides with Marx’s second general rule. As mentioned previously, the districts have their own specific industries that produce specific materials that are mainly reaped by the Capitol, which does not give back to the districts. Throughout the movie, district twelve has been presented as a poverty struck district that produces coal. As Katness and Peta have been chosen to participate in the Hunger Games they are relocated to the Capitol. The pause in dialog after Effie says “This is the living room. I know, I know” (The Hunger Games), shows that Peta and Katniss where they are utterly stunned by the shear luxury that the residence lives in. All the products that district twelve as well as the other districts, are
While neither of the fictions are solely run by a capitalist authority, these fictions draw very closely from Marx’s theory of Alienation. By using this theory it becomes abundantly clear that because of the capitalist like reign on both societies there is significant oppression and degradation of both classes. In “The Hunger Games” the class difference between the citizens that live in the Capitol and the citizens living in the districts is vast. The Capitol consumes all the resources produced by the districts directly relating them to Marx’s bourgeoisies. As the bourgeoisies continue to benefit from the districts hard work they continue to create inequity between the two classes. By applying the different sections of Marx’s theory of alienation the boundaries such as rich versus poor, is uncovered in “The Hunger Games” and raises the issues of classism, totalitarian reign, abuse of power and inequity. Similarly, in “Matched” the application of Marx’s theory was applied to a society that wasn’t completely capitalist, but the idea of the Society is a central authority that ultimately gains and benefits from the working class. To be able to keep their position of power they are able to use Marx’s alienation theory to create a class system and exploit the labour of aberrations an anomalies. “Hence, the theory concludes, once workers comprehend their situation they will be- disposed to undertake collective action to ameliorate their lot under capitalism and to do away with capitalism altogether when prospects are good that revolutionary action will succeed” (Arneson 627). By oppressing workers by alienating them through various methods such as alienation between peers they are able to maintain their power, because there will be no grounds to start an uprising. Through this class system it can also be seen that a totalitarian government, oppression,