essay of the hunger games

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• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:Text and analysis

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• NESA HSC English Syllabus This site includes past HSC exam papers, the subject syllabus and notes from the marking centre.

• Bloom's literature : Suzanne Collins The biographic entry for Suzanne Collins from the Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction. more... less... TAFE NSW username and password required
• Love Among the Ruins : How our awful future became the next big thing. By Lev Grossman. Time, 3/12/2012
• Dystopian novels : have you read one lately? Library Media Connection, Aug/Sep 2012
• Wikipedia : The Hunger Games A short summary of the books in The Hunger Games trilogy.
• The Hunger Games : Wikia A fan created community wiki site devoted to books and film adaptions of The Hunger Games trilogy. It includes sections on characters and plot.
• Cliff notes : The Hunger Games With sections on characters, chapter summaries and analysis, this site provides a useful overview of the novel.
• Time : PANEM's rebel : The star of the 74th annual Hunger Games A mock propaganda issue of Time Magazine promoting the 74th Hunger Games. It usefully demonstrates the manipulation of image and information in the world of Panem.
• The New York Times : Scary new world (book review). By John Green. 7/11/2008 A review of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
• The Artifice: The political message of The Hunger Games This article examines the political, social, cultural, and environmental messages contained in The Hunger Games.
• Revisiting Dystopia: the Reality Show Biopolitics of "The Hunger Games" (Academic article) This paper explores the dystopian imaginaries of the trilogy The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its film adaptations. It places the narrative into a genealogy of dystopian fiction concerned with the historical nation-state totalitarianism.
• The Hunger Games: An ecocritical reading (Academic article) This academic paper argues The Hunger Games "Recognises that the degradation of non-human nature through human action" as a major theme. It suggests a deep reading of this multilayered text "can broaden as well as change perspectives and trigger engaged debate". The paper also covers the critical issues of "consumer manipulation, media and celebrity culture".
• “In hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge”: Belly, bellum and rebellion in Coriolanus and The Hunger Games trilogy (Academic article). By Sara Soncini. Essays No. 15 05/2015 This article examines the link between Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and the shortage of food as ferment for rebellion in the districts of Panem.

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The Hunger Games

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Katniss volunteers to save her sister. Was this worth it? Why or why not?

Are Katniss and Peeta any better off at the story’s end than before they became tributes? Why or why not?

Haymitch quickly decides to serve as a real mentor to Katniss. Why do you think that is, and what effect does this have on the story?

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The Hunger Games

Suzanne collins, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Division and Control

Panem is a dictatorship ruled by President Snow and predicated on authoritarian control. President Snow maintains his control by sowing division among Panem’s people—divvying up the country into twelve districts—and ensuring their dependence upon the government. Each of the districts specializes in producing particular goods—and only those goods—and therefore relies on centralized distribution in order to survive, and this dependence is further enforced through rules like the one against poaching, which prevents residents from augmenting…

Love, Loyalty, and Compassion

In the harsh environment of the Hunger Games, it is normal for tributes to form temporary “alliances” for strategic purposes, only to eventually kill their allies when the time comes. Yet though the Games turn tributes into brutal competitors who know only that they must kill or be killed, Katniss forms not alliances but relationships . First, she volunteers for the Games in place of her little sister, Prim . Because District 12 has a…

Societal Inequality

In The Hunger Games , social inequality occurs at all levels: throughout the nation of Panem, among the twelve districts, and among the inhabitants of any given district. It is this inequity that breeds strife and creates the main conflicts of the book. In Panem, for example, wealth is heavily concentrated in the hands of those living in the Capitol, and the result is that they can’t even comprehend the lives of the poor. The…

Appearances

The Hunger Games are set up as entertainment for the citizens of the Capitol and are essentially a very extreme reality television show. As with American reality TV, appearances matter a lot in the Hunger Games, and they don’t always depict reality. The tributes need to learn how to appeal to their viewers in the Capitol so that they can gather support from sponsors. In Katniss’s case, she pretends to be in love with Peeta …

By celebrating and watching the Hunger Games, the citizens of the Capitol suggest that the tributes, drawn from the districts of Panem, don’t deserve the same security and respect that the people of the Capitol do. They suggest that the tributes are beneath them. However, during the course of the Games, many of the competitors prove that they’re more capable of feeling genuine emotion—and acting on it—than the citizens of the Capitol who watch the…

The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

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The Hunger Games Essays

The danger of ritual and tradition in "the hunger games" and “the lottery” tyler rodgers 11th grade, the hunger games.

" The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson both illustrate the dangers of blindly following ritualized practices and traditions. The stories involve the use of an institutionalized drawing system,...

Feminist Studies of Experience in The Hunger Games Cedric Dent, Jr. College

Suzanne Collins captivates readers of every age, race, and sex with her dystopian, slightly Orwellian novel, The Hunger Games . Aspects of it are reminiscent of Lois Lowry’s The Giver in that the society depicted is one in which mankind has...

Defining and Defying Female Stereotypes: A Comparison of Charlotte Temple and Katniss Everdeen Paul Patterson College

In today’s society, women are frequently thought of as helpless “damsels in distress,” or that they must rely on a man to rescue them from difficult tasks. This stereotype is furthered by television, literature, and Hollywood. An article by Salma...

New Social Order Francisco Escolar 11th Grade

In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games , the division in social class is the driving force of the novel. The Capitol creates this illusion of social mobility through the games, which provides a sense of hope to the lower classes. This “illusion”...

Trust in the Hunger Games Anonymous 8th Grade

Sadly, in today’s world, we do not trust many people but ourselves; with the influences of social media and celebrity culture, we think that we are worth more than others. In The Hunger Games, however, without trusting others you won’t survive....

An Analysis of Youthful Rebellion and Social Change in A Clockwork Orange and The Hunger Games Anonymous College

“Is it better for a man to have chosen evil than to have good imposed upon him?” (Burgess 86).

In his 1962 classic A Clockwork Orange , Anthony Burgess explores the concept of dystopian societies by employing his 15-year-old rebellious anti-hero,...

Will the Real Katniss Everdeen Please Stand?: Understanding Identity in 'The Hunger Games' Through Locke and Sartre Daniel Jerz College

The girl who was on fire, the Mockingjay, the star-crossed lover, the fierce survivor, the cold-hearted archer...which of these really defines the hero of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games? Answer: all of them, and none of them. Below the much...

The Hunger Games in Relation to Real-World Politics Anonymous College

Typically, books have more similarities to real life than most people realize. One example is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; here, Collins writes of a dystopia where a tyrannical government controls the districts and subsequently the people...

Self-Preservation Amidst Tragedy in "Battle Royal" and The Hunger Games Anonymous 12th Grade

Throughout the history of mankind, humanity has bared witness to a myriad of atrocious practices that have had an adverse effect on individuals despite the fact that they do not speak up against said practices. The Hunger Games perfectly captures...

Fear to Gain Control in Dystopian Literature Anonymous College

A prominent feature of dystopian literature is the ability of certain individuals to capitalize on the fear of others in order to gain power. A novel that this is evident in is William Golding’s Lord of the Flies , in which we see how power is...

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — The Hunger Games — The Hunger Games Theme: Social Injustice and Survival

The Hunger Games Theme: Social Injustice and Survival

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Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 711 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Social injustice and inequality, the brutality of entertainment, survival and resilience, rebellion and revolution, the consequences of power and control, conclusion: a thought-provoking reflection of society.

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Related Essays on The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is a widely popular book that falls within the dystopian genre. Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press. Mendlesohn, F. (2008). Rhetorics of fantasy. [...]

The Hunger Games has captivated audiences with its intricate characters and compelling storyline. One of the most fascinating aspects of the series is the diverse range of personality traits exhibited by the characters. From [...]

The Hunger Games, a series of novels by Suzanne Collins and a successful film franchise, has garnered widespread acclaim for its portrayal of emotions and their impact on the characters and storyline. Emotions play a pivotal [...]

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Plot Summary

The hunger games, by suzanne collins.

'The Hunger Games' is a young adult dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic universe where children are pitted against each other in a battle royale to the death.

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl who offers herself as a tribute in the annual Hunger Games in the post-apocalyptic world of Panem . Katniss undergoes several trials and tribulations as a part of the Hunger Games, which is a battle royale to the death of children aged between 12 and 18. 

‘Spoiler-free’ The Hunger Games Summary

During the annual “ reaping ” in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, one male and one female child aged between 12 and 18 are chosen as tributes for The Hunger Games. In the 74th edition of the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen , a young self-sufficient 16-year-old girl offers herself as a tribute from District 12 in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Peeta Mellark , a boy who went to school with Katniss is chosen as the male tribute. 

Katniss and Peeta make their way to the Capitol , where the Games are always held. They try to make themselves presentable with the help of various stylists and advisors – to gain sponsors during the Games for food and tools for survival.

During the Games, Katniss and Peeta undergo several chilling trials in their attempt to stay alive. They end up winning the hearts of the public as “star-crossed lovers” (as quoted in The Hunger Games), but the oppressive Capitol is not too happy when they begin rebelling.

The Hunger Games Summary 

Spoiler alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

The novel begins in a post-apocalyptic nation known as Panem. Panem was formerly North America and has now been divided into the Capitol, a wealthy and autocratic state that exploits 12 districts (that exist in varying degrees of poverty) for their labor and natural resources. Each year, a battle royale to the death in the form of The Hunger Games is held. The Hunger Games were enforced as punishment for a failed rebellion by District 13 , which was obliterated by the Capitol. Thus, every year a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen as tributes from each of the oppressed districts to attend the Hunger Games. 

In the 74th edition of the Hunger Games, Katniss’s younger sister, Primrose, is chosen as tribute from District 12 – during the televised event of the reaping . However, Katniss, the 16-year-old heroine of the novel, volunteers herself as a tribute instead. Peeta Mellark, a boy who went to school with Katniss and offered her family bread when they were starving, is named as the male tribute from District 12. 

Katniss and Peeta make their way to the Capitol. During their journey, they are advised by a drunken mentor called Haymitch Abernathy , the only living victor of the Hunger Games from District 12, as well as their chaperone, Effie Trinket to enhance their public perception. This would enable Katniss and Peeta to gain sponsors for life-saving gifts during the Hunger Games. 

A stylist named Cinna designs specialized costumes for both Katniss and Peeta to help them stand out from the rest of the participants. Katniss’ costume, which is based on the theme of fire, earns her the moniker “Girl on Fire” when she is introduced to the public at the Capitol.

Katniss surprisingly earns the highest score during an evaluation by the Gamemakers , while Peeta reveals his long-standing love for her during a televised interview with Caesar Flickerman . Although Katniss is taken aback by this revelation, she accepts that his words made her look desirable. Haymitch proceeds to promote the image of Katniss and Peeta as star-crossed lovers from District 12. 

Katniss develops an amicable relationship with the female tribute from District 11 – a petite 12-year-old girl named Rue . Soon, the Hunger Games begin. It results in a bloodbath right at the beginning, as the tributes fight to grab weapons for their survival. Katniss takes Haymitch’s advice to flee the scene immediately and manages to escape the notice of the other tributes. 

Katniss soon ends up encountering the tributes from Districts 1,2 and 4, also known as the “ career tributes ” i.e., tributes who train throughout their lives to compete in the Games. These tributes are ruthless and one of them almost always emerges as the victor in the Games. Katniss is horrified to find out that Peeta has ganged up with the career tributes, who are bent upon killing Katniss. The Careers move away from Katniss, however, and she remains safe.

Katniss wanders further and further away from the other tributes as she goes in search of water. An artificial fire is created by the Gamemakers to push her closer to the others, and she hides in a tree to escape from the Careers.

During the night, Katniss and Rue (who was hiding in a nearby tree) plot to bring down a nest of “ tracker jackers ,” on the pack of Careers. Tracker jackers are violent insects that have been genetically modified to target those who disturb their nests. They shoot venom into the fear-housing part of the victim’s mind and cause hallucinations. The nest of tracker jackers ends up killing two of the career tributes and drives the rest of them away. Meanwhile, Katniss is stung as well and starts having hallucinations.

Peeta comes back and instead of killing her, he tells her to run away and fends off one of the Careers. He later informs her that he had been trying to protect her. Katniss escapes and passes out in a ditch. She and Rue team up once again to destroy the supplies of the Career tributes, but Rue is fatally wounded by the male tribute from District 11. Katniss kills Rue’s killer in return and keeps Rue company while she lays dying. She pays tribute to Rue by spreading flowers over her body, and District 11 sends her a loaf of bread in gratitude.

Just then, a rule change is announced in the Games. Instead of a single victor, the Gamemakers allow two tributes from the same district to win as a team. Katniss and Peeta thus team up, but Peeta has been severely wounded due to his fight with the Career tribute . 

Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta to receive gifts from the sponsors. She risks her life to obtain medicine for Peeta. On the way, she encounters a Career tribute who tries to kill her but is killed himself by the male tribute from District 11 named Thresh . Thresh spares Katniss for what she has done for his partner, Rue, and Katniss is able to obtain the medicine and nurse Peeta back to health.

Thresh is killed by the last remaining Career, Cato . Katniss and Peeta are forced to encounter Cato by the Gamemakers, only to find him being chased by mutant wolves. Cato is torn to shreds but is left to die a slow death. Katniss shoots an arrow through his head out of mercy.

Thus, Katniss and Peeta emerge as the last two survivors in the Games. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the Gamemakers announce a rule change once again. They ask Katniss and Peeta to kill each other and provide them with a dramatic finale. Katniss and Peeta, however, decide to rebel against the Capitol and prepare to consume the “ nightlock berries ” – highly poisonous berries – together. Realizing that the duo was going to kill themselves, the Gamemakers hurriedly end the Games and declare both of them as the winners.  

Katniss and Peeta thus return home to a hero’s welcome from District 12. However, Peeta is heartbroken to realize that Katniss merely played the role of a girl in love to gain sympathy from sponsors during the Games. Haymitch also warns Katniss that the Capitol would not stay quiet in the face of her rebellious act. Katniss steels herself for what comes next, even as she struggles with the ramifications of the Games.

Why is The Hunger Games a banned book?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is not banned per se. However, it has continuously remained controversial ever since its publication. In 2016, it became number 5 on the most challenged books list of the American Library Association for “insensitivity, offensive language, violence, anti-family, anti-ethic and occult/satanic values.”

Is The Hunger Games okay for an 11-year-old?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a young adult dystopian novel that has been deemed by Scholastic to be appropriate for children aged between 11 and 13. However, parents are concerned that it might be too violent for young children and that it might be too graphic at times. It is also commonly categorized as a Young Adult novel meant for 12 to 18-year-olds.

Why did Katniss kill herself?

Katniss does not kill herself at the end of the Hunger Games. However, she does attempt to commit suicide as an act of defiance against the Capitol, along with her partner and male tribute from District 12, Peeta Mellark. She does not go through with her suicide, as the Gamemakers allow her to return home along with Peeta.

Who does Katniss actually love?

Before she goes to the Hunger Games, Katniss harbors strong feelings for her long-standing friend, Gale. However, she develops an unbreakable bond with Peeta Mellark during the Hunger Games. She also plays the part of a lover to gain sympathy from the sponsors during the Games. As a result, she emerges with confused feelings at the end of the book.

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About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Five Lessons in Human Goodness from “The Hunger Games”

In the dystopian future world of The Hunger Games , 24 teenagers are forced to fight to the death, their battle turned into televised entertainment.

This war-of-all-against-all scenario sounds as though it might reveal the worst in humanity—and to a degree, that’s true.

But what raises The Hunger Games above similar stories, like the cynical Japanese film Battle Royale , is that it is mainly preoccupied with how human goodness can flourish even in the most dehumanizing circumstances.

As I watched the film and read the books, I found the story kept reminding me of classic pieces in Greater Good about the psychological and biological roots of compassion, empathy, and cooperation. The vision of human beings as fundamentally caring and connected is not merely wishful thinking on the part of Suzanne Collins, the author of the novels on which the movie is based. In fact, it’s been tested by a great deal of scientific research. Here are five examples.

1. Killing is against human nature. Katniss, a skilled hunter and the hero of The Hunger Games , is indeed horrified by the prospect of dying—but her worst fears revolve around needing to kill other people. “You know how to kill,” says her friend Gale in the first book. “Not people,” she replies, filled with horror at the idea. When she actually does kill a girl named Glimmer, she’s wracked with guilt and throws herself over the body “as if to protect it.”

Research says that Katniss is the rule, not the exception. “The study of killing by military scientists, historians, and psychologists gives us good reason to feel optimistic about human nature, for it reveals that almost all of us are overwhelmingly reluctant to kill a member of our own species, under just about any circumstance,” writes Lt. Col. Dave Grossman in his Greater Good essay, “Hope on the Battlefield.”

Sociologist Randall Collins comes to a similar conclusion in his massive study Violence . “The Hobbesian image of humans, judging from the most common evidence, is empirically wrong,” he writes. “Humans are hardwired for interactional entrainment and solidarity; and this is what makes violence so difficult.”

2. Wealth makes us less compassionate. The citizens of the Capitol brutally exploit the 12 districts of the country of Panem, giving themselves a very high standard of living while deliberately keeping the rest in a state of abject poverty. The movie and the book take pains to reveal how much this limits their ability to empathize with the less fortunate—a situation confirmed by research, some of which has been generated by the Greater Good Science Center here at UC Berkeley.

“In seven separate studies,” writes Yasmin Anwar, “UC Berkeley researchers consistently found that upper-class participants were more likely to lie and cheat when gambling or negotiating, cut people off when driving, and endorse unethical behavior in the workplace.” 

This doesn’t mean affluence makes you evil. According to the author of a related study , Greater Good Science Center Hornaday Graduate Fellow Jennifer Stellar, “It’s not that the upper classes are coldhearted. They may just not be as adept at recognizing the cues and signals of suffering because they haven’t had to deal with as many obstacles in their lives.”

3. People are motivated to help others by empathy, not reason or numbers. “If you really want to stay alive, you get people to like you,” says their drunken, traumatized mentor, Haymitch. It’s the first advice he gives to the heroes, Katniss and Peeta, and a surprising amount of the film’s action revolves around their efforts to win people’s sympathy, which results in “sponsorships” that help them in their most desperate moments.

Haymitch’s advice is supported by new research that suggests if you want to encourage people to take humanitarian action, logic and big numbers don’t help—as every ad copywriter knows, people are most moved to help individuals with compelling personal stories.

When a team of psychologists ran a study of two fundraising appeals—one emphasizing a girl’s story, the other the number of people affected by the problem—they found “that people have more sympathy for identifiable victims because they invoke a powerful, heartfelt emotional response, whereas impersonal numbers trigger the mind’s calculator,” as former GGSC fellow Naazneen Barma writes . “In a fascinating cognitive twist, this appeal to reason actually stunts our altruistic impulses.”

4. Power flows from social and emotional intelligence, not strength and viciousness. Peeta proves particularly adept at manipulating the emotions of the “Hunger Games” audience. He seldom actually lies to anyone, but he does artfully reveal and conceal his emotions to maximize their impact and win support for their survival (a trait illustrated in the clip above, when he uses his crush on Katniss as the raw material for a compelling, sympathetic story). In contrast, the characters who rely on brute force and violent prowess find themselves isolated and defeated in the end. It’s the most compassionate characters who ultimately triumph.

This is exactly what research in social and emotional intelligence predicts will happen. “A new science of power has revealed that power is wielded most effectively when it’s used responsibly by people who are attuned to, and engaged with, the needs and interests of others,” writes GGSC Faculty Director Dacher Keltner in his essay “The Power Paradox.” “Years of research suggests that empathy and social intelligence are vastly more important to acquiring and exercising power than are force, deception, or terror.”

5. Social connection trumps power and independence. “The upshot of 50 years of happiness research is that the quantity and quality of a person’s social connections—friendships, relationships with family members, closeness to neighbors, etc.—is so closely related to well-being and personal happiness the two can practically be equated,” writes Christine Carter in her Raising Happiness blog .

It’s a point reinforced by Robert Sapolsky in his essay, “How to Relieve Stress” :

There’s another lesson we can learn from dogs and other hierarchical mammals, like baboons: Social rank can cause stress, especially where rankings are unstable and people are jockeying for position. But social rank is not as important as social context. What patterns of social affiliation do you have? How often do you groom, how often does somebody groom you? How often do you sit in contact and play with kids? What’s clear by now is if you have a choice between being a high-ranking baboon or a socially affiliated one, the latter is definitely the one that is going to lead to a healthier, longer life. That’s the baboon we want to be—not the one with power, but the one with friends, neighbors, and family.

Katniss would very much like to be totally self-reliant. But she simply isn’t, and from a certain perspective, The Hunger Games is the story of how she comes to realize the importance of social connection and her interdependence with other people.

In the book, when one character tells her she’s a survivor, her reply is telling: “But only because someone helped me.” Katniss is tough and resourceful, but, in the end, it’s her ability to connect with others that saves her.

About the Author

Jeremy Adam Smith

Uc berkeley.

Jeremy Adam Smith edits the GGSC's online magazine, Greater Good . He is also the author or coeditor of five books, including The Daddy Shift , Are We Born Racist? , and (most recently) The Gratitude Project: How the Science of Thankfulness Can Rewire Our Brains for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good . Before joining the GGSC, Jeremy was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.

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Hunger Games’s story is awesome. It show us two extreme side of life: the life in capitol where humanity life so prosper (they even thrown up their food to eat more) and the life in District 12 where a slice of bread is so difficult to get.

asfarian | 12:32 am, April 19, 2012 | Link

I don’t know why, but the environmental blogs were all over this movie. Maybe because it’s a modern day apocolyptic scenario?

“people are most moved to help individuals with compelling personal stories.”

People are struggling to find out why there is such a disconnect between environmental reality and our sense of urgency. A new study showed that people who were shown dead plants were more likely to be concerned about climate change than those who were shown suffering polar bears…...maybe because dead plants reminds people of droughts.

Maybe direct violence is more compelling than indirect suffering from storms caused by climate change?

Amelie | 10:38 am, April 19, 2012 | Link

Hi Amelie. Greater Good has actually published an article about exactly that topic, how to motivate people to tackle climate change: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/hot_s pot

I actually consider it to be one of our richest, most though-provoking pieces.

Jeremy Adam Smith | 12:33 pm, April 19, 2012 | Link

I work in the entertainment industry and find it amazing that we think it’s okay to force children to wade through the sewage of films like “The Hunger Games” in order to find a few examples of human goodness.  What’s the point?  It is utterly shocking to me that even though this medium can take the viewer anywhere… let me say that again… ANYWHERE… it prefers to show us post-apocolyptic, violent and degrading doom and gloom.  Really?  And here’s the worst part of all:  I recently asked a group of 14-20 year olds how they felt about the future, and ALL of them said they think things will get worse - not better, and the general attitude was that they don’t really care or have any hope left.  I literally wept after hearing their responses.  What a tragic outlook to be burdened with.  And where do they get this outlook from?  The “entertainment” industry.  So I ask, for the sake of our children and their future, who among us in this extraordinarily influential industry will show them a bright and beautiful future?  Because if they cannot see it or have a frame of reference to it in some capacity, how will they ever be inspired to create it?  Can we do a study on THAT?

Marlowe Brown | 10:13 am, April 20, 2012 | Link

@Jermey Adam Smith thanks for sharing that article. Yes thought provoking, and chilling. What is going to happen to us if we can’t get everyone on board? This is a human issue and it’s not like some other tragedy where life will go on with a certain group suffering in silence…..if this spirals out of control before we get motivated, that will be it for everyone. Climate scientists will have the biggest I Told You So of all time and then it will all be over.

Amelie | 6:58 pm, April 23, 2012 | Link

Marlowe Brown said it beautifully.  When we grew up with Father Knows Best at least we had an image of what life could offer. Even if it was somewhat idealized it was a model to aspire to.  I agree that the low feeling expressed by our younger adults - generally, not 100%, is mirrored to them daily. Music, TV, Movies, news. There has got to be a balanced view of this world we share. The producers, the studios, the “powers that be” could use their gifted skills and dare to go against the accepted “that’s just the way it is” or let’s make it bigger, meaner, sexier, nastier, attitude.  They could actually change some of the trends by risking to be different. Some film makers do try and seem to have higher standards and hopefully will continue.  We need a more positive, optimistic future to present. A true connection of people to people not an electronic one.

Anita Arnold | 8:12 am, April 24, 2012 | Link

Marlowe and Anita, I largely agree that the entertainment industry is guilty of all those things, and more. But I have a different take on dystopian fictions, which I think have a definite place in the constellation of human story-types.

They serve as warnings against current trends and as ways of illuminating what’s best in people by putting them in the worst circumstances. For those reasons, dystopian stories can also be highly dramatic.

What if we had nothing but utopias, or only idealized, aspirational visions of the ways we live? The result would be propagandistic and perhaps more than a little dull. Focusing on idealized futures also obscures the historical processes that stand behind them—the political conflicts that brought them into being. I actually think the message of The Hunger Games is a very positive one: that we all have a responsibility to resist the worst aspects of our society.

Jeremy Adam Smith | 12:32 pm, May 1, 2012 | Link

I agree that the entertainment industry is to blame for forking every cent they can from sad and uninspiring apocalyptic futures, but let’s face it, entertainment unfortunately flourishes as the needs of those who watch it: every attempt to create some good and inspirational story usually ends up not selling to the general people, and because of that, because it does not “profit”, they seldom invest too much on that. Aren’t we, the viewers, the readers, also to blame for the lack of good future stories?

Also, on this subject, The Hunger Games shows us that it doesn’t matter what the media or the industry shows: if the base society is suffering, if what they see is fake (either they realize or not), we are bound to eventually try, and hope, for a better future. I mean, look at what the book shows: The Capitol and their media is desperate in showing a stable, good and kind country (even to the extent of exploring the human arena of tributes to a largely emotionally stunt audience), but it does not prevent a revolution.

What I mean to say is: what we see in the movies or media, what our mind believes is the future, and what we actually fight for, are different. Do most people agree the future is going to get worse? I embrace that as an acknowledgement that we MUST CHANGE, we must take better care of the environment, of civil differences, of hunger in the world, if we want to change that. Look at how people perceived the world a century ago: they expected it would be awesome, high tech, better morals, all good - and it didn’t turn out to be that way - not entirely.

Also, I would like to point out that it’s not entirely true that the entertainment industry only shows dystopian and apocalyptic futures, but it’s largely a western view. Take a look at some high-selling series in Japan (they love animation), like a 3- season series called “ARIA”, where you mostly just smile at the screen every episode with the nearly utopic future they portray, or a visual novel named “Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou” with a plot where humanity is becoming PEACEFULLY and happily EXTINCT. I don’t see anything like that in the west, a “happy ending” for humanity, why is that? Why we love so much to see the end of the world as something sad (and bad?).

The answer is simple: we still see death as something inherently bad, while some cultures already took note that it’s not. Once we evolve to embrace death as something that is part of live, and makes life better, we might start realizing that the end of the world might - also - be something that comes quietly and peacefully.

Caio Vianna de Lima Netto | 1:03 pm, June 11, 2012 | Link

Suzanne Collins: Inequality and Meritocracy in “The Hunger Games” Essay

Introduction, works cited.

The hunger games was a book written by Suzanne Collins and has been acknowledged and criticized. The play is based on the period when North America government was reduced to Panem country. The disintegration resulted to twelve districts which were controlled by Capitol.

The hunger games were held in Capitol annually. Two tributes from both genders were drawn from the twelve districts and engaged in a fight to death. The essay will focus in answering questions that arise in an attempt to review the book. Themes of poverty, social inequality and love are well featured in the book. Further, the essay will relate some of occurrences to the situation in United States.

Theme of inequality runs throughout the book. Capitol controls twelve districts and influences their lives. Katniss lives in a place nicknamed Seam because it harbors poor coal miners. The twelve districts must comply by selecting two tributes to participate in the game. Once a tribute is chosen he or she must go to Capitol. Career tributes come from the rich families and are favored. Career tributes are trained intensively since they come from rich families.

Career tributes compete with other tributes from poor families who are not trained. The uncompromised fight to death shows inequality between the authority and subjects. Capitol manipulates wasps and wolves mutants as a way of frustrating tributes from poor families. The change of rules during game shows how Capitol can influence the outcome (Collins 79).

Panem is a meritocratic system where success is based on ability and performance. The career tributes yearn for the hunger games since they will be rewarded for their skills. The intense training depicts the importance of reward to the tributes. Katniss and Peeta tell Haymitch to be dedicated in his work so as to ensure they get rewards and sponsorship at the end of the game.

Further, tributes are dedicated in killing each other so as to emerge as winners. After Peeta and Katniss are declared winners they are overjoyed because of the rewards. Further, when Peeta and Katniss return home, their people are happy and they pose for cameras (Collins 154).

Media influences the social structure of Panem to a great extent. As a result, the citizens are more cohesive and learn to appreciate each other. Before the games begin all tributes are interviewed by a television host. The society gets to know how prepared their tributes are for the hunger games.

Peeta gets to inform the rest of the society including Katniss of his true feelings for her. After Peeta and Katniss return home victorious media aspect is involved (Collins 165). The two victors pose for cameras as they unite with their people. Tributes get to know each other better via media. Further, the society is in touch with the preparedness of their tributes via media.

Media influence in social aspect is similar to the situation in United States. Media plays a crucial role in promoting social cohesion among the citizens of the United States. For example, during the political campaigns the rivals get to know each other’s strategies via media. The supporters gauge the success chances of their political representative via media.

The cohesion in the society is promoted as people are united by media. People from different sides are featured equally thus enhancing social equality. The social relation between politicians and their supporters is enhanced by media. Political parties accept defeat and success of the rival due to trust and reliability that is associated with media in United States.

According to Allan Johnson, social structure is prone to many forces. Many factors are considered in establishment of social structure. Social structure varies with the change in attitude, norms and beliefs. Path of least resistance is interpreted as the common expectations by a specific social structure. Path of least resistance is associated with acceptance while the opposite leads to rejection and punishment.

In Panem, path of least resistance is well laid by the Capitol. All districts present two tributes from both sexes during the hunger games as spelt by the government.

Katniss volunteers in place of her sister to ensure that her family do not defy with the set orders. Haymitch trains Katniss skillfully so as to ensure that she will be successful by doing what is required. For example, the tactic of running from her rivals increases her chances of being victorious (Collins 179). Katniss teams up with Rue since she knows that they are more likely to win by forming a bond.

There is one instance when Katniss and Peeta fail to follow the path of low resistance. When the second announcement during the game demands that they should kill each other, they opt to commit suicide. Peeta and Katniss attempt to eat the poisonous berries and defy the orders of Capitol. Despite their disobedience, they are both proclaimed winners. However, Haymitch advices Katniss to tell the authority that she was in love with Peeta and could not be able to kill him so as to show that she was not being disobedient (Collins 180).

The hunger Games is a book that highlights significant issues in sociology arena. Social structure is one of the aspects featured in the book. Gender equity is well pronounced when the districts are supposed to produce tributes from both genders (Collins 212). Further, all districts take part in the games which shows social cohesion.

Power distance model involving the relationship between the authority and subjects is well featured. The social activities involved in the livelihood of the people of Panem promote cultural knowledge and acceptance. The book highlights instances of inequity and relates them with negative effects. Equity is associated with positive impacts to the society. The book discourages inequity and advocates for social cohesion.

The hunger games take place in a place that is not well known by the tributes. The hardships and the different situations are meant to make tributes adjust and survive all conditions. The hunger games involve participation of all districts which promotes cohesion (Collins 260).

The rich compete with the poor at a place where they are exposed to similar conditions. However, Collins successfully highlights some of the benefits accorded to the rich tributes. The nature of meritocracy ensures that the tributes of high merit are accorded great rewards. The book bridges the gap between the rich and the poor by negating the benefits accorded to rich and boosting the ability of the poor tributes.

Miner’s story on Nacirema attempts to bridge the gaps existing between different cultures. There are cultures that are considered being superior to others. The attempt of Miner is to reduce the intensity of culture disregard and promote acceptance. Miner features Nacirema people who thought that their bodies were vulnerable to diseases and sought for magic to heal them.

Miner talks of the shrine in which every Nacirema was supposed to pray and drink substances given by medicine men. Miner compares the culture of Nacirema with that of Americans. He refers to the shrine as being a bathroom according to Americans. Their belief in magic is associated with cosmetics and makeup used by Americans. The magical drinks are interpreted as medicine given by doctors in America.

The hunger games features Panem society that can be compared with American society. The games could be interpreted as political campaigns where the victorious politician is accorded reward. The participation of all districts in the games can be interpreted as equality exercised when supporters vote (Collins 289).

Consequently, inequality can be associated with the discrimination accorded to people of lower status in America. The book is well suited for youths since entertainment and theme of love is well featured. The protagonist is outstanding especially with her ace of hunting. Romance is the only excuse for not following the path with least resistance.

The Hunger Games is a very entertaining book that has been successful in highlighting aspects of social structure. The book contributes significantly to sociology literature as it identifies issues associated with negative as well as positive impacts in the society. Easy manipulation by Capitol shows influence and power distance involved in governance of Panem society.

Meritocracy system is adopted by the government of Panem. Meritocracy ensures rewards are given to people who deserve them thus ensuring fairness and justice. Further, the issues of a fight to death and the uncompromised participation depict severe control on the citizens. However the mutant wolves and availability of treatment for Peeta should have been more twisted

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games, New York: Scholastic publishers. 2008. Print.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Suzanne Collins: Inequality and Meritocracy in "The Hunger Games"." December 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-hunger-games-2/.

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Jackie Goldschneider slams RHONJ cast ‘teams,’ compares show to The Hunger Games

Jackie Goldschneider has slammed her The Real Housewives of New Jersey co-stars, claiming the division has ruined the franchise.

Season 14 of RHONJ just kicked off, but it’s no secret the cast is divided now more than ever.

However, the cast division is worse since Teresa isn’t speaking to Melissa or her husband Joe Gorga.

Jackie was Team Melissa forever, but during filming for Season 14, she changed alliances, reigniting her friendship with Teresa and Jennifer Aydin.

Hot on the heels of Margaret Josephs calling Jackie an “ingrate,” the latter has gotten real about working on the show now amid a split cast.

Jackie Goldschneider slams RHONJ cast ‘teams’ for ruining the franchise, compares show to The Hunger Games

Jackie and Jenn did a podcast crossover with Two T’s In A Pod hosted by Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge. Jenn and Jackie have a podcast called The Two Jersey Js so the foursome appeared on each other’s podcasts.

During the double interview, Jackie blasted cast members for needing to create teams and have a controlled narrative. The topic came up after Teddi brought up a premiere party that Margaret held.

Jackie reiterated that she’s not friends with Margaret anymore. Again, that isn’t news to The Real Housewives of New Jersey fans who have seen Jackie spending time with Jennifer and Teresa on social media.

What is news, though, is how Jackie feels about the so-called teams in the cast.

“This show has turned into The Hunger Games, and I think it’s ruining the show because there’s, like, everyone is convinced that if they get the most people on their team and then they take the picture and label it like a team, that Bravo’s gonna see it, and they’re gonna think, ‘oh, well, they have more people. Let’s just keep that team.’ And it’s not the way it works. You guys know that’s not the way it works,” Jackie expressed.

The Bravo personality doubled down on her The Hunger Games comment before slamming the cast for being “diabolical” and “strategic.” Jackie went on to call out Melissa’s captions in her social media posts for being strategic to cause further division.

Jenn agreed with Jackie that the state of RHONJ right now is not good, declaring it “gross” while saying things have gone “too far.”

@twotsinapod #JackieGoldschneider thinks #RHONJ has turned into the Hunger Games. #JenniferFessler #RealHousewivesofNewJersey #RealHousewives #TwoTsInAPod #TeddiMellencamp #TamraJudge ♬ original sound – Two Ts In A Pod

More The Real Housewives of New Jersey news

The comments from Jackie and Jenn align with what Andy Cohen said about the future of RHONJ not being sustainable with a divided cast.

Despite not speaking to Melissa or her brother, Teresa is fine talking about them in interviews. As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Joe clapped back at Teresa for bringing their deceased parents into their feud.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey husbands have also come under fire following various behaviors in the Season 14 premiere.

We still have plenty of RHONJ to play out this season and we know the dynamic switches up as alliances change.

Jackie Goldschneider thinks the division in the cast has ruined the show. What do you think?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo. Seasons 1-13 are streaming on Peacock.

I don’t like the division. The first episode was disappointing with whiny Joe Gorga and his pal John Fuda starting with Paulie. Kudos to Paulie for standing up to them!

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Under Israeli Bombs, a Wartime Economy Emerges in Gaza

Amid the destruction, a marketplace of survival has arisen focused on the basics: food, shelter and money.

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By Raja Abdulrahim and Bilal Shbair

Raja Abdulrahim reported from Jerusalem, and Bilal Shbair from Deir al Balah, Gaza.

On tables and desks from schools turned shelters, wartime vendors lined a street, selling used clothes, baby formula, canned food and the rare batch of homemade cookies.

In some cases, entire aid parcels — still emblazoned with the flags of their donating countries and meant to be distributed for free — were stacked on sidewalks and sold for prices few could afford.

Issam Hamouda, 51, stood next to his paltry commercial offering: an array of canned vegetables and beans from an aid carton his family had received.

“Most of the goods found in the markets are labeled, ‘Not for sale,’” he said.

Before the Israel-Hamas war devastated Gaza’s economy, he was a driving instructor. Now, Mr. Hamouda supports his family of eight the only way he can — by reselling some of the food aid they receive every few weeks.

“Once I got four kilos of dried dates and sold a kilo for 8 shekels,” he said, referring to the Israeli currency amounting to roughly $2.

In the seven months since Israel started bombarding Gaza and imposed a siege in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, the enclave’s economy has been crushed. People have been forced to flee their homes and jobs. Markets, factories and infrastructure have been bombed and flattened. Farmland has been scorched by airstrikes or occupied by Israeli forces.

In its place, a war economy has arisen. It is a marketplace of survival focused on the basics: food, shelter and money.

Humanitarian aid labeled “Not for resale” and looted items end up in makeshift markets. People can earn a few dollars a day evacuating displaced people on the backs of trucks and donkey carts, while others dig toilets or make tents from plastic sheeting and salvaged wood.

Given the growing humanitarian crisis and deep desperation, standing in line is now full-time work, whether at aid distribution sites, at the few open bakeries, or at the handful of A.T.M.s or money exchange shops.

It is a “subsistence economy,” said Raja Khalidi, a Palestinian economist based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“It’s not like any war we’ve seen before, where a certain area is targeted and other zones are less touched and they can quickly re-engage in economic conditions,” he said. “From Month 1, the economy was put out of commission.”

In the years before the war, the economy in Gaza — even under a suffocating air, land and sea blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt — was beginning to improve, according to economists and Gazan businesspeople. Beachside hotels and restaurants were opening. More Palestinians got permits to work in Israel and earned good salaries.

All of those gains — and more — have been lost.

The majority of Palestinians in Gaza now face poverty on multiple levels, going beyond a lack of income and including limited access to health care, education and housing, according to a recent report from the World Bank , European Union and United Nations. Around 74 percent of people are unemployed, the report said. Before the war, the unemployment rate, while high by many standards, was 45 percent.

The shock to Gaza’s economy is one of the largest in recent history, the report said. Gaza’s gross domestic product dropped by 86 percent in the last quarter of 2023.

Israel’s Defense Ministry said its strikes on Gaza were not aimed at degrading the enclave’s economy and were targeting Hamas “terrorist infrastructure.”

The economy is now largely driven by the restricted supply and desperate demand for aid. Before the war, some 500 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, fuel and commercial goods entered the Gaza Strip each day.

After the war began and new Israeli restrictions were imposed, that number fell significantly, to 113 a day on average, though it has increased modestly in recent months. Even with the improvements, it is far below what aid agencies say is necessary to feed Gazans.

Now, the flow of aid and goods has nearly stopped, following Israel’s attack on the southern city of Rafah and the near complete closure of two main border crossings.

Hunger is spreading across the enclave, in what human rights and aid groups have called a weaponization of starvation by Israel. Israel has denied the accusations.

Against the backdrop of conflict, chaos and lawlessness, prices have skyrocketed. Since the Rafah incursion, goods in the market have gotten even more expensive. And for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Israel’s offensive, transportation away from the airstrikes is costing hundreds of dollars.

Even before the situation in Rafah deteriorated, aid deliveries were inconsistent and chaotic because of Israeli military restrictions, resulting in desperation and an opportunity for armed gangs or individuals to loot, according to residents.

“The food aid is dropped or brought in and stolen by armed people like gangs,” said Majeda Abu Eisha, 49, a mother of 10.

While trying to get aid, she said her son and nephew were shot and injured by Israeli soldiers. They did not manage to get any aid.

“The winner in this battle is the armed one who can get whatever he wants from the aid,” Ms. Abu Eisha said. “Anyone who is not armed or strong enough to fight and push in goes home empty-handed.”

The Israeli military said it would “never deliberately target aid convoys and workers.” It added that it would continue to counter threats “while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians.”

Without sufficient aid deliveries, residents must turn to the makeshift markets. Goods there can be sold for whatever the sellers choose. Prices often follow the escalations of the conflict.

Sugar was recently being sold in Rafah markets for 7 shekels — less than $2. Then the next day, Hamas fired more than a dozen rockets at Israeli forces near the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Gaza and Israel, leading to its closure. In the hours after, the price went up to 25 shekels. The following day, the price of sugar went down to 20 shekels.

“The same item can be sold for different prices in the same market,” said Sabah Abu Ghanem, 25, a mother of one and former surfer. “When the police are there, traders will sell things for the prices the police decide. When the police leave, prices go up immediately.”

Residents say that officials and ministries associated with the Hamas-run government are present in some capacity, especially in the south.

While some Gazans say the police have tried to force war profiteers from selling goods at inflationary prices, others have accused Hamas of benefiting from looted aid.

Mr. Hamouda said that the aid his family occasionally received came from the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Development, which oversees welfare programs.

He said packages were often missing a few items — especially foods like sugar, dates or cooking oil. Other times, he said, they received only a few canned vegetables in black plastic bags. The food items that go missing from aid parcels eventually end up in markets sold at high prices, he said.

Ismael Thawabteh, the deputy head of the Hamas government media office, said the ministry received about a quarter of the aid brought into Gaza, which it then distributes. “The allegations that the government in Gaza is stealing aid are absolutely false and incorrect,” he said.

Looting of aid is carried out by a small number of people who have been forced into desperation by Israel, Mr. Thawabteh said. He said the Hamas government had tried to clamp down on such looting, but its police and security personnel had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes.

The Israeli military has said it has targeted police officers and commanders, as well as stations and vehicles, as it tries to “dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities.”

With the disappearance of most jobs, people have found new ways of earning a few dollars as the war has given rise to new needs.

Many of Gaza’s displaced residents are living in tents, so the making of temporary shelters and bathrooms has become a cottage industry.

Tents made of thin plastic sheeting and planks of wood can be sold upward of 3,000 shekels, or $800, people in the city of Rafah have said. Unable to pay, others have cobbled together their own tents from tarps and salvaged wood.

“I bought those covers at a costly price,” said Mr. Hamouda, referring to the tarps he used to make his family’s shelter. “We bought a secondhand toilet for 250 shekels and paid 50 shekels for the plumber who installed it.”

The cost, he said, was more than twice what it was before the war.

Even getting access to one’s own money to pay for the war’s inflated prices has allowed some to take advantage of the crisis.

Few A.T.M.s are still operating across Gaza, and those that are functioning are usually crowded by people trying to get their money out. Often, someone armed watches over an A.T.M., charging a fee to use it. Money changers offer people access to their own money in exchange for high commissions.

“I could only get my salary from some people who took a percentage of 17 of the total amount of money,” said Ekrami Osama al-Nims, a father of seven displaced to the south, who is a civil servant.

He tried multiple times to get a bag of flour from aid trucks — despite the risk of being shot by Israeli soldiers, he said — in order to avoid having to buy it from the black market. But he never had any success.

“My salary used to cover us for an entire month of food and other basic needs,” he said. “Now my salary doesn’t even buy half of a bag of flour.”

Abu Bakr Bashir , Aaron Boxerman and Iyad Abuheweila contributed reporting.

Raja Abdulrahim is a Middle East correspondent based in Jerusalem covering the Levant. More about Raja Abdulrahim

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Israel said that it would send more troops to Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza and the current focal point in the war between Israel and Hamas. Fighting in the city has closed off a vital border crossing, forced hundreds of thousands to flee  and cut off humanitarian aid.

President Biden is pushing for a broad deal that would get Israel to approve a Palestinian nation  in return for Saudi recognition of Israel. But officials need to overcome Israeli opposition.

The Arab League called for a United Nations peacekeeping force to be deployed in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank until a two-state solution can be negotiated , in a statement that also called for the U.N. Security Council to set a time limit for that process.

FIFA Delays a Vote: Soccer’s global governing body postponed a decision to temporarily suspend Israel  over its actions in Gaza, saying it needed to solicit legal advice before taking up a motion submitted by the Palestinian Football Association.

PEN America’s Literary Gala: The free-expression group has been engulfed by debate  over its response to the Gaza war that forced the cancellation of its literary awards and annual festival. But its literary gala went on as planned .

Jerusalem Quartet Will Perform: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, said that it would allow the Jerusalem Quartet to perform , two days after it had canceled the ensemble’s concerts amid security concerns.

A Key Weapon: When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded Rafah, the devastating effects of the 2,000-pound Mark 84 bomb  were of particular concern to him.