Comparing Dystopia In Harrison Bergeron And The Hunger Games

A dystopian often an illusion of a utopia is a society set in the future where the people are led by a totalitarian government or a figurehead that has complete and utter rule over its citizens. They are persistently monitored and live in fear of going against the Higher Power. In novels, short stories, and movies with dystopian society settings, there are themes and symbolism each one shares. The types of control such as propaganda, fear, no sense of individualism, immense lack of freedom, etc are all portrayed throughout the story. The protagonists are also depicted sharing the same rebellious attitude whether it be passive or openly. 1984, “Harrison Bergeron” and The Hunger Games'' are perfect examples of novels, short stories, and movie

illustrating what a dystopian society is and its strong grip on the citizens. Dystopian novels, short stories, and films focus on similar characteristics from the types of control used and the defiant attitudes of the protagonists.

In George Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith battles against oppression in Oceania, a place where the “Inner Party” scrutinizes human actions with always watching Big Brother. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr a nation in 2081 wants to practice equality in order to stop competition so the citizens are required to wear restraints also known as “handicaps” which are constituted by the new 211th, 212, and 213th amendments, anyone who is athletic, beautiful, or intelligent is a threat to the country. In The Hunger Games directed by Gary Ross Katniss Everdeen forces herself to step in for her little sister in the 75th hunger games which is designed by the capitol to take two teams from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death until only one survives and the reward is food for the poverty driven starving district. Whether it’s a novel, short story, or film, each possesses focuses on similar characteristics and

themes.
Dystopian Society, a society where independent thought or freedom is restricted and a punishable crime by the figurehead or concept, Propaganda is used to control the peoples mind in having them to think right is wrong and wrong is right to maintain control. Society in 1984 is a complete totalitarianism where everyone is ruled by Big Brother and the “Inner Party”. The citizens much like Winston live in fear that they are always being heard and always being watched by the thought police and Big Brother. Orwell writes “The poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. One of those pictures which are so contrived the eyes follow you about. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran” (Orwell 5). To write down your thoughts or to think period was a crime brought to punishment by the Thought Police. Orwell also writes “For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?” (Orwell 69). In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” society is completely ruled by the government and the United States Handicapper General. One man cannot be stronger than the next everything in their society is about equality Vonnegut writes “Everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anyone else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else” (Vonnegut 1). The citizens are conformed to wear handicaps if they aren’t equal with others and it is required by law that anyone with unfair advantage must wear them. Vonnegut writes “And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times” (Vonnegut 1). In The Hunger Games society is broken down into Districts and the Capitol the people who have money and the people who don't. The Capitol has money, a bunch of it. While the Capitol is wealthier than all of the districts, there are some districts that are doing better than most and are able to train their teens for the hunger games each year. The poverty driven districts see the hunger games as a gruesome punishment that they must endure. The Hunger Games are in place for the government to show the citizens they don’t have the power to do anything and to make them weak from starting another uprising (Gary Ross).
Control in a dystopia is displayed by a forced illusion on to the people through advertising, regulations, technology, and religious ideal.

It is used to weaken the citizen’s souls enough to stop all future uprisings and to keep higher authority powerful. In the novel 1984 Control is the most evident theme throughout the entire book. The citizens are manipulated into thinking they are in a perfect society and every other society is to be hated, that is why they have the 2 minute hate. The peoples own thoughts are a crime and punishable by the Thought Police who are always monitoring the people. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth where he must erase all of history before the Inner Party and Big Brother. Winston is captured by the Thought Police for hating big brother and is sent to room 101 where he is brainwashed and tortured into loving big brother. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” control is implemented through the handicap devices everyone is required by law to wear. Taking off any of your handicaps can be punishable through prison, fine, or death Vonnegut writes “ “All of a sudden you look so tired,” said Hazel. “Why don’t you stretch out on the sofa, so’s you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows, honeybunch.” She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George’s neck. “Go on and rest the bag for a little while” she said. “ I don’t care if you’re not equal to me for a while.” (Vonnegut 2) Vonnegut

also writes “The television program was suddenly interrupted for a news bulletin. It wasn’t clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech impediment.” (Vonnegut 2) The government and General Diana Moon Glampers see strength, intelligence, beauty as an major threat no matter the age you may be punished for your unfair advantage against others, Vonnegut writes ““Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen,” she said in a grackle squawk, “has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous.” (Vonnegut 2) In the movie The Hunger Games control is implied through the population, the government controls population control by making two teams from each of the twelve districts fight to the death until one survives every year for 75 years. The population control is also exhibited through the improvised districts who often die of starvation because it is illegal to hunt animals for food in the districts. (Gary Ross)
A Dystopian Protagonist is often the main character who feels they have had enough of the government/figure heads totalitarian control and actually see’s what is wrong with the country and plan to expose them to the people and overthrow them with such bravery. In 1984 Winston Smith, who actually works for one of the Ministries that control the country, The Ministry of Truth gets tired of the life he is living and questions himself and Big Brother and the Inner Party which is a thought crime. His plan is to join the brotherhood and to overthrow Big Brother and stop the totalitarian society. He is captured, tortured, and brainwashed into loving big brother when O’Brian someone he thought was on his side betrays him. Winston’s actions don’t at all change the course of the future in the novel because now he loves Big Brother Orwell writes “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” (Orwell 245) Protagonist Harrison Bergeron is done taking orders from the government about equality, so he breaks out of the jail, he was sentenced to after the government seen his features as a unfair advantage against civilians and threat to the government. He strips himself of his handicaps on live television Vonnegut wrote “Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds.” (Vonnegut 4) He tries to get people to see beauty in freedom and break the government’s control. The protagonist was winning, showing everyone what it is like to be free until they were gunned down by the handicapper General Diana Moon Glampers. Vonnegut writes “It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten gauge shotgun. She fired it twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor.” The course of the lives of the citizens in Harrison Bergeron isn’t altered because of the Handicaps that made them forget what happened on television. Katnis Everdeen is the protagonist in the film The Hunger Games and throughout the movie she has always been a rebellious young lady hunting even though the law punishable by death says she cannot. Throughout the movie she does things that someone in the hunger games isn’t suppose to do like help a young kid “Ruth” out and save her life and refusing to kill her district friend and goes against the entire hunger game rule starting an uprising in the Districts.
Societies driven off the need for perfection and the need for a utopian illusion can lead to rebellion and chaos. All it takes is just one brave soul. Citizens live in constant fear and are essentially brainwashed and lack individuality. Such unique characteristics were in novel 1984, short story “Harrison Bergeron”, and film The Hunger Games. Each story had its own unique characteristics in types of control and protagonists as well as its similarities as a dystopian society. The Capital with its corporate control over the improvised Districts in The Hunger Games, holding the annual hunger games, resulting in bloodshed in order to keep the districts from revolting, Big Brother, a figurehead, in 1984, and the handicaps used by the higher authority in “Harrison Bergeron” in order to maintain order and class level. All three societies possess a protagonist who rebels, however the differences are in their way of revolting. There are similar characteristics and themes within each of these pieces whether it be the types of control over its citizen and the bravery of the protagonist and the differences are portrayed within the protagonists’ way of revolting which questions how much control the figure head or government truly has.