The Hunger Games

Introduction

The Hunger Games is the first book of the trilogy of the same name written by Suzanne Collins between 2008 and 2010. This dystopian novel takes place in a fictional country called Panem, which consists of a wealthy city, the Capitol, and 12 poorer districts. Every year, two children from each district called tributes, and aged between 12 and 18 are chosen to participate in a compulsory death match that is organized by the Capitol and broadcasted on television: the Hunger Games. In the first novel of this trilogy, the reader follows the adventure of the 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mallark, both living in District 12 and chosen to participate to the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen volunteered for the Hunger Games

In order for the superstructure (the Capitol), to keep the power over the base (the districts), the Capitol keeps them in constant hunger and fear so that they do not have the strength and will to revolt. Thus as it is stated by Tyson, “getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the arts, science, technology, and the media and so on” (Tyson 51). However, even though the Capitol tries to keep the power over the districts by ruling them with an iron fist and instilling fear with the Hunger Games that take place every year, Katniss shows signs of revolt against the Capitol when she is in the arena, fighting for her

This is especially visible when Katniss’ ally Rue is killed by another tribute. She realizes that she hates the Capitol for what happened: “To hate the boy from District 1, who also appears so vulnerable in death, seems inadequate. It’s the Capitol I hate, for doing this to all of us” (Collins 275-276). From this moment on, Katniss starts to develop what Marx called “class consciousness” (Tyson 52). Marx believed that this class-consciousness was “needed to rise up in violent revolution against [the] oppressors and create a classless society” (Tyson 52). However, in order for the proletariat to be able to rise up against the ruling classes, the proletarians need to be unified and Katniss will achieve this by giving a funeral-like ceremony to her ally Rue who as been killed, and in this way unifying district 11 and 12: “Slowly, one stem at a time, I decorate her body in the flowers /…/ ‘Bye, Rue’, I whisper. I press the three middle fingers of my left hand against my lips and hold them out in her direction” (Collins 276-277). She know that “It’s to the Capitol’s advantage to have [them] divided among [them]selves” (16) so by giving a funeral-like ceremony to Rue, Katniss is rebelling against the Capitol, and later in the trilogy; the sign she made with her hand will be acknowledged as a sign of rebellion against the power of the