The Hunger Games: Totalitarian Government

“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.” It is clear that the most powerful thing in The Hunger Games is the totalitarian government of the Capitol. The Capitol holds basically all of Panem’s wealth ,and the government is able to sway the people in all of the districts across Panem. Because of this the districts don’t really have any choice but rebellion. In the United States we don’t really have a similar story line. Even though we have a source of power in our country we don’t have everyone else in the same boat of being poor. The United States could to

a certain extent be compared to Panem but not fully. We do have similarities but also a massive amount of differences. Inequality of America and Panem is depicted in the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and is shown through the inequality between rich and poor and the importance of appearances.
In the games Katniss is put under the pressure of appearance.

It was important for her to get everyone in the audience on her side in case she was put in a difficult position. If any tribute seemed weak they would be targeted and killed. In addition, they would not receive help from the outside. Being labeled as strong and fearless captured the people's attention and would attract sponsors. That is why a person's appearance is important in the games. In America your appearance is also an important part of life. Many people judge others everyday without a care in the world. With that being said that is why I believe first impressions are so valuable. Our appearances, however, are not a matter between live or death. It’s just a satisfying thing to be looked at as a good and reliable human being. Both of these aspects are inequality in a way. It is unfair to those who are not the best at first impressions or making themselves seem strong in times of distress. To draw to a close, both Panem and America have their faults of inequality of

appearances.
In the United States of America and very much Panem, their seems to be a visible gap between the rich and poor.

Unlike Panem we don’t just have a high end and a low end. Our people are divided into classes such as high, middle and low. People like Bill Gates and the government are the high class which have the status as being the wealthiest in the country. This class is also apart of Panem. The Capitol is the richest place in all of Panem and it holds all the power for all the districts citizens. Besides the superior of the country we have the surviving middle class. This does not exist in Panem I believe because they are all desperate and poor and that is why the capitol includes all districts in the games. To continue, the middle class of our country are the people who might be in debt but are still able to make it through with somewhat of a normal life. By normal life I mean having a house, money, a job, etc. Then finally we have the lower class which is depicted in both the United States and Panem. Our poorest people are the ones without a home to live in, without food, and all the necessities to live. It is really a sad thing that shouldn’t occur in our country. So to think that the Hunger Games is based off of what life in the United States might be is scary. Every District in Panem is the low class. The do not have any rights to freedom nor the way of a healthy lifestyle. The Capitol sucks in all the wealth and does not use it properly. To conclude, the inequality gap

between the rich and poor is visible in both countries.
Inequality is unfair for anyone in Panem and America especially the way it is displayed. The Hunger Games are the ultimate display of the government’s power and were designed to warn their people against rebellion. In the United States we don’t care about our citizens decisions and we don’t warn our people about their wrongdoings by a mass killing either. We have upsides to our inequality if that's even considered a thing. If our inequality is depicted to turn into Panems then I think our country would fall apart.