The Hunger Games: a deeper look into what it all means.

By Amber Lowen

Let's have a deeper look into the renowned Hunger Games franchise in honour of the release of the trailer for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to The Hunger Games that hits theatres on November 17, 2023.

As a young teenager, I loved The Hunger Games. I was obsessed with it. Not only was the dystopian nature so enticing, but the powerful non-stereotypical portrayal of a female lead was something so refreshing to see.

During the 2010s, dystopian movies gained popularity, including The Hunger Games, Divergent series, and The Maze Runner. These stories depicted a future society that combined current societal elements with predictions and creative ideas of how society could evolve. This included advanced technology, planetary exploration, and conflicts between heroes and villains. I consider the dystopian genre to be my favourite of all time.

Based on the books by American author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games franchise has been incredibly successful. The original Hunger Games movie grossed almost $408,000,000 in total revenue!

The time frame of The Hunger Games trilogy is not explicitly mentioned, but it is commonly assumed to take place a few hundred years in the future. Panem, a post-apocalyptic version of North America, consists of the main "Capitol" metropolis and 12 (originally 13) districts. Each year, two tributes (one male and one female), aged 12-18, are randomly selected from the districts to participate in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death. This is meant to serve as retribution for a past failed uprising against the Capitol, and only one tribute can survive. However, the 74th Hunger Games depicted in the first movie, is slightly different.

Power, brutality, and survival are the three fundamental themes of The Hunger Games. The capitalist system is the franchise's lifeblood. Some might even argue that it captures the essence of current political structures.

Through the Capitol's commitment to defend the class structure, the audience can explicitly observe the Capitol's affluence vs. the outside districts' poverty. As a result, those in the districts depend on the Capitol for survival. Instead of living, people in the areas simply survive, and out of fear of punishment and death, they are constantly persuaded by the Capitol to uphold the system that directly harms them. President of Panem - President Snow – makes it his goal to stamp out any hope and power those in the districts have. The Hunger Games serves as a direct reminder of that. Those in power will remain in power. At least that’s what President Snow wanted to believe.

“May the odds be ever in your favour.”

(The Hunger Games)

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins presents a unique perspective on societal issues. Despite class and humanity concerns, gender roles are not prevalent in the society of Panem as portrayed in the movies and books. Men and women are not held to different standards, as evidenced by their equal participation in mining and hunting for food, and their equal treatment in the Hunger Games arena.

Katniss, the protagonist of the trilogy, serves as a role model for women due to her strong, independent, stubborn, and powerful personality. Being a woman does not hinder her abilities or hold her back in any way. Throughout the story, Katniss draws strength from other women and reciprocates support. Her relationships with her sister Primrose, fellow tributes Rue, Mags, and Johanna, and District 12 escort Effie demonstrate this.

The theme of survival, especially the idea of the survival of the fittest, is another intriguing aspect of The Hunger Games. both mental and physical survival. The Hunger Games refers to violence, poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, and suicide. To survive in the games, tributes must rely on their strength and intelligence. The routine of life in the less affluent districts reflects this.

The districts are not provided with enough resources by the Capitol to maintain their power, resulting in their population surviving on limited resources. Gale is a notable example, having been nominated 42 times to participate in the 74th Hunger Games just to provide food for his family's survival. In the first movie, when Katniss volunteers to protect her sister, she tells Gale to protect her mother and sister and not let them starve. Although Katniss manages to survive the games, coping with life after the games proves to be a more difficult challenge.

“Nobody ever wins the Games. Period. There are survivors. There’s no winners.”

(The Hunger Games: Haymitch Abernathy)