Discussion Post 1: It's the End of the World As We Know It (The State of Panem)
Having celebrated America’s independence little more than a week ago, it’s a bit strange to contemplate how a nation so strong could ever possibly become Suzanne Collins’ ambiguously futuristic Panem. How highly prized ideals like governance by the people and various inherent rights and freedoms could give way to a country in which the average person has no choices and no voice. And yet, immersed in Katniss Everdeen’s world, it becomes all too easy to picture, and to find oneself wondering: How did it come to this?
Divided into twelve (recognized) sections, or districts, Panem is ruled by a government entity headed by a president and headquartered in the Capitol. While those lucky enough to have been born into the ruling classes enjoy lives of extreme luxury there, the surrounding twelve districts’ residents live for the most part in extreme poverty. Each district specializes in some form of industry and children are railroaded into that type of work, with no way to rise above their family’s current means. So the Hunger Games, sadly enough, are-however dreaded-sometimes also a family’s only (slim, very slim) hope of a better life.
Though it’s unclear how exactly Panem came to be, or whatever happened to North America as we know it, Katniss’s existence has been shaped most by a large-scale rebellion that took place there some seventy-four years ago. The sixteen-year-old heroine still lives in a world in which-as continued fallout from and punishment for the rebellion-people starving to death is a common sight, speaking out against the government is severely punished, and every year, twenty-four children are placed into an arena and forced to fight to the death for the benefit (and, for most, to the horror) of a national audience.
Still, as we learn quickly in the book, the incredibly resourceful Katniss has found ways to work the system to her advantage. She sneaks into the forest to hunt illegally with her bow and arrow, and the game she brings home and trades keeps her family’s head above water.
Other characters also demonstrate, in their own ways, their desire to push back against the oppression they’ve always known and to retain some sense of autonomy in this bleak reality. Gale, like Katniss, hunts illegally and trades on the black market, and finds it hard to keep his temper in check when faced with those better off (like the mayor’s daughter, Madge). Fearing retaliation against his family, Gale saves his tirades for when he’s in the woods with Kat, but his strength of conviction makes it clear he would be willing, given the chance, to up-end the status quo. Even the relatively well-to-do Madge is not comfortable with the Capitol’s iron grip, the book hints.
Throughout the novel, Katniss makes it clear that she’s not interested in fighting back against the way things are; rather, she’s simply fighting to survive. Yet in fighting for that survival, Kat manages to rile the comfortable and influential Gamemakers in Panem. Her unconventional methods allow her to maneuver out of their control and keep herself and her friends alive. Kat shoots an arrow into a group of Gamemakers, defiantly takes the time to cover the body of her young ally Rue with flowers before she’s removed from the arena, and even outsmarts the Capitol by forcing them to crown her and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta as victors of the Games. She may not realize it yet, but in these ways Kat has indeed challenged the authority of the dictatorship under which her people have been living for decades.
Likewise, her mentor Haymitch and stylist Cinna find ways to manipulate Katniss and Peeta’s images into those of a star-crossed pair, a crowd-pleasing idea without which Kat could never have gotten them both out of the Games alive. Thus, even the smallest, seemingly insignificant acts of rebellion against the Capitol can be felt, and prove that no matter what the state of Panem (or the future of our own nations), all is not lost and never will be.
Even as the social and political aspects of The Hunger Games can be appreciated purely in terms of the fascinating context they provide the story, there is no question that readers can dig deeper, and upon doing so, find a warning: Don’t let it come to this.
BSG Parallels
The post-apocalyptic societies featured in The Hunger Games and Battlestar Galactica share many similarities. The twelve districts of Panem, for instance, are reminiscent of the twelve colonies of Kobol; and then of course there are the mythical District 13 and 13th Colony in each work respectively, representing a potential refuge from persecution.
Another shared theme in these fictional worlds is the reliance on technology by the oppressing forces. The Capitol uses surveillance cameras and hidden microphones to record all happenings both in the Games and in daily life among the twelve districts. They also have the technology to medically heal any ailments and several of Panem’s vain residents indulge in superficial appearance-altering procedures. Most troubling is the way in which Panem is able to create horrific hybridized creatures that are glimpsed at in the closing chapters of The Hunger Games. In Battlestar Galactica one of the themes is that an over-reliance on technology is not a good thing and that eventually our machines will rise up and threaten our very existence/be our undoing. There’s a small undercurrent of eugenics at work and the idea that perfection can be achieved in altered/hybridized/mechanized creatures. It remains to be seen whether the technologically advanced society of Panem will be brought to its knees in part by its reliance on these advances.
Furthermore, there is a focus on the cyclical nature of time in both works-in BSG there’s the oft-recited “All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again,” while the Hunger Games themselves are a type of sick reminder to the people of Panem that their failed attempt at rebellion will continue to haunt them in the form of this and other punishments.
One interesting side note is that, unlike in BSG’s universe, religion does not appear to play a large role in the daily lives of the characters thus far explored in The Hunger Games.
Discussion Questions
- What are your thoughts on how Panem came about? Were things always as bad there, or did the government simply go too far in punishing the districts for their rebellion? And if the latter, what would you guess the primary reasons were for rebellion then?
- Each year, the Hunger Games are televised for all of Panem to watch. Those in the twelve districts recognize it for the punishment it is, but those living in the Capitol find it entertainment of the highest order. How does this desensitization toward the suffering of fellow human beings reflect what we see going on in the world today? Are shows like “Survivor” really so far off?
- Katniss says that Gale rails against the government whenever he can, bringing to mind another politically minded character we’re all familiar with: Lee Adama. Put into Gale’s position, would Lee handle himself any differently? Why or why not?
- Though on a smaller scale, the Galactica saw its own rebellion (in S4.5), and in its aftermath, severe punishments were doled out. Compare this to the rebellion mentioned in The Hunger Games, and how the Capitol apparently responded. How are the two situations the same? How are they different?
- What other parallels to or differences between the societies depicted in BSG and THG have you found?
Please don't be afraid to jump right into the discussion! We'd love to hear from you.
Next week's topic: The Girl Who Was on Fire (Katniss Everdeen, Best YA Heroine Ever?)
Until then, good hunting!