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Karl Marx, a German philosopher, believed in two dividing classes in a capitalistic society: the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. He emphasized that the bourgeoisie is the ruling class or oppressors and the proletariats are the working class or the oppressed. To maintain this power structure, they exploit the working class to maintain revenue. The novel, The Hunger Games, takes place in a dystopian society called Panem and follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen who lives in District 12. The ruling class of Panem lives in the Capitol, where they control the other Districts. One way in which they maintain their control is with the Hunger Games, a ritual in which one male and female are chosen from each of the 12 districts and are forced to compete until there is just a single survivor left. The power structures are a major component in the novel, as they are influenced from a Marxist perspective in retaliation to capitalism. The cultural artifact The Hunger Games, by Suzane Collins aims to disrupt the dominant narrative of capitalism by using Marx’s ideology through the classism depicted in the novel and the character development of Katniss; as well as highlighting her critique of our modern world by creating a parallel between the novel and reality television shows.
Collins disrupts capitalism by emphasizing Marx’s ideology, the necessity for the proletariat to revolt against their oppressors. The citizens of all the districts, as Marx would say, are proletarians and the individuals in the Capitol are the Bourgeois. There is a common theme of classics throughout the novel, where the ruling class oppresses the working class. The districts supply the Capitol with countless products, and while they are constantly working to produce these goods they do not have any ownership. The Capitol controls production as it controls the districts. This oppression causes Katniss to be reluctant to criticize the Capitol, similar to individuals in other districts, she understands the danger criticisms bring. Katniss explains that her safe space to express her true feelings is in the forest. However, her fear is so deeply intertwined that when she describes her frustration she must “glance over [her] shoulder even in the middle of nowhere”(6). The hegemonic power that instills this fear spreads far beyond Katniss and District 12. The socio-economic division causes this constant fear, nevertheless, Katniss transforms this fear into strength to rise against the Capitol. Katniss becomes a symbol of rebellion during the reaping, a ceremony to choose the tributes for the Hunger Games. When her sister, Prim, is called she has no choice but to volunteer in her place. As she took her place on stage, the unexpected happened, each member of District 12 lifted three fingers to their lips and then to Katniss. Katniss explains the gesture “means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love” (24). Her simple and courageous action began an uprising in District 12; the proletariat rebelled against the social constructs the bourgeois used to oppress and marginalize them. In addition to this, the districts are separated and don’t communicate to ensure any social change. As Katniss became Rue’s ally during the games, they discussed the differences in their districts: “It’s interesting, hearing about her life. We have so little communication with anyone outside our district. I wonder if the Gamemakers are blocking out our conversation because even though the information seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another” (203). This is an example of Marx’s philosophy where if the proletariat were united and acted as one, they’d be able to revolt against their oppressors. Like the separation of the districts, the Hunger Games is a mechanism used by the Capitol to prevent a revolution; However, Katniss uses the games against them. When Rue is killed by a boy from District One, she has a realization “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 us… Rue’s death has forced me to confront my fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us” (236). She gives Rue a funeral and in doing so she units Districts 11 and 12. District 11 expressed their gratitude when they sent Katniss a piece of bread: “For whatever reason, this is a first. A district gift to a tribute who’s not your own” (239). In doing this, Katniss has become a symbol of the proletariat’s revolution.
Collins uses this dystopian society to critique our modern world, more specifically, reality TV shows. The audience of the Hunger Games are individuals from the Capitol who prioritize entertainment, and the districts, who are obligated to watch these barbaric games. The ruling class is insensitively coldblooded, about the situation for the Tributes, who are mainly adolescents chosen from their underdeveloped impoverished district, and involuntarily made to take an interest in this bloodsport for the entertainment of their prosperous oppressors. The objectification demonstrated through the oppressor’s actions emphasizes classism as they detach from the tributes: “The people of the Capitol are going nuts, showering us with flowers, shouting our names” (70). The tributes are essentially used as objects in exchange for what or how much they are worth. They are forced to assimilate into the Capitol’s culture to survive in the games. the Hunger Games develops a connection with consumerism, it has likewise spread voyeurism, an insidious type of consumerism; in the manner in which it uncovers what used to be private parts of human life to general visibility. The game maintains this give-and-take by exhibiting advanced showcasing to tailor the games to what the audience sees as interesting. The Capitol ensures they make the most economic profit by providing Gamemakers with the means to maximize entertainment for the audience. For instance, the arenas are carefully built to prolong the game and engage the audience. In a past game, the arena had no wood and many of the tributes died from hypothermia, since then, “there’s usually been wood to make fires” (39). Not only do they control the structure of the arena but the weather patterns or natural disasters during the game. Katniss finds herself fleeing from a fire, during this she explains “The flames that bear down on me have an unnatural height, a uniformity that marks them as human-made, machine-made, Gamemakers-made. Things have been too quiet today…The audience in the Capitol are getting bored, claiming that these Games are verging on dullness” (173). Since the individuals in the Capitol detach themselves from the tributes they can view the games as entertainment. The Capitol is a parallel to individuals who display equally detached and voyeuristic qualities watching reality TV. The audience watches these individuals as if they aren’t real human beings and the suffering they may endure is insignificant. Reality TV shows are controlled by the producers to appeal to their audience and maintain a sufficient profit. For instance, the reality TV show Survivor follows a group of individuals who are placed in an inaccessible location where they must compete with one another to survive. They face physiological and psychological challenges and every week go through the elimination process of voting one member off of the show. The last individual wins $1,000,000. In doing this, the producers appeal to their audiences’ need for drama and excitement, and while the audience is intrigued and watching, profit not only cycles to the producers but the contestants as well as they are motivated by capitalistic values. On an economic level, it embraces glorifying money and fame. Socially, it implies that being part of a capitalistic society one must aim to win no matter what. Quite frankly it’s a manipulative and shallow game that we as the audience perpetuate.
In all, The Hunger Games provides us with a complex lens into our current society’s capitalistic values. While Collins offers these critiques, she ironically perpetuates capitalism herself. Collins made millions of dollars off of both the book and film series. This is a form of impossibilism, Collins is in the machine of capitalism and while she may disrupt it she further perpetuates it through this profit. To truly relinquish capitalism one must completely deconstruct the system and start anew.
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