Throughout the novel, names have significant roles in identifying both people and places by matching their characteristics with their definitions. In the beginning, on page 21, there is an introduction to districts, and later on page 80, it begins to describe how each district is characterized by something different from the rest. For example; District 12 is coal miners, District 11 is agriculture, and District 4 is fishing. A district is defined as an area of a country or city, especially one characterized by a particular feature or activity, which reflects the districts in the novel.
As mentioned on page 63, ‘Small bluish tubers that don’t look like much but boiled or baked are as good as any potato. “Katniss,” I said out loud. It’s the plant I was named for.’ This Katniss plant, scientifically known as Sagittaria, is derived from Sagittarius, the archer. The name Sagittarius, in Latin, means ‘he that throws arrows’ which can directly link reasoning as to why Katniss’ preferred choice of weapon when hunting, and in the games, is the bow and arrow.
Even Panem, the dystopian country in which all districts and the Capitol are situated has a symbolic meaning. Meaning bread in Latin, Panem relates to the gladiatorial games of Rome which recalls ‘Panem et Circuses,’ or ‘Bread and Circuses.’ In Rome, it was known to be the sustenance and entertainment provided by the government to appease public discontent. Two gladiator tributes would fight to the death, and before one won by killing the other, the crowd would decide the fate of the loser. If they believed the loser had put up a good fight and had entertained them enough, they would spare the loser’s life. If they believed the loser did not fight well enough and did not bring enough entertainment, they would let the winning gladiator kill them. Similarly to the gladiatorial games in which the general public of Rome could watch in the amphitheaters, in The Hunger Games, the Capitol televised the games for their entertainment and for people in the districts to watch. Not only this, but when the people of the Capitol believe the tributes of the districts have done well enough and were in need of something to support them, they would sponsor the tribute and donate money for gifts to them for survival, and when they do not agree with the levels of effort by the tributes, they would instead, not sponsor them and allow them to die or be killed later.
In Suzanne Collins’s dystopian novel “The Hunger Games”, she portrays a post-apocalyptic world in which 12 Districts in a nation known as Panem are oppressed by the rich ruling class in a city known as the Capitol. In societies such as these, great heroes are needed. One such hero is the protagonist of the novel: Katniss Everdeen. She is quite an unlikely hero, as she is from one of the poorest districts in Panem, but she has many heroic traits and shows them throughout the novel during her journey. She shows compassion towards many people and displays this throughout the novel. Katniss also shows her courageous and brave side of her even before she takes her sister’s place in the Hunger Games. Finally, the protagonist displays many acts of kindness, even towards those that have hurt or tried to hurt her before, showing that this teenager is in fact, the hero in the novel.
Firstly, Katniss shows courage not only in the arena of the Hunger Games but also in District 12. For example, in Katniss’ district, where not many people have the money to buy food, some people result in going into the woods, which is out of bounds for the residents of the oppressed district. Some of these people include Katniss and her friend, Gale, who both hunt in the woods “[even] though trespassing in the woods is illegal”. Sometime after Katniss started going into the woods to support her family, “[she] foolishly challenges a black bear over the rights of a bee hive.” This shows that Katniss is brave enough to take on a bear to get items that her family needs and will do whatever it takes to support her mother and sister. In conclusion, Katniss is a very brave figure not just because of what she went through to survive in the Games, but also because of her history of breaking the law to help her family.
Secondly, compassion— a heroic trait —is shown throughout “The Hunger Games” by Katniss. At the beginning of the novel in District 12 of Panem, Katniss tries to protect her younger sister, Prim, from the reaping, which is a ceremony that chooses tributes for the Hunger Games, in which 24 people (known as tributes) fight to the death in an arena. For those from the poor districts, where there is no training for the Games, death is almost certain. Unfortunately, Prim gets chosen as a tribute, so Katniss pushes Prim away during the reaping and yells: “I volunteer as tribute!” to stop Prim from becoming one of the tributes. Katniss also shows compassion in the arena when she becomes allies with Rue, the smallest tribute in the Games. Rue is from District 11, where the residents do not get much to eat. When Katniss and Rue eat what they hunted the day they become allies, Katniss insists that Rue takes another grossing (a wild bird) leg on top of the one that she already had because she “bet that meat hardly ever comes [her way].” It is clear that Katniss shows the heroic trait of compassion towards people, no matter if she is in District 12, or the arena.
Another heroic trait that the protagonist of the novel shows is kindness, which she shows towards quite a few people, giving her respect as a hero. For example, before the rule of only one victor in the games was lifted, Katniss did not want to help Peeta, as he was allied with the Careers. However, when that rule was changed, Katniss was determined to make sure that Peeta and she would be crowned the victors of the Games and even insists that “[Peeta won’t] die” after she finds the tribute severely wounded and camouflaged amongst a “muddy bank full of weeds”. Because of their kindness that Katniss had, she proceeded to take care of Peeta for the remainder of the Games. Katniss also shows kindness near the end of the Games, when the mutts find Cato (one of the last tributes) and slowly eat him. Katniss eventually kills the “raw hunk of meat”, as “pity, not vengeance sends [her] arrow flying into his skull”. If she didn’t have any kindness, she would have left him to be tortured, making his death more lengthy and painful. To sum up, Katniss is a character that shows the heroic quality of kindness, which she shows throughout the novel.
To conclude, Katniss is the true heroine of “The Hunger Games” novel and shows many heroic traits to prove it. Katniss shows bravery at the beginning of the novel when she hunts in the woods to provide for her family. This leads to the second heroic trait that she shows: compassion. The protagonist shows compassion towards others, such as her family, and even people that she had never met before, such as Rue. Finally, Katniss shows kindness towards others in many different ways, whether it comes in the form of healing someone back to health or sparing someone a painful death by quickly ending their life. These traits that Katniss shows make her gain respect as the heroine of this story.
It’s going to be about how poverty is different & the same in the hunger games to real life. What is poor in the US? It will have a definition and get both-sided opinions.
What does poverty mean? The state of being extremely poor. This is a fact from the University Of Michigan. In 2017, nearly 40 million people lived below the poverty line in the United States. The poverty line is the estimated minimum level of income needed to secure the necessities of life. Of those, 12.8 million were children. Many families who were following the current path are nation has laid out for you upwards Mobility our making no Headway, and in some cases doing worse.
How poverty is different from real life in Hunger Games? Hunger Games paints a picture of the world’s reality and its rich nations of the world. Many countries have incomes of less than $10 per day. They both have an abundance of food, advanced medicine, and gadgets that are high-tech. The point of the Games is to get to material paradise without getting killed or caught and sent back to Districts to starve.
Conservatives dismiss this proposal as a distraction, scoffing at the fact that it would raise only $47 billion in new revenue over 10 years. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is expected to raise more than three times that amount, or at least $160 billion because the number that Buffett Rule opponents cite assumes that all the Bush tax cuts expire, which would result in more than $800 billion in revenue over the next decade from high-income households. Rep. The House Agriculture Committee found nearly all of its savings ($33.2 billion over 10 years and less than what the Buffett Rule would raise even under the low scenario) from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This translates into an 11 percent cut in the monthly benefit for an average family of four. These cuts would truly affect the most vulnerable in our society and the working poor. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides the biggest “bang for the buck” in terms of job creation, creating $1.73 in economic activity for every dollar spent on the program. Similarly, a $1 billion cut from the program resulted in more than 13,700 lost jobs.
How is poverty the same in Real Life to Hunger Games? They are both fighting for a sense of high class. They both work but don’t have enough to feed the kids. They blame being poor for war and destruction on themselves. Children never have a voice but suffer more than adults.
The film version of Suzanne Collins’s first novel, The Hunger Games, topped $155 million at the box office on its opening weekend, making it the third-highest debut of all time. A high-tech, wealthy Rome 2.0 sits at the epicenter of twelve (actually thirteen) Districts that supply the Capitol City with its resources and wealth, from energy needs to food to electronics, and even ‘peacekeepers.’The promise of globalization is one of a rising tide that lifts all ships. As we grow richer, so does the rest of the world. The power of markets and technological innovation should reach all corners of the world, gradually toppling protectionism and totalitarianism wherever they rear their ugly heads. The catastrophic failure of totalitarian governments and command economies is the result of not allowing other, smaller failures to persist. Markets work because they fail. Democracy works because we can kick the bums out. These things operate and continue to operate because they force us to adapt and change over time.
In conclusion, real-life poverty is more open-minded and generous. If one is in poverty in real life U.S. people have a chance of working and getting out of it. One a better possibility to have a more findable life for their children. People can thrive in life if they get that chance.
This compared to ‘Hunger Games’ poverty is irrelevant to real-life poverty in almost every way. You can not be put in a place because you are poor and never make it out. Don’t have to barely make it by even if they still work as hard as people can, don’t have to settle for the jobs they are given. Definitely isn’t reality television for the rich. And this is how poverty is in both real U.S. poverty and ‘Hunger Games’ poverty.
‘Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015’, Report P.60, n. 256, Table B-2, pp. 50-55. poverty.umich.edu/about/poverty-facts/
(2013) What the hunger games tell us about global poverty The Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/what-the-hunger-games-tells-us-about-global-poverty/
Kimbal, M. (2013) “The Hunger Games” is hardly our future it’s already. Quartz qz.com/155385/the-hunger-games-is-hardly-our-future-its-already-here/
Chang, C. (2014) Actual Hunger Games U.S. News & WORLD REPORT www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2014/12/03/the-hunger-games-are-here-in-child-poverty-and-food-insecurity
The Gladiatorial Combats were arguably the most anticipated form of entertainment within the Ancient Roman era and were greatly favored amongst the majority. However, it would be inaccurate to state that the Roman form of entertainment was liked by all when in reality it received a significant amount of criticism from individuals such as Ancient writers and the Stoics. The Ancient Criticism of the Roman Arena was often focused on the negative behaviors of the arena crowd specifically. These individuals actively expressed their censure with arguments suggesting the mob mentality, excessive nature, and immorality of arena crowds. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the games are still prevalent in modern-day films and arts. A particular example would be Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games which is a series of dystopian novels often perceived to have been influenced by the Gladiatorial games themselves. Suzanne Collins has stated in interviews that she ‘researched not only the historical Spartacus and the popular media about him but many of the historical gladiators’ pre-Christian times’1. Through this, one can dispute that stoic ideologies can be affiliated with The Hunger Games to an extent and it is this argument that will be explored further in-depth within the essay.
Stoicism is the idea that happiness is found when a person is led by their mind in their understanding of the world around them. Their actions are controlled through logic rather than desires for pleasure or fears of pain and one may say, in other words, that they prioritize the duality of rationality over emotions. The Stoics were the main critics of the Roman Gladiatorial Games and had great concerns that arena crowds often deploy a mob mentality when observing arena entertainment. This negatively impacts a person’s ability to think and behave in a logical manner. One can evidence this through Seneca the Younger’s seventh letter on the crowds where he states simply that ‘That I go home more selfish, more self-seeking and more self-indulgent’ and that ‘the greater the mob with which we mingle, the greater the danger.’ 2 Here Seneca the Younger may be alluding to the fact that it is much easier to conform to the behavior of a majority and let it influence or indoctrinate you and your goals such as becoming a better version of yourself. Thus, ultimately limiting stoic practice. Seneca the Younger is discrediting the existence of such crowds and the Gladiatorial games as they are an incentive to act more viciously and non-logically rather than with reasoning which is a duality that is not encouraged by stoics. The idea of being more ‘self-indulgent’ and ‘selfish’ when in arena crowds is also translated in The Hunger Games, particularly through the concept of betting. One can argue that the Capitol’s illogical behavior as a result of watching the Hunger Games is clearly displayed through their heavy enjoyment of betting on the tributes. “They’re betting on how long I’ll live!” 3. Here Katniss may be subtly criticizing the idea of trying to impress the arena crowd. She criticizes further how the Capitol have lost all ethicality over betting as they place their chances on who is most likely to survive in their morally deprived system of inevitable deaths. This shows how the tributes have been stripped of their identity and dehumanized or reduced to a way for the Capitol to earn more money than they already have. It also reinforces the extent to which their ability to act logically and in a humane way has been corrupted, as trying to gain from a such brutal and harmful event is not logical nor civilized. It is a reflection of the type of corruption and selfishness to which Seneca the Younger and the stoics, in general, allude; the idea of people losing rectitude and indulging in activities that promote killing and brutality for their individual gain, controlled by a desire for pleasure or money, etc.
Another belief that was deeply rooted in Stoicism was the idea that everything must be done in moderation rather than excess. The Roman Gladiatorial Games are, as we know, anything but moderate with arena crowds spending hours of their lives viewing bloodthirsty combats. Minimalism and moderation are incredibly valued by the stoics as well as the duality of control rather than excess. For example, Seneca the Younger states in his seventh letter about the crowds that ‘A single example of extravagance or greed does a lot of harm’ and that ‘a wealthy neighbor provokes cravings in one.4 Here, Seneca the Younger is stating how one’s wealth (‘wealthy neighbor’) entices another to be greedy and crave the same wealth for themselves. This is harmful as one’s greed is activated and so their ability to behave in a rational and logical manner is overridden. Arena crowds display their greed through their dependency on barbaric entertainment as Seneca the Younger describes ‘And when there is an interval in the show: “Let’s have some throats cut in the meantime so that there’s something happening!” 5 This presents the overindulgence of the Crowd and their lack of control to stop viewing these sorts of entertainment one after the other. This idea of consuming in excess is also translated in The Hunger Games, particularly through the duality of food. For example, the intake of food within the Capitol is of great surprise to Katniss Everdeen who is from District 12. In District 12, starvation is a common pandemic with Katniss even thinking of resorting to eating from bins to fill her and her family’s desperation. 6 An example of excess is displayed when Katniss exclaims that she stopped eating because she ‘can’t hold another bite’ and the reply elicited from those in the Capitol is one of laughter as ‘“No one lets that stop them!’ 7 This reinforces that those in the Capitol consume in excess and that even if they are full, they will still continue to eat more than they need to ( a concept which is of strong criticism by the Stoics like Seneca the Younger). However, one could argue that Katniss and those in District 12 can also be criticized for acting irrationally. For example, we see that some in the districts will add their names more times or opt for a greater chance to be selected, in exchange for tessera and a year’s supply of grain and oil for one person. 8 Here Seneca the Younger’s criticism of how people will act illogically in order to fulfill a single desire can be applied as one can question why those in the districts would act irrationally by opting for a greater chance of inevitable death just for a small supply of food for one person.
Another Ancient criticism that could be applied to The Hunger Games is the fear of decline in morals that many Stoics had in response to the Gladiatorial combats. Stoics were greatly concerned with how immorality is relished in arena crowds when using the barbaric Gladiatorial games as a provision for entertainment. Immorality is again seen as the act of behaving in ways that are irrational and without reasoning. Thus, the primal fear of ancient writers such as Augustine of Hippo, for example, was the increasing decline in morals in Rome. They saw the Games as the origin of the increase in immoral behavior and this is particularly highlighted within the Augustine of Hippo Confessions 6.9 where Augustine of Hippo speaks about being a part of arena crowds and the effect that it can have on one’s mannerisms. Augustine of Hippo describes how spectators become ‘drunk on the pleasures of blood’ 9 whereby being ‘drunk’ reflects a state in which one lacks control and the ability to make logical and sensible decisions, as they unknowingly indulge in activities that corrupt and taint their soul. Moreover, the fact that he is drunk ‘on the pleasures of blood’ demonstrates how participating in such events destruct the morals of the innocent as well as their ability to care for more intellectual pursuits. Ultimately, Augustine of Hippo is portraying the dangers of adopting such behaviors and ridicules the concept of spectators gaining gratification and openly encouraging the destruction of another human being, just because it fulfills their need for entertainment. This concept can be applied to the modern Hunger Games, which much like The Roman Gladiatorial Games, are held for the purpose of entertainment and are treated like a festival by the Capitol. A particular scene showing the bloodlust of the crowds is when Katniss and Peeta arrive on the train in the Capitol. We see the extent of the crowd’s excitement and desperation to see the tributes which is ironic as they are aware of the high chance of death of these very tributes. Moreover, the concept of the Capitol gaining pleasure and satisfaction from viewing the act of 24 tributes battling for the chance to live and to see another day further displays their ‘lust for blood’ nature. Although it is televised for viewers rather than requiring them to be physically present in an amphitheater-like The Gladiatorial Games, it does not mean to say that that spectating is exempt from acting immorally. The idea of the arena crowd (the Capitol in this instance) watching other humans fight to the death is still present and one could say even more barbaric due to the fact that they hold the power of whether to provide essential resources. These resources determine the chances of survival for the tributes. The adoption of such unprincipled behaviors is inevitable according to Augustine of Hippo who believes that you are not the same person you were before participating in such means of entertainment.
In conclusion, it can be said that Ancient Criticisms of the Roman Arena from groups such as the Stoics can be applied to The Hunger Games. From the immorality and selfishness of the crowds to excessiveness and greed, there is no doubt that there are active examples of each idea in The Hunger Games. Writers such as Augustine of Hippo and Seneca the Younger had clear proposals as to the effects of arena crowds and how this can affect one’s mannerisms and behaviors. The pockets of influence from the Roman Gladiatorial Games present in The Hunger Games as well as the similarities between both arena crowds, allow us to apply such ancient criticisms to a modern reconstruction.
Imagine a world where everyone is the same. Same house, same food, same clothes, and same beliefs. Individuality and freedom are stripped from each and every person and you would be killed in you thought any different. In Lois Lowry’s novel, The Giver all of this is reality. They live in a world with no freedom or justice.
The distinct set of rules that set out to make the community a utopia actually turned it into a dystopia seizing the freedom from its people. The community enforces a rule called precision of language. This rule dictates what a person is allowed to say. There is a scene in the book in which Jonas asks if his parents love him to which his father says “precision of language.” This highlights how the community has been able to eradicate every person’s ability to say and feel what they want. On page 70 it explains the reason for the precision of language by stating “the reason for the precision of language was to ensure that unintentional lies were never uttered.”
Another way the community was able to take freedom was with pills. These pills were to stop things called stirrings. In reality, these ‘stirrings’ were actually the person’s feelings towards another. In chapter 5, Jonas is telling his mother about a dream he was having. He said that the strongest feeling in the dream was wanting. Then his mother says “You’re ready for the pills… the treatment for the stirrings.” This implies that the pills take away any ‘unwanted’ feelings.
The community has even taken away people’s freedom to feel true emotions. Each evening, the individuals of Jonas’ Community discuss their emotions with family members in their dwellings. However, the thoughts they share are shallow and superficial, since they are shared by mindless individuals going about their business. Lily’s displeasure about the event at the park with the child from another neighborhood who did not obey the rules, for example, was not genuine. Instead, Jonas understood she was experiencing ‘impatience and irritation,’ and she felt instantly better after discussing her thoughts with her family. This example shows that the people of the community are numb to raw emotions.
Memories are important in The Giver because they provide people with wisdom and experience. The Giver and Jonas discuss the importance of receivers, with The Giver arguing that they supply Wisdom to the community, allowing them to make the best decisions possible. Taking away a person’s memories has once again proved the community’s interest in making the world they live in a dystopia. On page 105 The Giver says “they know nothing.” And that is true, the community knows nothing of the real world or about the choices they would be able to make if they had access to the memories
The community is trying to create a utopia by taking the memories of the past away from the people. Jonas was starting to question the Giver on why he is unable to exchange memories with other members of the community in order to relieve his anguish. ‘Everyone would be burdened and pained,’ the Giver informed Jonas. That is not what they desire. That is why The Receiver is so important to them, and why he is so revered. This proves that the community isn’t a true utopia, by showing us that there were people forced to hurt and suffer every day so others didn’t have to.
In The Giver, people are given spouses and kids in a dystopian future. There are no celebrations or traditions, and the people are color-blind. Meanwhile, starting at the age of 11, the Committee of Elders has complete authority over all aspects of everyday life, including what employment residents have.
One of the community’s ways of ensuring sameness is climate control. Climate control affects the temperature, the hills, the season, and more. Because of the problems it entailed, the climate became outmoded in their civilization, and it appeared to be more destructive than useful. It began as a way to allow farming to take place all year, but it soon became a component of the laws of sameness. This again proves that the Committee of Elders has taken away the choice of its people.
We learn in The Giver that making decisions about the future requires knowledge of the past. Because the people in the book lack recollection, they are unable to make real decisions. Without even knowing it, the people of the community are slaves to the Committee of Elders and bound by the rules of sameness.
In a nutshell, the community is a dystopian society. From climate control to taking away the memories of the past, the community has shown time and time again that it is a dystopia and Jonas was lucky to get out.
We live in a society where we have the freedom to voice our opinions and have control of our own lives. If that was one day taken away from us by a superior power the people would revolt against an inhumane leadership. In the dystopian futures of the films The Matrix and The Hunger Games, several scenes portray the oppression of humanity.
The film The Matrix explores several intersecting systems of oppression. An example of oppression within gender is demonstrated in the opening shot of the film. It starts with armed, white, male officers searching for Trinity. Introducing this as one of the beginning scenes portrays a symbol of authority. When agents of the Matrix arrive at the scene one of the policemen mentions to the agent, “I think we can handle one little girl.” (The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 00:02:35). In making this comment, it implies that women are seen as inferior to men. Another form of subjugation in this dystopian future is that humans are used as a power source for an AI superior. People are unknowingly stuck in a simulated world to keep them blind from the truth. They are planted in pods where they are used as a source of energy, while their minds are stuck in a simulation that makes their life incomparable to any other. When Neo discovers this, he becomes freed by rebel leader Morpheus by being awoken to real life. When Neo was exposed to the reality of the matrix he was in disbelief and horrified. With this dilemma, he faces the reality of returning not knowing anything or living his life as a freeman. Individuals living in this simulated reality are being oppressed by being withheld from the truth. As individuals become freed they have the ultimate decision to change the future at the same time it raises questions about the ethics of belief. This is introduced through the “red/blue pill scene” (The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 00:28:55). Neo has the choice to face reality or return to his “reality.” The individuals who have not been freed and continue to live in the matrix go along with their regular activities oblivious to the oppressive system that is designed to keep them under control.
In the film The Hunger Games the oppression of the people is not subtle as compared to the matrix. The majority of individuals living in this dystopian future are fighting for any chance of freedom. As punishment, district members are required to participate in annual ceremonies known as “The Hunger Games.” In these ceremonies members of each district are required to be sent out and fight against other members with only one survivor. In this society, “The government controls the means of communication, the access to resources for survival, and the constant pressure of knowing that each year the Hunger Games will come again, and many will die in public view.” (Collins). People are subjected to follow the rules set by the regime or face poverty and death, without supporting the administration in their decisions resulting in the loss of resources needed for survival. This form of government is dehumanizing as it does not allow the people to hold their own opinions and beliefs.
Years before the initial hunger games were held, there was a mass rebellion in opposition to the parliament. This uprising was largely due to a long history of oppressive leadership. After the defeat of the rebels, the capital began holding the yearly hunger games. The second rebellion resulted from the brutally dehumanizing control of the regime. Panem soon fell into massive riots by members of the society which largely consisted of the poor who were being withheld from resources. People against the leadership of the capital rebel by refusing to follow the rules. After persistent efforts of refusing to follow any rules, they turned to war-like battles to take control of the capital. The rebels soon managed to defeat the capital along the way making sacrifices and facing hardships. Under the new administration, the annual hunger games were removed. Members of this society finally reclaimed their political and economic freedom.
Although both these films discuss overcoming oppression, it’s accomplished in numerous ways. The film The Matrix shows people living during this time unaware of the suppression they face. They continue with their lives unaware that they’re being controlled by something much more powerful. The rebels then are those who are accountable for defeating the matrix and exposing reality through virtual battles. In the film The Hunger Games the people living during this era are conscious of the mistreatment from their government. A select few brave individuals are then chosen to defeat the government and take over the capital. They managed to take down those in higher power through a series of warlike battles which they fought for their liberation.
The agents of resistance in the film The Matrix are Neo and Trinity who are fighting alongside the rebels of the Matrix. Their role is to ruin the matrix and liberate everyone within it. However, the matrix also created agents to prevent being exposed to the false reality they created. These men dress in black suits with sunglasses, representing authoritative figures.
In times of unjust leadership, the people rebel against those in higher power. In the class reading, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” it states, “American politics has often been an arena for angry minds. In recent years we have seen angry minds at work mainly among extreme right-wingers, who have now demonstrated… how much political leverage can be got out… of a small minority.” (Hofstadter, 76). This act of political power is demonstrated through the film The Hunger Games where the agents of resistance are fighting for the liberation of all thirteen districts under the rule of the capital. Each individual is being affected by the decision being made. This results in Katniss and other members of the district rebelling against the capital by refusing to follow their orders. The capital holds hunger games to withhold the freedom of the people within their districts. Katniss’ initial act of rebellion was when she volunteered herself as a tribute to protect her sister from participating in the games. As all members of the district witnessed this through monitors they admired her for her bravery and the capital was judged for their actions. After a long battle of being able to outsmart the capital they finally succeeded and regained control of their districts.
The agents of resistance of these two films differ from one another in that The Hunger Games uses a variety of close-up shots of the faces of the people to establish emotions. An example of this is portrayed in the scene where Rue is shot and killed. (The Hunger Games, Gary Ross, 2012). The camera captures an up-close shot of Katniss and her emotions of anger and sadness are visible to the audience.
Compared to the different approaches taken by each member against their oppressive government, I don’t believe any form of liberation is preferable to the other. In the film The Matrix Neo uses excessive violence, he kills multiple police officers under the orders of his mission. The Matrix can be seen as a film that rejects a capitalist society and praises individualism. Therefore, throughout the film, Neo questions his existence and position in life. Similarly, in the film The Hunger Games, Katniss participates in many acts of violence under the mindset that she has a mission to accomplish to liberate the districts from the capital.
Although both these dystopian futures differ in how they are being oppressed, eventually they accomplish their mission of liberating the people. Along the way the films were also successful in portraying society’s flaws in regards to gender, politics, and how much power the people have. Ultimately, to liberate yourself from oppression you must become aware of your surroundings and stand up against those in power.
The dystopia as the phenomenon of literature originated in the 20th century. The works of this genre created a picture of a dehumanized society, projecting into the future the existing, present, and real social institutions, tendencies, and relations that oppose a cultural person and spiritual values. Thus, dystopias were originally born as a warning to humanity about some dangers threatening it, as a basis for the critical review of cultural values, socio-historical practice, and its timely change. In this context, the attitude of dystopias to contemporary social reality may be traced. Society has faced many problems that some writers describe in their fiction stories – mass culture, the influence of the media on society, the degradation of the population, and others. Mind and common sense are powerless against the problems of cultural degradation, and the current direction of development is the new picture of the future. These expectations are naturally connected with the progress in culture and the change of these problems.
The influence of the works of those dystopian fiction authors who wrote their novels in the 20th century on modern society can be traced in different spheres of life, which explains the relevance of these stories. Based on the ideas of such writers as George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Ray Bradbury, and others, it is possible to make a comprehensive comparison of the thoughts and hypotheses of that time regarding possible options for the future. Some ideas are relevant today, and as arguments, specific academic sources may be used. For instance, Resch (1997) argues that “Orwell’s attempt to fashion progressive politics in terms of cultural values remains instructive” (p. 140). Also, as Morgan (2018) notes, although Huxley’s dystopia does not consider the modern world from the point of view of technological progress, in his Brave New World, the state is “founded on genetic and biotechnological engineering” (p. 226). Therefore, the works of the authors of that era are directly connected with modern society and reflect some ideas that are relevant today.
Discussion of Source Material
Based on some academic sources, it is possible to consider what reflection the dystopian literature of the 20th century has on modern society. According to Anwar (2016), after the World Wars, authors began to pay particular attention to the problems of people in terms of their life and natural needs. The author considers the fiction works of that era as an attempt to convey the destructive nature of violence and everything related to injustice (Anwar, 2016). “The tone of dystopia is of despair and the feel it gives is that of fear,” and the novels by Orwell, Huxley, Bradbury and other representatives of this genre are the caution to future generations (p. 247). Therefore, such literature has a connection with modernity as the instruction on how to prevent the collapse of social values and norms.
Political satire is a hot topic in both the works of the last century and in modern literature. Awan and Raza (2016) note that the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by Orwell purposefully makes fun of totalitarianism as a social order. Today, in the era of democracy and the desire to achieve maximum freedom, such an order is unacceptable, which may indicate that the writer managed to convey his ideas. Despite the fictional nature of characters and events, the story presented in the novel is proof that forcible management does not lead to maintaining order. Modern society has adopted this idea, condemning any manifestations of violence against the rights of citizens and human freedom.
Bina, Mateus, Pereira, and Caffa (2017) consider the influence of the last century’s literature on the modern foundations of life. As the author remarks, dystopian fiction is the genre that reveals the most significant problems of society and presents them in a gloomy and impartial light (Bina et al., 2017). The most acute problems that existed at that time and are observed now are social inequality and discrimination, and if these historical survivors are supported, problems may arise. As Bina et al. (2017) argue, “insufficient attention to these dynamics may hasten society’s fall into dystopia and dystopia or collapse” (p. 192). Therefore, the struggle with the aforementioned phenomena is a feature of modern life.
Claisse and Delvenne (2015) describe the ideas of dystopia in the context of its impact on the characteristics of social development. The use of some authors’ ideas overlaps with the modern concepts of countering such unacceptable phenomena as inequality, the infringement of rights, and other signs of totalitarianism. As substantiations, the authors cite the ideas of writers and suggest paying attention to the trends that are traced in their works (Claisse & Delvenne, 2015). This approach allows estimating the reflection of dystopia in modern society.
Confrontation as a desire to achieve freedom is the idea that McManus (2017) considers when analyzing the influence of dystopian fiction on modern society. The author claims that “a terrible isolation is one of the primary indices of life’s degradation,” and the desire to avoid this fate is a natural movement towards civilization (McManus, 2017, p. 84). The works of different authors form the basis of the analysis (Orwell, Huxley, Eggers, and others). Thus, the relationship between the ideas of the past and present epoch can be traced as a way of improving the world order.
Morgan (2018) draws attention to such a social phenomenon as the inverted totalitarianism and notes that the dystopian novels of the last century largely shaped the intellectual basis for the consideration of this issue. The prerequisites of democracy are seen as a path to enlightenment, and the way of life that is typical for today’s society can be described as opposed to the ideas of Orwell, Huxley, and other writers. Despite the grim promise, specific thoughts are aimed at influencing society in order to eradicate any manifestations of inequality and injustice.
To assess the influence of dystopian works on the course of life in modern society, Resch (1997) considers political courses as one of the main indicators characterizing the ruling elites’ interests. Some concepts, for instance, totalitarianism are not criticized directly, but as a justification of their inadmissibility, the ideas of the authors of the last century are cited. Resch (1997) mentions the Cold War as one of the manifestations of intolerance to the interests of different nations and draws attention to literary examples. The problem of displacement of cultural values is considered an essential aspect. In order to prevent the events described by Orwell, the world-famous dystopian, it is crucial to follow the course of justice and respect for the interests of the individual.
The topic of intersection between the past and the future is the key theme of the article by Stock (2016). The author examines the works of dystopian and compares the concepts of two-time frames based on the ideas presented (Stock, 2016). The hints of writers are clear evidence that their images are directly related to everyday life, and ridiculing certain concepts speaks of condemnation. Stock (2016) mentions the thoughts of Orwell and other members of the dystopian genre as “specifically predictive” and remarks that attention should be drawn to the connection between the notions of the world order in the past and in the future (p. 415). Despite a fictitious nature, the works are considered serious sources that allow assessing the degree of risk and preventing significant negative social changes.
References
Anwar, M. (2016). Postmodern dystopian fiction: An analysis of Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’. International Journal, 4(1), 246-249.
Awan, A. G., & Raza, S. A. (2016). The effects of totalitarianism and marxism towards dystopian society in George Orwell’s selected fictions. Global Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 2(4), 21-37.
Bina, O., Mateus, S., Pereira, L., & Caffa, A. (2017). The future imagined: Exploring fiction as a means of reflecting on today’s Grand Societal Challenges and tomorrow’s options. Futures, 86, 166-184.
Claisse, F., & Delvenne, P. (2015). Building on anticipation: Dystopia as empowerment. Current Sociology, 63(2), 155-169. =
McManus, P. (2017). From Huxley to Eggers: Happy dystopians. New Left Review, 2(105), 81-105.
Morgan, D. R. (2018). Inverted totalitarianism in (post) postnormal accelerated dystopia: The arrival of Brave New World and 1984 in the twenty-first century. Foresight, 20(3), 221-236.
Resch, R. P. (1997). Utopia, dystopia, and the middle class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. Boundary 2, 24(1), 137-176.
Stock, A. (2016). The future-as-past in dystopian fiction. Poetics Today, 37(3), 415-442.
First of all, it must be noted that the article of the current analysis is devoted to the impact of dystopian fiction on young people. Keeping in mind the list of dystopian books the author provides us with, one can probably conclude that modern teenagers are interested in nothing, but crime, violence, and cruelty. No, they do not afraid of the listed issues but accept them as the ordinary things the contemporary world is filled with.
Laura Miller gives readers an opportunity to trace back a variety of issues many writers of dystopian literature draw their young readers’ attention to. We, in turn, have a chance to define the overall aim of such publications. There is no need to neglect Miller’s conclusion that “The books tend to end in cliff-hangers that provoke their readers to post half-mocking protestations of agony” (par. 3).
Analysis
It seems to be evident that the author is deeply concerned with the things she reveals. To protect and prove her ideas, Laura Miller relies on a wide range of rhetorical strategies, which most vivid are:
exemplification (she provides us with the readings “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead, “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld, “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner, etc.),
description (Miller clarifies the importance and meaning of these books in young people’s lives; she provides readers with detailed depictions of teenagers’ emotional states which dystopian books cause),
narration (every part of Miller’s essay includes the retelling of a dystopian story),
process analysis (the author evaluates the processes young readers are involved in and shows the way readers react to dystopian publications),
comparison and contrast (Miller depicts the differences and similarities between the books she analyses),
division and classification (the author tries to disclose a variety of hidden things such broad and complicated subject as dystopian literature reflects),
definition (Miller’s article is related to specialized terms, which she further explains in order to clarify the main purpose of her discussion; she focuses on the threats dystopian books contain and wants her positions to be clear to readers),
cause and effect analysis (the author depicts the interdependence between contents of dystopian books and their outcomes, i.e. she reflects a variety of negative consequences the kind of literature brings about),
argumentation (when reading the article it becomes evident that Miller tries to convince her readers through reasoning).
When analyzing the limitations of the current subject of discussion, one can probably notice that Miller is limited by her own knowledge, emotions, and moral values. The listed three variables can be regarded as the key limitations, as they reflect the importance of readers’ background knowledge, their own beliefs, and expectations. In other words, one can state that Miller and her readers may have different attitudes and viewpoints on the same things. Thus, if young people are fond of reading dystopian literature, it means that there are some gaps in Miller’s judgment. She does not want to understand and accept the new values many young people support and comprehend in their own way.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that there are certain cultural contexts that constrain Miller, one can conclude that the article is well-written. Thus, in her work Laura Miller concentrated on readers in terms of age and pointed out the most crucial elements of dystopian literature. Finally, the author gave readers an opportunity to determine the nature of her reasoning.
Works Cited
Miller, Laura. “What’s behind the Boom in Dystopian Fiction for Young Readers?” Newyorker.com. 2010. Web.
People have had immense fantasies with technology. The sole purpose of making this passionate fantasy is to facilitate the creation of an ideal society that revolves around the notions of social harmony, political stability, equality, and economic prosperity. This is the concept advanced by utopian literature.
On the other hand, dystopian literature claims that technology has advanced beyond human capacity. Hence, rather than serving to the advantage of the society, it serves to disadvantage it. In this context, dystopia is the “idea that a society is repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian” (Gottlieb 16).
Popular examples of dystopian texts include Nineteen Eighty Four, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaids (Clute and Nicholls 361) amongst others. Dystopia literature presents a culture that bears a variety of tyrannical systems of communal control coupled with myriads of both submissive and vigorous forms of cruelty.
According to Gottlieb, “ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of human’s abusing technology and human’s individually and collectively coping or being unable to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity’s spiritual evolution” (7).
Ideally, subversive communities are like law enforcement nations that have an unrestricted strength of domination over the people. Key traits of dystopian literature entangle a unique setting in which events are projected in the future through virtual time and space characterized by technological innovations that are not accessible in the present reality.
Following this character, dystopia fiction is a science fiction under the umbrella of speculative fiction. In this paper, apart from the mentioned examples of dystopian literatures, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is yet another example of dystopian literature.
In the endeavor to place a case in support of this line of argument, the paper considers the key traits of dystopian literature then showing how Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep possesses them in its plot development.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as a dystopian text
A common trait of dystopian literature is a projection in the future of both time and space. Arguably this is one of the characteristic widely depicted by Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The novel opens up with Rick Deckard together with his wife waking up in 2021 futuristic San Francisco. They argue immensely about adjusting “Penfield wave transmitter”, a device with the capability of controlling its user’s state of mood.
They both opt for a fitting prescription that can help them wrestle with one another since Iran strongly holds to the notion that her husband is a rudimentary law enforcement officer who has the power to kill to earn his daily bread. Additionally, she enormously believes that Deckard squanders all his money coupled with her time.
These arguments replicate the wide accusations of technological innovations in influencing the future of social generations negatively. More important to note, the novel’s selection of the context is a clear reflection of an attempt to reach out for subversive literature mindset. Setting the novel in futuristic time and space is further enhanced by the fact that even the setting itself is in some future time.
For instance, Deckard dwells in an apartment situated in a half-empty building during pre-war period (2021). In this time, the authors of Subversive literal works present a person jangling to come into terms with their technological innovations, which ardently out-powers their abilities.
For instance, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Iran informs her husband that she has scheduled “a dose of six-hour self-accusatory depression” (Dick 65).
The capacity of technological innovation to overcome human capacity is evident based on Iran when she tells her husband that, while she was watching a television in San Francisco, “she realized that the mood organ deprived her of “sensing the absence of life” (Dick 67). This drug enabled her to deal with depressing circumstances arising after the aftermaths of the world war terminus encounter.
In dystopian fiction, fictional universe is constructed through the selection of back stories about revolution, uprisings, disasters, and even dangers of overpopulation early enough in the literal work. According to Galvan, “this results in a shift in emphasis of control, from previous systems of government to a government run by bureaucracies; or from previous social norms to a changed society and new social norms” (413).
Apparently, dystopian literature incorporates proceedings to take place in some times to come featuring sophisticated technologies in comparison with those of the up-to-date civilization. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, human beings create the androids via the deployment of significantly advanced technologies as compared to people creating them.
Consequently, they overpower people emigrating to planet mars with them with the intent of making them do the slavery work to the extent that they kill such people before the creatures escape to planet earth to hide. On the other hand, on planet earth, their direct creators are not able to control them. For instance, the Deckard’s superior explains to him his new mission. Eight androids had escaped from planet mars.
The bounty hunter crew had been shot while attempting to retire two of these eight androids. Even the manufacturers of the androids are overwhelmed by the technologies that they have created, which result into harming innocent people. Deckard visits the manufacturer (Rosen association) of one the more realistic android (Nexus-6) in the quest to learn about it.
However, as (Benesch) points out, “the president of the company immensely doubts the test (Voigt-Kampff”) deployed to distinguish real humans and the androids” (382). Rachael, the niece to the company’s president, goes through a test that concludes that she is not human. Thus, they presume that the test gives flawed results. The results surprise Rosen who offers to give Deckard a real owl as a bribe.
However, after a hunch, Deckard raises a query that proves that the previous test was actually true and accurate. Indeed, Rachael is an android. Arguably, this depicts a technology that is gone too far to erode the human capacity to regulate the world. Rather, the objects that the people have created by themselves regulate them. This is a major constituent of subversive literature.
In addition, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep explores technological obsessions through consideration of eight artificially constructed androids or humanoids. The literally work further explores the meaning of being human in the context of this largely mechanized world coupled with scrutinizing the value of artificial and real life.
In the text, humanoid robots arrive in the world of humans having killed their human masters in planet mars. However, they have no place in the planet earth. In fact, the stature of spiritual faction in the book Mercer campaigns for the need to slash out all murderers.
However, as Galvan notes, “the increasing difficulty of distinguishing androids from humans disturbs Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter called in to “retire” the fugitives” (417). One central query that is clear from the piece is why the cost of life for animals is extremely high to the extent that “people purchase sheep made artificially to tend, consider treating androids in a different manner” (Benesch 382).
In the attempt to iron out this alarming issue, the work of fiction investigates and reflects intensely on the contents that make up people’s accountability to the surroundings and individual’s life that determines civilization to ensure its destruction.
Androids have no options, but they have to operate in the manner, which their masters want them to do. This means that people possess the capacity to control objects, which they create using their technologies. However, as the novel storyline progresses, it is clear that this technology of making androids gets out of hand.
This major concern of dystopian texts evidences that the Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is indeed a dystopian text. Dick writes, “’Emigrate or degenerate…The choice is yours” (6). Arguably, the call for the degeneration of the androids depicts the degeneration of the American government following the world war’s terminus incident.
In this context, the management assumes that the only way of ensuring that people redevelop is through migrating to fresh lands. However, as the novel moves on, new life on planet earth (America) is still evident. In case the androids become discontented, they do away with their bosses as a way of evading slavery by seeking refuge in planet earth.
This prompts “bounty hunters from Earth’s various police forces to get sent to locate these escapees and “retire” them but because the androids have become more humanlike, retiring them has become more and more like killing” (Benesch 381).
The plot development of the novel opens out in one of the bounty hunters, Deckard, together with his wife Iran. Benesch reckons, “as he leaves for work, she tries to decide what mood to “dial up” for herself with their Penfield mood enhancing machine” (383). Arguably, this makes it clear that people deploy technologically created objects to enhance every aspect of their life. It is also major trait of dystopian text.
In the setting of the novel, a world war terminus spreads a radioactive dust cloud across the entire globe. Consequently, an immense number of plant and animal species gets extinct. On the other hand, people who survive the impacts of the radioactive cloud emigrate to planet mars. Those who remain are “specials” and “regular” (Benesch 379).
These people are either too affected by radiation or too stupid for them to get permission to reproduce. Due to these factors, depopulation of the cities takes place. As a result, “ownership of animals is taken as a status symbol and a sign of righteous empathy” (Galvan 414). This brings about a significant rise in the price tag of both emulated and genuine animals.
In fact, renewing price tags takes place monthly. Martin colonialists are in need of slaves, but due to diminishing population of both people and animals, androids gain immense popularity.
Commercially produced androids, which have become more of humans than mechanical objects as they are endowed with emotions and flesh, are custom designed for the emigrating colonialist for use as slaves in their new territories (planet mars).
In this context, technology serves to disadvantage people, as it results to a reduction of global population of both people and animals. This is the line of argument held by Subversive literature.
Many critics of overreliance on technological innovations capacity to control humans in future place a strong case against such technological innovations claiming that the force of morality of people would disappear. The presence of androids in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep makes Mercer command Rick to kill them although Rick immensely believes that it is not right.
In fact, Mercer tells Rick, “you will be required to do wrong no matter where you go: It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity” (Dick 177). To Mercer, life demands people to do things that people believe they are wrong. This kind of belief largely opposes the call for observance of morality as a virtue by illustrating that empathy does not produce good things at all times.
Additionally, this illustration produces an immense problem to humans especially bearing in mind Rick’s lamentation that “an android does not care what happens to another android” (Dick 99). This means that technologies can team up to produce even more harm to their creators.
Nevertheless, it turns out that “androids can care about what happens to their fellow android in comparison what may happen to their creator’s (humans) life” (Galvan 415). Arguably, this bond produced artificially made Nexus-6 remain intact together due to the fear they had for the safety of one another. For example, Phil Resch says, “If I test out android, you’ll undergo renewed faith in the human race.
But since it’s not going to work out that way, I suggest you begin framing an ideology which will account for” (Dick 138). These words come before Rick takes an android test to determine whether the fact that he could kill in cold blood was a key indicator that he was actually an android. If the test was to return positive results, then Rick could have validated his immerse belief that Android had no life empathy.
Unfortunately, Rick has to know that even real human beings had the capacity to kill. This created blurred distinction of what is real and vague. This conclusion again satisfies one of the characteristics of science fiction literature in which the reader is normally left completely caught up in a cross road between what is real and what is not real.
The fact that androids turn out as being better than human in terms of caring for each other makes it hard to distinguish between human and androids. Furthermore, this illustrates the capacity of technological innovations to out power people, which is a major concern of subversive literature.
Conclusion
Through fantasizing with technology, people create an immense number of objects to help in bettering their life and production processes. Subversive literature or Dystopia in science fiction novels take such events in the future time and introspect how such technologies would influence the future generation especially in case people advance at a slower pace as compared to these technologies. In the paper, this is a quest to move events ahead in both time and space.
Through consideration of this as a good example of traits of subversive literature among other traits, the paper contends that Philip Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is indeed a dystopian literal work.
Works Cited
Benesch, Klaus. “Technology, Art, and the Cybernetic Body: The Cyborg as Cultural Other in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” American Studies 44.3 (1999): 379–392. Print.
Clute, John, and Peter Nicholls. Dystopia: the encyclopedia of science fiction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1995. Print.
Dick, Philip. Do androids dream of electric sheep? New York: Ballantine Books, 1996. Print.
Galvan, Jill. “Entering the Posthuman Collective in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Science-Fiction Studies 24:3 (1997): 413–429. Print.
Gottlieb, Erika. Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and Trial. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s Press, 2001. Print.
Literature is not only a form of art but also a versatile tool which can be used to analyze the past and push the limits of reality to examine perspectives and possibilities. A genre that has grown increasingly popular in the last several decades is dystopian science fiction. As opposed to utopia – a paradise-like human society where the boldest ideas about prosperity came to fruition, dystopia paints a gloomy and frightening picture of the world.
While the events in the majority of dystopian stories and novels take place in the future, authors often take inspiration from the political regimes and social phenomena of the past. An array of totalitarian regimes of the 20th century left a trace in world literature, and the trauma of oppression has yet to be processed. In his short story “The Red Bow,” contemporary American author, George Saunders, attempts to examine the mechanisms behind establishing a totalitarian state. This essay will consider the relevance of the topic introduced by Saunders and provide actual historical examples that support his hypothesis.
The Synopsis of “The Red Bow”
“The Red Bow” starts with a group of men going out for a dog hunt in the middle of the night. As it turns out, their otherwise strange decision is explained by the fact that a dog has killed the narrator’s daughter, Emily. At first, the men are looking for a specific dog – an intention which appears to be more or less reasonable – but as time passes by, their obsession with animals is pushed to the extreme (Saunders).
After some time, the men no longer hold a grudge against one dog – instead, they see all animals in their area as their arch enemies. They want to spread the message about the dangers of keeping animals around, and soon the entire community joins them to eliminate the threat. In the beginning, the red bow serves as the evidence of dogs’ cruelty, as the accessory belonged to the narrator’s deceased daughter. The narrator uses it to promote his cause and claims that the red bow still has bite marks. However, as the plot unravels, a reader learns that the piece of evidence is fake.
The Symbolism of “The Red Bow”
Saunders’s “Red Bow” could be interpreted as an extended metaphor for political propaganda that aims at separating social groups and breeding hatred and hostility between them for their interest. The hunting team represents the totalitarian government which starts small but then spreads their power to infest the minds of other community members. What makes the story realistic is that “the government” bases its doctrine on something seemingly reasonable and feasible – the safety of citizens.
However, as they say, those who trade freedom for safety lose both, and soon the community members start suffering from the new “guidelines.” For instance, Bourne’s dog is shot for no reason at all – and forcefully so. Further, Father Terry’s dog is killed not because it was displaying symptoms of aggression but only because the hunting group held a personal grudge against the owner. Thus, the war against animals becomes the war against those who do not share the hunting team’s views.
Real-Life Example: Khmer Rouge
One of the terrifying real-life examples of murderous government propaganda is Khmer Rouge or Khmer genocide in Cambodia in the 20th century. A reader can draw a parallel between the phenomenon of Khmer Rouge and the scheme described by George Saunders which only amplifies the message sent by the concerned writer. Back in the 1960s, the Communist Party of Kampuchea was a small group based in the remote jungle regions that made little headway (Lowery and Bergin 51).
However, as a civil war broke off after a military coup, the party exploited the opportunity and through coalitions, gained increasing support. Here, a reader can compare the opportunist actions taken by the party to the way the hunting team used the death of a little girl to forward their agenda. The Cambodian communist leader Pol Pot abolished money and private property, emptied the cities and established rural communities. While at the time some of his measures might have seemed to be viable solutions, soon, their reinforcement turned into massacre and genocide of two million people who could not comply with the new laws.
Contemporary Real-Life Example: North Korea
To those who live under the democratic regime, it may seem that totalitarianism is a thing of the past. However, there are still some contemporary examples of governments controlling their people by using terror and violence. One of the prime examples of such states is North Korea – a small country in East Asia that has been isolated from the rest of the world for decades on end. As of now, the country’s policies are based on the ideology of Juche, or self-reliance (French 80).
Within the said ideology, the rest of the world is inhabited by enemies while North Korea is the only rightful communist state that does not succumb under pressure. Again, a reader may notice that while independence is a positive value, the way it is executed or rather imposed is horrifying. It is easy to see that keeping people in a bubble of illusion is only possible through violence (Myers 74). There is extensive evidence of human rights violation including political killings, torture, and forced labor camps. Everything attests to the fact that over the decades, the government has shifted from seeing the enemy outside to looking for the enemy within and has been terrorizing its people ever since.
Conclusion
In their works, writers often show how the horrendous events of the past could unfold further were they not put to a halt back in a day. Even though “The Red Bow” is not based on real events and the plot might appear a tad absurdist at first, upon further reflection, it is possible to draw parallels with historical phenomena. In this sense, such stories may be not only entertaining but also educational – while they somewhat simplify the mechanism of government propaganda, they also convey the point to larger audiences. “The Red Bow” describes the process in which a group of activists can perpetuate any cause – no matter how unreasonable it may seem.
The hunting team representing the government uses the death of a little girl to wage war against animals and convince the community to do the same. The history of humankind knows many examples of political propaganda getting out of hand, for instance, Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia and the totalitarian state of North Korea. The imaginary government in “The Red Bow” and real regimes are characterized by the gradual process of dividing the nation and vilifying a particular group of people.
Works Cited
French, Paul. North Korea: The State of Paranoia. Zed Books Ltd, 2015.
Lowery, Zoe, and Sean Bergin. The Khmer Rouge’s Genocidal Reign in Cambodia. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2016.
Myers, Brian R. North Korea’s Juche Myth. Busan: Sthele Press, 2015.
Saunders, George. “The Red Bow.” Esquire. 2009. Web.