Category: Mockingjay

Symbolism (Notes)

• Bread
• The Mocking Jay
• Names
• The games
• Fire
• Plants

– Symbolism Task

• Mocking Jay
• Names
• Fire
• Bread
• Games
• Plants

Plants

Plants during the text can either be your best friend, or worst nightmare. The right plants will help you survive, whereas the wrong plants will kill you instantly. Plants play a huge role in the creation of this text, it allows the districts with less money but with more knowledge to have a larger chance of winning in the games. During the games Katniss was able to stay alive due to her extensive knowledge on plants that she acquired from her father.

Many character’s names are also the names of plants, e.g Rue, Primrose and Katniss. Often the names of the plants that correspond to their character represent them in some way, such as Katniss. The Katniss plant is shaped in an arrowhead that represents her skills in archery.

Bread

Bread (P.G 35) – “When I passed the baker’s the smell of fresh bread was so overwhelming I felt dizzy.”

Bread (P.G 119) – Peeta talks about the different breads different tributes have.

References –

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses#cite_note-2
2. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Hunger-Games-Series/symbols/

The Games

The games itself is a symbolic representation of the world, with countries continuously battling each other for resources

In Mockingjay, Katniss looks at a holograph of the booby-trapped streets of the Capitol and realizes she has simply entered another level of the Hunger Games. This time, though, more people are involved, the government itself is being forced to play, and the future and freedom of the districts are at stake.

On a symbolic level, the Games and the larger battle for Panem both become microcosms of the world itself, where territories and countries continually battle for resources, power, or survival. They also design terrible weapons to control or destroy one another, and the morality of using these weapons becomes of secondary importance.

Also, just as in the Games, the soldiers who do the actual fighting have little choice in the matter. They are sent into battle by leaders who pit them against each other, and fan the fires of hatred. As Katniss says at one point to a young enemy from District 2, soldiers are slaves of the Capitol/government and ‘have no fight except the one the Capitol gave us.’ Through her portrayal of the Hunger Games and the battle for Panem, Suzanne Collins is revealing a larger truth about the world in general.

Bread Symbolism

As mentioned at Pages; 8, 37, 51

Gale presents Katniss with fresh bakery bread that he traded for a squirrel. “It is real bakery bread, not the flat dense loafs we make from our grain rations. I take it in my hands…inhaling the fragrance that makes my mouth flood with saliva. Fine bread like this is for special occasions.” Gale and Katniss split this piece of bread to protect themselves from the reality that two people in District 12 will be sent to their probable deaths later that day. The bread is told as being ‘real’ by Katniss. To be real it must be; not artificial, not fraudulent or illusory. Bread is portrayed as being a sense of freedom, at home within the confines of the district she makes, “…flat dense loafs…” these types of loafs are horrible compared to the “…real…Fine bread…” that is brought by Gale from a bakery. Katniss only refers to bread being real once in the book, and this was outside the confines of the Capitol, although she does refer to the bread in the Capitol as tasty but never refers to it being ‘real.’ Bread’s status (real or fake) is directly proportionate to the amount of Freedom present.

This part of the book is a flashback of Katniss’s, in the flash back Peeta purposefully burns two loafs of bread enough that her mother will reject them, “His mother was yelling…” His mother then forced him to take the loafs and feed it to the pigs, and once there was an opportunity Peeta throws the burned loafs in Katniss’s direction, “…he threw a loaf of bread in my direction. The second quickly followed…” This section on p.g 37 gives Katniss a bit of hope that there is light in the constant shadows that is her life. Peeta also saves Katniss’s life here and Katniss feels that she owes Peeta her life and this affects her mentally during the lead-up to the games

Within district’s people can request a tesserae which is a small package consisting of grains and oil, but, in exchange of this your name is entered into the drawing for tributes once more. This is an exchange of ones’ chance of life, for continuation of life.

Mocking Jay

Mocking Jay (P.G ?) – Mocking jay was used by capitol to spy and then was used against them.

Mocking Jay Symbolism

– Mentioned at Pages; 51, 52

“At the last minute, I remember Madge’s little gold pin. For the first time, I get a good look at it. It’s as if someone fashioned a small golden bird and then attached a ring around it. The bird is connected to the ring only by its wing tips. I suddenly recognize it. A mockingjay.” This mockingjay is shown to be a symbol of defiance in the novel, its symbolism deriving from its origins in the text. The mockingjay came about as a result of a failed project by the Capitol to spy on the rebellious districts, and since the bird has served as a reminder to the capitol of their failure and the districts’ recalcitrance. Katniss describes the mockingjay bird as, “somewhat of a slap in the face to the Capitol.” The mockingjay pin that Madge gives Katniss is first an emblem resistance; later in the novel, however, the birds come symbolize a friendship between Katniss and Rue. The two using mockingjays as a form of communication. When Rue dies, Katniss decorates her body with flowers as a means of memorializing Rue, but also to defy the Capitol. When Katniss later sees mockingjays, they remind her of the relationship she had with Rue, and this stirs an unresolved hatred towards the Capitol. The mockingjay overall represents a general rebellion towards the Capitol, but we learn throughout the book that it symbolises Katniss’s specific desire to defy the Capitol.

“My father was particularly fond of mockingjays. When we went hunting, he would whistle or sing complicated songs to them and, after a polite pause they’d always sing back.” The mockingjay is something that Katniss can remember her father by. Katniss uses the pin that Madge gave her as a token of protection from her father.

Eventually after the first book and far into the second; Katniss – metaphorically – turns into a Mockingjay, and becomes the symbol of the resistance. When Katniss and Peeta win the 74th hunger games they – like the mockingjays – are something that never should have existed

Names Symbolism

Mentioned At Pages; 63,

Katniss Everdeen – (dictionary definition) ‘an edible tube looking plant that grows in the woods near bodies of water.’ Hardy, valuable, and sometimes sweet, the katniss plant is also a flexible survivor, just like the character. The plant also known as a duck potato and swan potato, the plant is sometimes referred to as; ‘arrowhead,’ derived from the Latin name for its genus: Sagittaria, which refers to the archer in the zodiac—a master with the bow and arrow, signifying Katniss Everdeen. The Katniss plant is mentioned in the book at page 63, “In late summer, I was washing up in a pond when I noticed the plants growing around me. Tall with leaves like arrow-heads. Blossoms with three white petals. I knelt down and pulled up handfuls of the roots. Small, bluish tubers that don’t look like much but boiled or baked are as good as any potato. “Katniss,” I said aloud.” The author included this to show that Katniss Everdeen is ‘one with nature’ – literally – and to be ‘one with nature’ you must, “…absorb what comes natural in life.” (John Smith, August 7th 2014) Katniss Everdeen knows what the life situation is and she accepts it, “Whatever the truth is, I don’t see how it will help me get food on the table.” Instead of trying to attack the Capitol she accepts that nothing will change and just accepts life and tries to survive. The katniss plant connects with nature and evidently so does Katniss Everdeen

President Snow has a very symbolic name, snow is; deceptively clean, white and pure, can also freeze and destroy whatever it covers. The man’s goal is to figuratively; chill Katniss to her core. His first name is also Coriolanus which you find out in the second book in the series of four (Hunger Games: Catching Fire). His first name refers to a character in one of Shakespeare’s tragedies (Gaius Marcius Coriolanus). This man supported aristocracy at the expense of common people, President Snow treats the people in the Capitol with the utmost respect whilst neglecting the common folk.

Rue – (dictionary definition) ‘To regret, wishing a certain situation never happened, to remorse.’

Fire Symbolism

Mentioned at pages; 81-86

Fire makes its first appearance (p.g 81-86) in the opening ceremony where the Capitol and the districts are introduced to the tributes. The stylist Cinna, who secretly works for the rebellion as we find out in the Mockingjay, design Katniss’s costume so it bursts into synthetic flames. Cinna wants to make the tributes from District 12 memorable, but additionally to show that the people of District 12, like the coal they mine, are a source of great amounts of energy. Cinna succeeds with his intentions; because throughout the text she is referred to as the girl on fire (e.g page 145, “…girl on fire.”) Later, in the series (Catching Fire) President snow forces Katniss to wear a wedding dress. Here Cinna alters the dress so that when she spins it burns and turns into a Mockingjay. She becomes a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Names

• Effie Trinket –
  • Trinket meaning a small ornament or item of jewellery that is of little value.
• Peeta’s Name –
  • Type of bread (Pita)(Homonym)
• Pan- Panem –
  • Latin, literally ‘bread and circuses,’ supposedly coined by Juvenal and describing the cynical formula of the Roman emperors for keeping the masses content with ample food and entertainment.
• Rue –
  • bitterly regret (something one has done or allowed to happen) and wish it undone.
  • Rue is a hardy herb that is drought tolerant. It not only is a great herb to add to meals (in small doses), but it has medicinal values and essential oils that are highly beneficial. The leaves emit a powerful odour, and although safe to consume in small amounts, it tastes very bitter. Chewing on a leaf or two is said to relieve a headache.
• Katniss Everdeen –
  • Katniss represents hope to her people, and a symbol of revolution. Katniss did not ask to be a revolutionary or a martyr. She participated in the Hunger Games to save her young sister, who was too weak to participate. Yet Katniss was a part of the rebellion long before she even realized it.

Now, I have done a bit of research and exploration into these two texts and quite frankly I came across the fact that both these dystopian texts share similar ideas despite the different contexts.

The Hunger Games, the third movie, Mockingjay, is part of the trilogy, following her rescue from the catastrophic Quarter Quell, Katniss Everdeen awakes in the division beneath the supposedly destroyed District 13. Katniss’ home, District 12, was previously destroyed to rubble, and Peeta Mellark, the former lover, is now the brainwashed captive of President Snow. During this time, Katniss also learns about a secret rebellion developing throughout all of Panem.

The Handmaid’s Tale, the movie is of speculative fiction written by Margaret Atwood. The novel is set in a near-future society of New England, within a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the US government, this dystopian novel conveys themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain agency, the power of both love and rebellion. Dystopian texts, The Hunger Games 3 and The Handmaid’s Tale, share similarities in ideas, though their contexts and the protagonists’ situations are very different. Both texts illustrate the power of rebellion and the power of love despite the very difficult situations in which they live. —> thesis

The Handmaids Tale context is within the twentieth-century tradition of “dystopian” novels, Margaret Atwood’s novel presents a strong feminist vision of a dystopian society. Atwood wrote this particular novel shortly after the elections of Margaret Thatcher in Great Britain, and Ronald Reagan in the United States during a period of strong, well-organised movement of religious conservatives, known as the “sexual revolution” during the 1960s and 70s. The growing power of this, heightened feminist fears that previous occurrences would be reversed. The novel does just that… explores the consequences of a reversal of women’s rights.

In the novel’s society of Gilead, a group of conservative religious activists have taken power, turning the sexual revolution on its head. Feminists argued for liberation from established gender roles, but Gilead is a society founded the subjugation of women by men. What feminists considered the great triumphs of the 1970s, due to the widespread access to contraception, the legalisation of abortion, and the increasing political influence of female voters, in the novel this has all been undone. Women in Gilead are not only forbidden to vote and have their say, but they are forbidden to read and write. Atwood’s novel also produces of a world undone by pollution and infertility, reflecting 1980s fears about decreasing birthrates, the dangers of nuclear power, and environmental degradation.

Whereas The Hunger Games context is based on the military, in fact, it played a leading role in the family’s history. Suzanne Collins’s, the author of the novel hence motive of the movie, her grandfather had served in WW1, her uncle served in WWII, and the year Suzanne Collins turned six, her father left to serve in Vietnam War. War, consequently, had a major part of to Collins life. Collins would sometimes see video footage of the war on the news, recognising that her father was there fighting. One night, Collins was watching tv, flipping channels between coverage of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and a reality TV show. This is when Collins had the idea of The Hunger Games.

Overall, the contexts are very different, as the Handmaids Tale is based on the 1960s/70s sexual revolution whereas The Hunger Games Mocking Jay is based on the World Wars that had occurred in the past and the violence/uprising it brought about.

Now that’s both their contexts explained, lets talk about the fun stuff… themes! The Handmaids Tale and The Hunger Games each convey the power of rebellion, the Handmaids Tale in Gilead and The Hunger Games in Panem. The power of Love is also conveyed throughout each text despite the harsh living conditions of each. The Handmaids Tale also conveys the inequality between men and women and The Hunger Games conveys the inequality between the rich and the poor. Due to both texts sharing the same dystopian genre, they each can share similar ideas.

The inequality of gender roles is present in the Handmaids Tale. The society that people live in, in Gilead is a strictly hierarchical society, with a huge difference between the genders. As soon as the Gileadean revolutionaries take over after terrorism destroys the US government, they fire all women from their jobs and drain their bank accounts, leaving Offred desperate and dependent. Luke, however, doesn’t seem particularly furious at this turn of events, a subtle suggestion that even good men may have embedded misogynistic attitudes, and that Gilead merely takes these common views to the logical extreme. Gilead institutionalises sexual violence towards women. , as Offred quotes, ““We are two-legged wombs, that’s all” (p.146). The Ceremony, where the Commander tries to impregnate Offred, is institutionalised adultery and a kind of rape, as they say, “Start them soon…there’s not a moment to be lost” (p.231). Jezebel’s, where Moira works, is a whorehouse for the society’s elite. Though the story critiques the Religious Right, it also shows that the feminist left, as exemplified by Offred’s mother, is not the solution, as the radical feminists, too, advocate book burnings, censorship, and violence. The book avoids black-and-white divisions, forcing us to take on our own assumptions regarding gender. We may blame Offred for being too passive, without acknowledging that she’s a product of her society, Offred is a “national resource”. We may fault the Commander’s Wife for not showing solidarity with her gender and rebelling against Gilead, without understanding that this expectation, since it assumes that gender is the most important trait, is just a lenient version of the anti-individual dictatorship of Gilead. These complicated questions of blame, as well as the brutal depictions of the oppression of women, earn The Handmaid’s Tale it’s reputation as a great work of feminist literature.

Similar to the Handmaids Tale, there is inequality within Panem, The Hunger Games, although not in gender roles, but between the rich and poor. In Panem, wealth is laboriously concentrated in the hands of the rich, especially those people living in the Capitol of Penam and the districts close to the capitol, this has resulted in a huge disparity between the lives of rich and poor. Food is a major difference between rich and poor. In the poorer districts, many of the people don’t have enough to eat. Katniss notes starvation is common in her district, district 12. Katniss has to hunt illegally in the woods and beyond to feed her family. All but the basic foods are luxuries for people. The best example of the inequality between rich and poor can be seen in the system and the way the tributes are selected for the Games. In exchange for more rations of food, children eligible for the Games can enter their names into the reaping additional times. Majority of children of poor families take tesserae to survive, hence, children of poorer families have more entries in the reaping than children of wealthy families, therefore more lilt to be picked. For these rich tributes, it is an honour to compete in the Games, while for the poor tributes it is essentially a death sentence.

The power of rebellion in the Handmaids Tale can be evidently seen as every major character in the story engages in some kind of disobedience against Gilead’s laws, as, “For every rule there is always an exception” (p.139). The Commander almost has every advantage, being a man, as he is powerful in the new regime, and he is also wealthy. Gilead should be the Commander’s ideal society, especially since the book suggests that he had a role in designing it. Yet he desires a deeper emotional connection, and cares enough about Offred’s well-being to break the law and consort with her beyond his duties. The Commander’s Wife also tries to get around the strictures of Gilead, setting Offred up with Nick in an illegal attempt to make a family. These rebellious actions, coming from Gilead’s privileged group, add difficulty to their characters and to the dystopia as a whole. No one in the book is purely evil, and no one is so different from real-world humans to embrace fully the lack of independence in Gilead. “People will do anything rather than admit that their lives have no meaning.” (p.227) in the society of Gilead. Whether large or small, attempting to destroy the Gileadean government or merely to make one’s personal circumstances more tolerable, each character commits rebellious acts, highlighting both the unliveable horror of Gileadean society, and the unstableness of its foundations.

Likewise, in The Hunger Games, the power of rebellion is a theme evident, and is strongly all throughout the movie. This theme, and the means by which people achieve power, is embraced throughout The Hunger Games MockingJay. Early in Panem’s history, the Capitol gained power by gradually diverting most of the nation’s resources to the Capitol, making the districts themselves weaker and increasingly dependent on the central government. Then, when the districts finally tried to fight back, the Capitol used its wealth to crush the rebellion, completely obliterating District 13, and turning the remaining districts into virtual slaves. Power comes in many forms. There are the people who appear to have power, and then there are the ones who actually do. We see plenty of both in Mockingjay. Katniss is a perfect example, as the Mockingjay, Katniss seems to have power because she’s the face of the rebel movement. However, President Coin, leader of District 13, is the one who actually holds the power, which she uses to manipulate Katniss. Over the course of the book, though, Katniss slowly discovers that she has some real power and authority after all. Refusing to simply be a puppet in another authoritarian government’s game, President Coin is killed by Katniss. President Snow governed the Districts of Panem with fear. As long as people were afraid of what would happen to them, they would bow to his every desire. However, every time a character loses his/her fear of death, that person finds a kind of freedom. When Katniss and Peeta are ready to eat the night-lock in the first Hunger Games, Snow realises that he can no longer do anything to control them. In Mockingjay, Peeta is repeatedly willing to sacrifice himself for Katniss despite the circumstances (like when he warns District 13 about the impending bombing). When Katniss makes the decision to kill Coin, she is ready to accept whatever consequences come her way. She is free to take this risk because she is willing to sacrifice her own life. Setting aside fear leads to freedom – both personal and political. But continued oppression can lead to rebellion and to an eventual shift in the power structure.

This is exactly what plays out in Mockingjay, when the District 13 rebels eventually overthrow and then take control of the government. The danger of a power shift, though, is that those who were oppressed can, in turn, become the oppressors, becoming as merciless and dangerous as the government they replace. It is a reality that echoes the famous quotation by the English historian Lord Acton: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’

Although the novel never suggests an ideal society or a clear way to try get its message to the real world, and although the novel looks negatively both on many modern movements, including the religious right and the extreme feminist left, love—both familial and romantic—unexpectedly turns out to be the most successful force for good. Love is also a the main motive behind other characters’ actions. We know that Nick reciprocates Offred’s feelings, but also the search for love, in the form of a real, not purely functional human connection, influences the Commander’s desires to bend the rules for Offred. In the end, love is the best way to get around Gilead’s rules, as it allows for both secret mental resistance, and for the trust and risk that result in Offred’s great escape. Despite Offred’s general passivity in the face of this oppressive society, she has a deep and secret source of strength: her love. Although love might keep Offred satisfied, authorising her to daydream rather than to rebel completely, it’s also responsible for the book’s greatest victory, as love drives Nick to help Offred escape, which Offred manages more effectively than Ofglen or Moira. Her love for her mother, her daughter, Luke, Moira, and ultimately Nick, allows her to stay sane, and to live within her memories and emotions instead of the terrible world around her.

Similarly, the power of love is also used as an escape in The Hunger Games. Even though the characters are focused, for the most part, on waging a war, love creeps into the story. There are many different kinds of love in this movie, love for one’s country, one’s people, one’s district…for friends, family and partners. The Katniss, Gale and Peeta love story reaches its resolution. In Mockingjay, romantic love is an unsettled thing. Feelings grow and change; circumstances get in the way. Katniss is at times left wondering ‘what if…”, which in the end, romantic love seems to be a based on trust, friendship and sacrifice. In general, the characters who experience the greatest trauma—those who lose loved ones to war and violence—respond by turning to their other loved ones for support and understanding. Throughout the Hunger Games trilogy Katniss grapples with loss, and turns to her two closest friends, Gale and Peeta, for help. This becomes clear at the end of Mockingjay, as Katniss begins to fall in love with Peeta. Katniss simultaneously loves herself and genuinely cares about Peeta. In no small part, she feels this way because Peeta understands what she’s been going through. He too has competed in the Hunger Games and experienced torture and manipulation from the government, so in Peeta, Katniss has a friend who helps her cope with her trauma, and whom she helps to cope with his own, similar trauma. In the epilogue, Collins reveals that Katniss and Peeta marry, have children, and continue to love one another. She also makes it clear that neither Katniss nor Peeta can ever entirely forget their traumas—they’ll always suffer nightmares about “the old days.” It is precisely because trauma never fully goes away that love and friendship are such important antidotes to it. Katniss and Peeta will never overcome their own memories, and thus they must remain together, helping both themselves and each other to cope with tragedy. Well, that’s a wrap. Like I said earlier. Two texts. Similar Genres. Similar themes. Different contexts.

Raymond Williams identifies three perspectives that define the meaning of culture – the ideal, documentary, and social. His categories of culture and the political environment in which these categories were drawn are recognizable in The Hunger Games trilogy. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a well-known movie that portrays the cultural and social differences in the country of Panem that consists of the twelve districts and The Capitol. Additionally, all of these areas are presented with identifiable social, political, and economic issues. The movie portrays the idea that the culture is present across all societies and is not unique to a superior class only. Thus, it supports Raymond Williams’ cultural theory.

The ideal category identifies culture as a state of human perfection. In the film, The Capitol exists as an idealistic utopia driven by the desire for perfection. Only the richest and most powerful citizens of Panem live in the Capitol. The city portrays perfectionism through The Capitol’s governing structures, its residents’ physical appearance, social identity, and values. The superiority of this idealistic society is also evident when compared to those living in the twelve districts. While people in The Capitol live in the technologically advanced, perfect city where everyone parties and enjoys life, the Panem citizens from the twelve districts live in poverty and are driven by survival. The city’s tyrannical dictatorship ultimately rules over the country and is comprised of the most powerful people in Panem whose interests and values are absolute. To demonstrate power, The Capitol hosts an annual televised event – the Hunger Games – where the ruthless government selects a boy and a girl from each district to participate in the game. The tributes are between the ages of twelve and eighteen. In the game, they are forced to fight each other to death and those who survive to get to experience a wealthy life at Panem. The relationship between the capital and the districts illustrates the relationship between the dominant societies and the people they oversee. In the Hunger Games movie, the government does not only use power to dominate the districts but also to establish norms and trends within Panem. The film exposes the social, environmental, and economic influences of the authoritarian regime across different societies. For example, the second district has positively adjusted to the Hunger Games by raising children to become warriors and volunteer as tributes in the games. It is evident that this type of governance creates a lot of issues including persisting inequality, discrimination, and the loss of cultural heritage and identity. Thus, the movie demonstrates a flourishing lifestyle for the dominant societies and the inferior environment for people surviving in the districts.

According to Williams, culture, when categorized as the documentary is the written or painted records of human thought and experiences that spread for reference and criticism. The film Catching Fire has several artifacts, which are used to symbolize a human experience. Panem’s national flag, the Hunger Games, and the Mockingjay pin from the twelfth district are the key artifacts of the nation. The country’s flag of a flying eagle holding eight arrows and surrounded by two crops represents the nation’s theme of power and dominance. Additionally, it symbolizes the need for authoritarian governance to establish control as well as social inequality. Additionally, it also symbolizes the previous war between The Capitol and the districts. The nation’s most anticipated annual event, the Hunger Games demonstrates the power, control, and dominance to prevent another potential rebellion plotted and executed by the twelve districts. Furthermore, it ultimately establishes the spirit of insurgency among some of the wealthy citizens and those living in the districts. The Mockingjay pin is a symbol of a bird “with a spirit on its own”. It is a sign of a rebellion and resistance because just like the Mockingjay birds, the district citizens eventually break free of the control of the totalitarian government. Additionally, the pin’s design of a Mockingjay holding an arrow in its beak also symbolizes the rebellion or as Katniss says the “slap in the face to the Capitol” (Shmoop, 2019). Finally, the Mockingjay represents Katniss as the leader of the rebellion who is the Panem’s hero that won the Hunger Games and gave people hope. All in all, it is evident that the film uses various symbolic artifacts that represent historical experiences. The movie Catching Fire allows audiences to identify with its fundamental themes of inequality, marginalization, ethics, humanity, and dignity, which ultimately led to the success of the franchise.

The social category defines culture as an expression of certain meanings and values of a particular way of life. The social perspectives of culture explain how society’s values, interests, and language shape a unique cultural identity. All of Panem’s districts had unique and distinctive cultures. For example, a mass culture of perfectionism was prevalent in the capital city. However, the citizens living in the other twelve districts derived their cultural identities from the nature of their work, their history, and the effects of war. Therefore, the explicit and implicit interpretations of cultural meanings and values should be unique to each individual and society. Additionally, the influence of institutions on behavior and values is evident across all citizens and societies of the country of Panem. Thus, while it may be easy to judge The Capitol citizens in the film, ultimately their behavior and values are defined by The Capitol’s culture that is driven by ideals founded in their institutions. Overall, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a phenomenal movie that challenges the existing totalitarian regimes and portrays several issues that societies experience under such governance including injustice, inequality, and violations of human dignity.