“Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever,” said Suzanne Collins’ in her acclaimed series, The Hunger Games; an infamous slogan that remains relevant today.
Almost two years ago, Express alumni Domenica Peloso published “The Hunger Games is Uncomfortably Realistic.” Within this story, Peloso discusses how the themes of this timeless series, ranging from “class struggles, to governmental destruction, to women’s rights,” are disturbingly accurate to modern society.
Let’s explore how this relates to modern society.
THE PATRIOT GAMES:
Last month, The Hunger Games resurfaced in the media following the announcement of “The Patriot Games” – the name alone cannot help but to draw attention back to Suzanne Collins’ critically acclaimed novels.
On December 18th, in a video announcement from Freedom 250 – described as a “national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday” on their website – the first details of The Patriot Games were given.
“In the fall, we will host the first-ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory,” said the announcement.
In the novels, tributes are randomly selected, or “reaped”, from each of the 12 districts. These tributes range from the ages 12 to 18 years old, with one boy and one girl from each district. The Capitol is the wealthy, tyrannical metropolis that rules over Panem under the dictatorship of President Snow. In a televised spectacle for the Capitol’s entertainment, the tributes fight each other to the death in the annual Hunger Games.
Now, while this new Patriot Games does not emit violence on its competitors, members of Gen Z and commentators on the internet have drawn comparisons to similar themes in The Hunger Games.
What’s more is that the Hunger Games is a tool by those in power in the Capitol for political distraction, obedience, and overall dehumanization of civilians.
This government-sponsored game feels as though it’s entertainment used to distract citizens from the issues facing the country including those related to poverty, civil rights, ethnic discrimination, immigration, inflation, government transparency…the list goes on. This only leaves people in the dark, encourages ignorance, and instills a lack of trust in government. On top of that, funding for this program would be better spent on programs that benefit the public.
THE BROADER CONTEXT:
It’s clear that modern society mirrors elements in The Hunger Games and other dystopian fiction beyond The Patriot Games, especially when it comes to social issues.
The wealthy 1% of American society seemingly have the greatest influence over the government, though they are often motivated by self-enrichment. When their economic power translates into political power, it can be to the detriment of the hundreds of millions of others in the middle and lower classes, like the Capitol’s power over the districts. Similar to the Capitol citizens, this group of individuals solely remain unaffected by economic crises.
“Tariffs. Inflation. Slowing employment. None of it has hit the fortunes of America’s billionaires,” according to Forbes’ Magazine, describing Elon Musk as the richest American citizen ($428 billion) who makes 3,393,900 times more money than the average citizen.
This overwhelming wealth gap keeps the majority of citizens in poverty and homelessness, facing financial pressure that makes critical necessities – like quality healthcare, food, and housing – seemingly unattainable.
Furthermore, there have been numerous accounts of unconstitutional behavior by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which echoes the actions of the Peacekeepers in Collins’ novels. The Peacekeepers are the Capitol’s brutal law enforcement agency, whose purpose is ensuring compliance through intimidation and punishment. Both systems are oppressive, stripping the marginalized of their rights.
Instances of ICE’s abuses and acts of violence against innocent civilians are only escalating, as we have seen this month with the murders of Minneapolis residents and U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Moreover, censorship in the U.S. is a growing concern that parallels the tactic of most governments in a dystopia. The normalization of book banning, media censoring has become rampant – the subject of Ray Bradbury’s famous novel, Fahrenheit 451. We specifically saw this in the current administration’s defunding of NPR and PBS, which restricts the public’s access to information.
This growing discussion of the United States falling into a dystopian society should not keep us fearful. Though there are striking parallels, we remain distinct from the fictionalized dystopias we see in novels or television. Our efforts to form a less divided and more equitable, just society will bring about change and a hope for a brighter future.
“And that’s part of our trouble. Thinking things are inevitable. Not believing change is possible,” said Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
