Could We Really Have a Hunger Games in the Future?
I have just started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So far, I have read that this story takes place in the future. It takes place in the country that North America turned into, called Panem. Panem has one Capitol, and around it are twelve districts. Katniss Everdeen lives in one of the less wealthy districts, District 12. Each year, two "tributes" from twelve to eighteen years old (one boy and one girl), are sent from each district to participate in The Hunger Games, a competition where tributes fight one another in a wild arena to the death. It is said that The Hunger Games "is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion," the "we" represents the district, for in the story it was said that originally there were thirteen districts, and that these districts once tried to overthrow the Capitol, but lost, resulting in not only defeat, but the loss of District Thirteen as well. In the story, Katniss volunteers to be tribute, in order to save her sister from going, and that is all I have read so far.
When I read about how The Hunger Games came to be, I thought it was shocking how selfish the Capitol is. How they sacrifice children in such a brutal way, simply to show that they have power and control. In the book, it states how the Capitol threatens these Districts: "Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. 'Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen." I think that it is extremely tragic how these tributes die for such a ridiculous cause, that they are used for entertainment to show the power and lack of mercy of the Capitol. However, what shocks me more, is that the idea of The Hunger Games is not that hard to grasp, and worse, not that hard to find it unbelievable. In fact, the idea that in the future, there may be events like The Hunger Games, is not that strange, for the human race is very selfish, and our selfishness is not getting better, but possibly getting worse.
In the past, events similar to The Hunger Games have existed. For example, in ancient Rome, the Colosseum held shows where gladiators fought each other to the death, and these were very popular to ancients Romans. In the Salem Witch Trials, women accused of witchcraft were executed and punished publicly in front of crowds, in a way, also a form of entertainment.
So if we (as in all humans in general) could be so merciless, selfish, and cruel in the past, why not in the future? Because so far, I have not yet found a reason to prove that we, as a whole, have become more kind as time has passed. I do not hope that The Hunger Games will take place in the future, but... how can we be certain that it won't?
Spiffy post! I totally agree with what you said about this maybe happening again, as I have a lack of faith in the human race. I also agree that we will do anything for entertainment. I mean, look at Honey Boo Boo-- is her life normal? Her childhood is being destroyed too, but in a different type of way. More emotionally than physically, I should dare say. If democracy ever falls, or we become so corupt as to submit to a government like the Capitol, I could see perfectly well something like the Hunger Games evolving from what we've got now.
ReplyDeleteThanks Olivia! I agree with you completely, it's sad though, how close we could be from creating something like the Hunger Games. Sometimes I wonder how it's even possible for us to enjoy such "entertainment", do people not realize it's simply wrong?
DeleteNicole, this is a really intriguing blog post! I wanted to respond to every paragraph! When I read the series at first I was also shocked! How could these people sit back while recruiting these children to murder each other and laugh? Adding on to what Olivia said before, the hunger games is kind of like a huge reality tv show which in my opinion is a little bit sickening! I mean all these writers have these ideas about what the future is like and I mean what if this is what the future is like? I kind of doubt it in a way but then again you never know right? It's really scary to think about if this actually happened to our society! I think you brought up lots of good thoughts and points, nice job!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I agree, watching children kill one another is sickening, but knowing that people actually enjoy watching it is even worse! I hope this never happens in the future! And yes, I also wonder what it would be like if the future really was like how it is portrayed by authors. It would be strange, (and highly unlikely) if everything written about the future was actually true!
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