In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins illustrates problems in modern day America through her portrayal of violence and reality television. The novel touches on the modern desensitization of violence and cruelty for the sake of entertainment. For the games, the characters must present and sacrifice themselves for the government of Panem. However, the people of the capital do not view this transgression as immoral. Rather, competing in the Hunger Games is a symbol of honor, and the winners are guaranteed fame. This violent-fueled entertainment shows an overarching romanticism with violence in America, and their lack of empathy towards the competitors highlights the lack of awareness surrounding reality television.
Throughout the novel, the people of Panem express their excitement over the games. They watch the tributes every move, and they discuss whom they think will win. Collins emphasizes this obsession with the games to display the lack of empathy towards violence in modern day America. This is plausible because many people behave in a similar fashion to those from the capital. Undoubtedly, there is a disconnect from what reality contestants feel and the viewers see. Often, watchers do not take into consideration feelings, pain, or conflict. Instead, they view the contestants as a source of entertainment, failing to recognize them as actual people. Collins chooses to incorporate reality television because it inherently proves a point of desensitization. By making it a reality television show or event, she is able to display real-time desensitization of the Game’s violence. For example, in chapter 5, crowds go wild over the reveal of the tributes riding in on their chariots. Katniss describes, “The people of the capital are going nuts, showering us with flowers, shouting our names, our first names, which they have bothered to find on the program. The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration work their way into my blood” (78). Although 23 of the tributes will die in the games, audiences portray extreme excitement upon viewing them. They look on, adoring their beauty and pick who they hope to win. Despite the cruelty of their ignorance, this excitement displays a main message of the novel. In fact, this cruelty should be shocking, because it is how Collins displays the inappropriate nature of violence in television. By dramatizing the idea of reality television, Collins criticizes the glorification of violence. The intense and shocking imagery of excited crowds emphasizes the harsh divide between the reality of the tributes and how others view their transgression on TV.
As I mentioned in class, I really didn’t see the connection between modern-day reality TV and Collin’s Hunger Games, until now. Maybe I didn’t form this connection, because I wasn’t allowed to watch reality TV when I was in middle school, but now that I am reading this novel at 20 years of age, I can see the message Collins was trying to send. I agree with you on the point that the novel touches on the modern-day desensitization of violence for our own entertainment. Even though reality TV shows like the Hunger Games do not exist today, there are shows that put people through both emotional and physical pain, merely for their viewer’s entertainment. As discussed in class, The Bachelor is a reality TV show that looks harmless and cheesy, but the contestants go through a lot of mental stress and emotional pain. Their emotional pain is overlooked by viewers, because viewers are too busy deciding which contestants are the best looking or posting hateful comments to their social media pages. When thinking about physical violence, boxing is a great example. Even though boxing is a sport where no one is in the ring against their own will, it is hard to think that people make bets and try and make money off of people beating each other down until the other is unable to retaliate. All the spectators cheer wildly and root for their fighter in the same way people from the Capitol cheer for their favorite tribute.
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