Change
doesn’t happen without an uprising, and the country of Panem is no different.
Except, in The Hunger Games, an uprising didn’t cause any change. It
just made the Capitol of the country hungry for violence. Every year, in
punishment for hte uprising, each of the twelve districts provides tributes to
participate in a fight to the death. Taking the kids from the distrits, forcing
them to kill one another while the country watches in a disturbing reality TV
show, this is the way that the Capitol reminds the people of Panem that they
are totally at mercy of those in charge. Throughout the novel, the population
of the Capitol eats up as much violence as the tributes can make. When Katniss
and Peeta fly out during the opening ceremonies, entirely on fire, the members
of the Capitol go nutes. “The crowd’s initial alarm at our appearance quickly
changes to cheers” (Collins 78). As soon as the Games start, blood rains, and
it’s clear that if the members of the Capitol didn’t love it, there would be no
purpose for the Games. And when things get boring, the Gamemakers alter the
environment to push the tributes near each other or simply kill someone off.
This first happens to Katniss when a wall of fire descends upon her after she
gets a moment to relax. She notices, “Things have been too quiet today. No
deaths, perhaps no fights at all. The audience in the Capitol will be getting
bored, claiming that these games are verging on dullness. This is the one thing
the Games must not do” (Collins 173).This part of the novel gives the readers a
really interesting glimpse into the eyes of those in the Capitol. To them,
these Games are not twenty-three children dying. To these members of the
Capitol, these Games are something fun to follow along during their
summer. Again, readers see this after Peeta and Katniss win the Games
during their Victor’s interview. Caesar Flickerman talks about the events of
the Games as if no trauma happened to either of them, just a couple of bumps
and bruises that the two will have no problems getting over. The entire
interview reflects how simple the Games are to the people who will never have
to undergo them. They will never have to feel the fear that the tributes and
their families fear. They are free, and this is just a Game.
I think you bring up a really important point here. It is evident that the Capitol sees The Hunger Games to provide entertainment for residents in the Capitol and in the higher-ranked Districts. During the interview discussing the intentions behind writing the novel, Suzanne Collins references how she is influenced by the Roman Empire and the gladiator games, which use violence against humans as a form of entertaining others. If we compare what we witness during The Hunger Games to what we see in television programs, we can see how there is an increasing amount of violence and gore in the content people enjoy watching. We have almost become desensitized to the effects of violence through the constant exposure to violence and the fact that people can associate violence to a “game”. It's truly upsetting that there are two tributes from each District that must represent where they come from in the Hunger Games, and that these tributes are forced to endure brutal conditions to survive for the entertainment of people in Panem. At the end of the novel, Peeta and Katniss are the only two tributes left in the games. Despite the capital claiming that two tributes from the same district can win The Hunger Games together, the capital goes back on its own word and demands that only one tribute can ultimately win the games. This clearly demonstrates how people are interested in seeing how Peeta and Katniss will react to this game rule change, and people are eager to see if either one will start attacking the other. There is a clear obsession with the act of violence as, previously, Peeta and Katniss work hard to demonstrate their love for one another and are successful in receiving gifts from sponsors. However, the Capitol is not happy with the fact that two tributes are avoiding violent actions against one another, and they try to convince both of them too kill each other.
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