Everything The Hunger Games Tried to Warn You About...

Dystopian literature was a teen staple of the early 2010s.

The Hunger Games Trilogy quickly became an effigy of dystopian franchises and the film series starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson boosted visibility of the 2012 box office debut. While the politics and cultural significance of The Hunger Games was largely lost on middle and high school readers, one needn’t look far into the story’s subtext to imagine its implications surrounding modern life.



In a unique tale examining just war theory, Suzanne Collins follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in District 12 with her mom and younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields). When Prim’s name is drawn in her first reaping at age 12, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the Hunger Games, a televised event where 24 children fight to the death in a battle royale arena in the name of honor and affluence.

Social Inequity and Economic Disparity:

The stark contrast between the Capitol's affluence and the districts' poverty highlights the perils of social inequity and economic disparity. By showcasing the steep divide between the haves and the have-nots within Panem, The Hunger Games raises awareness about the dangers of an unequal society. It reminds us of the importance of striving for a just society where everyone has equal opportunities.



While the stark contrast in class division is most apparent between the Capitol and its subjugated districts, economic and racial disparities abound between the districts themselves. Each district of Panem (Latin for "bread") is responsible for a specific industry and many are reminiscent of specific North American regions, with the coal economy of District 12 closely resembling the living conditions of rural Appalachia and District 11 resembling the agricultural industry of the south-east.

Just as the industry of each region plays a role in a district's economy, each district's economy plays a significant role in the training resources allotted. While the more affluent districts (like District 1) find honor in positioning their best and brightest to volunteer, impoverished districts are forced to exchange bids for rations to prevent starvation at the risk of sacrificing their children.

Fascist Regimes and Concentration of Power:

Fascism requires a face, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes details Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth)'s career as a Gamemaker and eventual rise to political power within the same system that impoverished his family. The 2020 novel expands on the series with the introduction of new characters Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) and social representations. But don't allow this narrative or the 2023 film adaptation to inspire a newfound empathy for President Snow's villain arc, as the reality of this trope is grim.



To control potential uprisings, the Capitol polices via deploying Peacekeepers, resulting in each of the districts functioning as separate police states with almost no flow of public information in between.

As far as the games go, once static rules are constantly being changed and manipulated to suit the interests of the capitol, and new military ventures are invented and unleashed against the proletariat.

American state police seemed to follow this same guidebook when addressing the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, which emerged following the killing of George Floyd and resulted in countless arrests and militarized forms of crowd control. These response to these ACAB cries were answered with the controversial "Cop City," a police training base in the Dekalb County suburb of Atlanta.

Panem serves as a powerful warning about how quickly fascist regimes can spiral into totalitarianism and how easily the authority can be enforced once established.

Reality Television and Spectatorship:

"If no one watches, then they don’t have a game." - Gale



The Hunger Games, in which children fight to the death in a nationally televised event, serve as a scathing critique of our obsession with reality television and voyeuristic tendencies.

In the first Hunger Games, Katniss is forced to sensationalize her relationship with Peeta, securing food and resources by appealing to casual viewers at the expense of her autonomy. This resulted in a trauma bond developing between Katniss, Peeta, and the sponsors receiving promotion for promoting the Games that persisted through the events of Catching Fire.

In a world where exploitation for entertainment is normalized, the series warns us about the dangers of desensitization and the erosion of empathy by urging us to reflect on the impact of our media consumption and the ethical boundaries we should uphold.

Manipulation and Propaganda:

“From now on, your job is to be a distraction so people forget what the real problems are.” - Haymitch Abernathy

"The Hunger Games" highlights the insidious role of manipulation and government propaganda in shaping public opinion. The series reveals how the Capitol controls the narrative through media manipulation and carefully crafted images which serve as a stark reminder of the importance of critical thinking, media literacy, and the need to question the information presented to us.

The Hunger Games is anything but apolitical, and despite its heavy themes of media censorship and consolidation, the 2008 novel remains one of America's top banned books.


Most Americans are familiar with the "Big Six" media conglomerates, including Comcast (which owns NBC, NHL, The Weather Channel), Disney (ABC, Vice, ESPN), and News Corp (FOX, Washington Street Journal, New York Post, HarperCollins), dominating major media channels regardless of format.

Through extravagant costuming and excessive styling, tributes' own bodies become propaganda for Capitol Elites to promote the Games. Though her image throughout the series is utilized to market the rebellion through exorbitant promotion dubbed "propo", Katniss is still powerless in securing structural change until Mockingjay, when she is invited to execute a terminally ill President Snow for his war crimes. Recognizing the transfer of power as a farce, Katniss takes aim at his successor, President Coin. Rebel Commander Paylor takes over, and a new era is born where horrors like The Hunger Games are abolished.

Where to Watch The Hunger Games:

The Hunger Games is available for free streaming on Peacock.