The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in 2008 was a cultural phenomenon that captured the imagination of the West; yet was this book a criticism of communism, or of capitalism? And what lessons can be learned from it and applied in today’s setting?
The book is set in a dystopian future where North America and democracy cease to exist under a dictatorship in a nation called Panem. There is a civil war that takes place between the working class in the 13 districts and the Capitol. The war results in defeat for the districts, leading to a treaty with barbaric conditions, and District 13 being demolished out of existence. The conditions include having a male and female “tribute,” between the ages of 12 to 18, randomly selected or volunteered from each of the 12 remaining districts to enter an arena in a Roman-style gladiator event and battle to the death until one remains. This is to remind the working class in the remaining 12 districts that the state is the ultimate provider of their needs and truth, and that it is superior to the people. The districts also have their specific functions economically, with which the Capitol has tasked them: District 1, gemstones and jewelry; District 2, architecture and main military base (replacing 13’s role after the civil war); District 3, electronics; District 4, fishing; District 5, main provider of the nation’s energy or electricity; District 6, transportation; District 7, lumber; District 8, textiles; District 9, grain and farming; District 10, livestock; District 11, agriculture for orchards and dairy cattle; District 12, coal and mining. The more useful their economies are for the Capitol, the higher the favorability of the district—thus Districts 1-4 are the wealthiest, with Districts 11 and 12 being the poorest. What kind of system does this resemble, though?
In order to figure out whether this book is criticizing communism or capitalism, we have to compare the two systems. There are many who will say this book is a knock on capitalism; however, does this government allude to the failures of capitalism? Capitalism, or “market economy,” is defined as “an economic system in which private individuals or businesses own capital goods. The production of goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general market.” In its purest form, this is laissez-faire, where there are no restrictions on individuals as to how to utilize their resources and investments. The success of the economy is based on the merit of people’s products, companies, and ideas. Free will is king. In contrast, a communist state is a command economy, where the state controls all the means of production, the prices, and the industries. The state determines the fate of the people’s economic status, and thus the individual’s free will is severely diminished—their ability to climb up the economic latter is dependent on the state, rather than personal effort. Meritocracy is dead. By economic standards, author Suzanne Collins’ dystopia is in alignment with communism. However, sometimes economic freedom doesn’t equate to political freedom.
In a capitalistic society, one would assume free speech flourishes; but one can point to China as an example of having their markets open, yet there is no political freedom. Free speech doesn’t exist. That said, when people talk about capitalism, the main conversation is purely materialistic. Communism doesn’t stop with the economy. From the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx is also a proponent of state-controlled speech. When a government is limiting the individual’s ability to speak freely on their thoughts about the current state of the system, then political freedom dissipates. As the story plays out, Katniss (the main character) and a young girl named Rue, from another district, team up. While the two get to know each other, Katniss begins to wonder if the Capitol is broadcasting their conversation; because in their world, the 12 districts do not talk to each other. “It’s interesting, hearing about her life. We have so little communication with anyone outside our district. In fact, I wonder if the Gamemakers are blocking out our conversation, because even though the information seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another.” It is also hinted that due to this lack of communication, there are misconceptions about the other districts. Katniss realizes that District 11, where Rue is from, is limited in the amount of food they can keep for themselves despite their economy being agriculture. “‘I’d have thought, in District Eleven, you’d have a bit more to eat than us. You know, since you grow the food,’ I say. Rue’s eyes widen. ‘Oh, no, we’re not allowed to eat the crops.’ ‘They arrest you or something?’ I ask. ‘They whip you and make everyone else watch,’ says Rue. ‘The mayor’s very strict about it.’” This lack of communication between the districts is the result of the Capitol suppressing speech throughout Panem. Another allusion is at the beginning of the book, when Katniss hints that they have to be careful what they say about their system, as she processes her best friend Gale’s rants. “His rage seems pointless to me, although I never say so. It’s not that I don’t agree with him. I do. But what good is yelling about the Capitol in the middle of the woods? It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make things fair. It doesn’t fill our stomachs. In fact, it scares off the nearby game. I let him yell though. Better he does it in the woods than in the district.” When there is suppression of speech, it often leads to misconceptions about one’s neighbors, and what the truth is—thus propaganda. This combined is in alignment with communism.
Who holds dominion over the individuals is also another factor to consider. In a capitalist system, it is the individual who controls their fate, including what kind of family they want. To expand on this, the individual holds dominion over the fate of their children. In a communist worldview, this is unacceptable. The communist wants to do away “with private property and [educate] children on a communal basis, and in this way [remove] the two bases of marriage up to now – the dependence of the wife on the husband and of the children on their parents resulting from private property.” The Capitol in Panem has dominion over the fate of the children. Their system requires parents to give their children into their custody for a “reaping” every year to acquire the two tributes from the districts, from the age of 12 until the last day of their 18th year of existence on earth. This creates resentment for the characters, such as Gale, with his rants against the Capitol; and Peeta, who stated the night before the games that he “[wanted] to show the Capitol they don’t own me.” Eventually, Katniss shares similar sentiments after the death of Rue: “I want to do something, right here, right now, to shame them, to make them accountable, to show the Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do there is a part of every tribute they can’t own. That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I.” This ownership of children’s lives is once again in alignment with communism.
The overwhelming evidence concludes that this book is denouncing the communist system of Panem. While there are different versions of communism or interpretations of Karl Marx’s ideology, this fictional world centers on this paradigm. There has been a push from Western systems to increase their power over the people. There is an agenda to replace our system, called “The Great Reset,” that gives governments dominion over every facet of society. The book and series Suzanne Collins wrote in the late 2000s and early 2010s was a foreshadowing of what America could become if people lost sight of the humanity everyone possesses. A Godless society that gives humans a pedestal over God. Unlike God, humanity is prone to corruption. What happens if political powers don’t have anyone that they hold themselves accountable to? Political powers are the arbiter of truth. One could justify having barbaric games for children to forcibly play to the death. The scenario of this society becoming a reality is unclear, given that nobody has a crystal ball; yet when political leaders have nobody to respond to, the depraved imagination will manifest itself into malevolence—it's just a matter of how.
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