The Hunger Games Dystopian Fiction

The first dystopian piece of fiction to be created is credited to the work of H.G. Wells, who published The Time Machine in 1895. Since The Time Machine, hundreds of thousands of dystopian fiction works have been published, making it one of the most popular genres in works with young adult audiences, be it literature or movies. The movie The Hunger Games, based on a book published in 2008 by Suzanne Collins, is one of these works of dystopian fiction. The dystopian genre has several common themes; there are defining characteristics of the dystopian genre used, such as human rights violations, the society is usually subject to some sort of control, and the protagonist reveals these issues to the audience throughout the piece. First, The …show more content…
The general public in the districts are shown to not have much electricity; for example, there are no lights in the home where Katniss and her family live, and there are no street lamps or other signs of electricity present throughout the area surrounding her home. In fact, the first sign that any electricity is present in the district is that there is an electric fence designed to keep the citizens inside their district, which is an example of how technology is used to control the citizens. Peacekeepers, Panem’s version of police, are also given weapons so they can control the public. In short, technology is only given to the citizens when it is going to be used to control them. The technology in the districts is also a sharp contrast to the technology in the Capitol, which is filled with television screens, electric lights, and even electronic murals on the windows, such as the one in the room Katniss stays in. A much more prominent but less widespread example is how technology is used in the Hunger Games. The entire arena is electronic, and the Gamemakers, who design the arena every year, use technology to control the Tributes. For example, when Katniss has approached the edge of the arena, the Gamemakers use the technology available to them to create a wildfire to drive her …show more content…
Young Adult Literature and Film is very clearly directed towards young adults, who are our society’s future, so these works can help influence a younger generation and guide the future. Dystopian pieces serve as a warning that unquestioning acceptance, never considering your circumstances or trying to make a difference, has a negative impact on the state of the world. While compliance likely will not lead to the insane and apocalyptic societies that are a trademark of the dystopian genre, never using your voice and never making a stand undoubtedly leads to a destructive society as a