The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games characterizes life as unhappy and degrading
as poverty is expansive in its population. These districts depict a degradation
of society, and it even emphasizes the differences between classes. There is a
large difference in standards of living between the districts and the capitol.
Most people in the districts live very simple lives. They do not have extravagant
food and each work hard while suffering, some even starving. Meanwhile, the
capitol is best described as being extravagant. So much food is displayed to
the point that it almost becomes sickening, when those in the district may not
even have access to food. Their homes and clothing is luxurious, while maintaining
appearances with makeup, accessories, and outlandish outfits that are worn. They
are much richer, and live a predominately worry free life. As well, those in
the Capitol have the ability to rule this dystopia. This totalitarian
government is able to govern all of these districts as an isolated body of
government. This totalitarian government is able to control its people by
providing them with hope in these Hunger Games by allowing for two people from
each district to fight to the death. The winner provides food for a year for
their district, and they themselves for the rest of their lives. It allows
people to live with the hope that life as they know it has the ability to
improve. This gives the population a false sense of security, almost
demonstrating that the government is there to help, when really it is only a
distraction. It exemplifies war, as each of the districts fight each other to
the death and ridicules the idea of it by exaggerating it to 11 different
sides, and each one containing two people. It allows for those in charge to
continue to live their rich lives in the capitol, while still being able to
maintain order and peace without any of the districts revolting. It is disgusting
that people in the capitol are able to maintain all of their luxurious
standards of life, meanwhile bluntly ignoring many of the issues that they face
in these districts. Even more so, the use of media to keep those at the capitol
entertained is necessary. This is done with the creation of the “relationship”
between Katniss and Peeta. This creates a virtual reality for those that
witness their love, and allow themselves to delve deeper into this fake
relationship in order to feel more connected to both Katniss and Peeta.
The Road
The Road is a post-apocalyptic film that follows a boy and his father as they travel through this new world. Unfortunately, plants and animals have been wiped off the face of the planet. Many have died, and others even may attempt to take their own lives due to all of the suffering that they continue to endure in this horrific world. As well, with no other alternatives, cannibalism seems to be a sure fire way to continue to survive in this society. By food being limited to what they are able to scavenge as they travel south, it only reassures the possibility of death by starvation. This new world has become anarchy, with only a loose social structure to guide interactions between different groups of people. Interestingly in this film, we are not given any confirmed situation that has allowed the world to come to this. We are given no specific root that would cause the disintegration of this society. Though, it is imminently clear that the human race is facing extinction. Yet we are not provided with any warning that will allow us to prevent. It was even such a horrid post-apocalyptic world that it also made evident that the veneer of civilization and humanity suffers from this collapse. Though, I do feel that by removing social order, classes, laws, etc, even extremely civilized people would collapse. Unfortunately, the real issue is that no matter, these humans gave animals at heart, and when they remove this from us, it may bee difficult to apply.
Future Almost Lost: Dystopian Science- Fiction Film
The possibility of annihilating everyone could occur when attempting to learn what a corporation is doing,but even how they are doing it. They would have them embody a destructive decision.This could challenge engineered regimes much like that of AeonFlux, and wish to liberate all and fight back. Of course, it is necessary to have a level of technology in order for people to be human and free again.
I totally agree with you on how the society in the road is anarchy. There is no government or names, true chaos. It's clear that all life becoming extinct is eneivtable but I wondered how they got to that point? Viggo Mortensen has flashbacks of a great explosions which makes me believe that it was the great nuclear war and we only ourselves and every living (innocent) thing on the planet.
ReplyDeleteI feel silly admitting I never realized that the winner of the Hunger Games got food for their district for the year. I must have been paying attention to something else at the time. That makes way more sense to me now why all of the districts didn't just revolt if they were given hope for relief, however remote. Although, I do still feel like this is so obviously a really dumb way to set up the society. It unifies all of the districts in against the capitol in a way that guarantees revolt, instead of pinning the districts against each other.
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