The disparities between the opportunities of simple citizens and the residents of the Capitol present the severe issue of social class differences in The Hunger Games. However, the worst thing that happens to people is that they are used for the entertainment of those from the upper class. Overall, Suzanne Collins highlights the social inequity between the residents of the twelve districts of Panem and the wealthier part of society in the Capitol, focusing on the cruelty of the so-called hunger games.
To begin with, the story revolves around two characters, Peeta and Katniss, who live in the twelfth district of the Panem and suffer from the Capitol’s cruelty. To be more exact, their neighbors are starving and have to work hard to earn money just to provide for their families, “District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety” (24). Katniss’s family is beyond poor, so she is forced to hunt in illegal territories to get food for her sister and mother. The girl’s family has no conveniences in their house, so they cannot even shower or properly clean their clothes. What is more, the twelve districts are forbidden to interact in any way, so people cannot travel outside of their areas or purchase food, clothes, and other necessities in the different parts of Panem.
In contrast, the Capitol is thriving while the people of Panem work hard to survive. As a matter of fact, the upper class does not share any worries about them lacking food, designer clothes, or technology to live their best lives. On the contrary, almost every resident of the Capitol possesses a fancy car, estate, and everything that people from the twelve districts could not even imagine. The capital is full of mean and two-faced people; they value looks and clothes over personality, “They do surgery in the Capitol to make people appear younger and thinner” (124). Consequently, Collins highlights the primary goal of the Capitol, which is making the lives of Panem worse and making people suffer (38). The twelve districts do not even have an opportunity to obtain decent education because the Capitol cannot afford any rebellion from their side or people that may doubt their authority.
However, the leading annual entertainment for the residents of the Capitol is hunger games, which include selecting two representatives from each of the twelve districts to fight for their lives. This game ends when only one person from the 24 participants manages to survive. Ironically, Catniss is forced to replace her sister, who is randomly chosen during the ceremony to participate in the hunger games. Catniss and her neighbor fight for their lives when the Capitol just watches their struggles on the TV, screaming, “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor” (78). The most disturbing thing is that the upper class thinks that it is an actual honor for the participants to be seen and, besides, provided with necessities during the games if they are sponsored. Overall, the Capitol cares only about its well-being and uses ordinary people from the lower classes across the districts for entertainment, where they starve, escape traps from opponents, and kill just to survive this horror.
To sum up, Suzanne Collins presents the reality that the people of Panem have to deal with on a daily basis, trying to survive and provide for their families while the Capitol thrives on their struggles. The capital residents consider themselves superior beings and think it is fitting to torture the same human beings as them just for their fun. The fact that everyone’s fear of the Capitol casts constant horror on Panem makes Catniss a selfless hero who fights for her people and does not fear losing her life in the process.
Work Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Reprint, vol. 1, Scholastic Press, 2022.