The Hunger Game

I was so absorbed and addicted to 《The Hunger Game》in these two weeks. Once I immersed myself into the story, I was completely shut out from the outside world. 

The writer is very good at depicting the feelings of people and describing the scenes. When you follow through the storyline, you  are actually watching it like a movie playing in your mind. 

Panem (once was North American) consisted of a controlling and affluence Capitol and 13 districts. People in these districts basically worked as slaves to provide resources such as minerals, agricultural products, seafoods etc to the Capitol. 75 years ago, there was a rebellion against the inequalities of the Capitol's governance but failed. The whole district 13 was bombed to ashes. 

In order to gain better control of the people in other districts, Capitol invented the Hunger Game. A girl and a boy were drawn in lottery from each district every year. They were thrown into the arena and fight to death. Only one can survive. 

The Hunger Game was televised to all citizens in Capitol and districts. By seeing the tribes in the games killing each other, the game effectively created horror, distrust, hatred and fear amongst people in districts. As citizens in Capitol were not selected and they were so accustomed to watch it years by years, no one questions about the justice. The government used The Hunger Game as a powerful method to brainwashing its people, making their citizens indifference to the cruelty and stop thinking about humanity. 

However, the Hunger Game has gone out of control and this was the twisting point. There were uprising again and remnants in District 13 led the rebellion. To my surprise, there wasn't any change even District 13 won because those who hold power would do whatever it took to control its people.

The heroine, which was supposed to be a spiritual leader, a rebellion symbol, was just a tool for the politicians and could be dumped whenever she was useless. 

 

This story also makes me rethink the propaganda of zeitgeist movies, and I believe it is totally unworkable.  Zeigeist promoted  "Resource Based Management System" society which could eliminate inequalities. However, the drawback was that whoever mastered the system, gained power. Then a form of dictatorship would arise, just like those in Capitol or District 13 whoever won the war, it would never change.