Comparison Between 'The Hunger Games And 1984'
Kristen Smith
ENC 1102
19 September 2013
Mini-Essay 1
The Thin Line Between Hope and Hopelessness
Suzanne Collins ' novel, The Hunger Games and George Orwell 's 1984 both illustrate the theme that hope can remain alive even amid the most hopeless of circumstances. The main characters of these stories, Hunger Games ' Katniss Everdeen and 1984 's Winston Smith live in similar totalitarian societies where every move they make or thought they have is controlled by an all-powerful government. Although they are very different types of people, they have in common a streak of rebelliousness toward the societies they live in. Both harbor hopes of rising up against it in some way. While Katniss ' hopes center around her desire to provide a better life for her family, Winston has dreams of being able to revolt against his oppressors and lead a life of freedom. Given the worlds they live in, it is remarkable that either of them is able to achieve even a glimmer of hope, much less sustain it. …show more content…
In The Hunger Games, Katniss is always careful to never show signs of weakness because she is the main caretaker for her family. She is conscious of the fact that she must never surrender to her fears, as this could bring more hardship on her family. This serves her well in the games, where any show of vulnerability could get her killed. The interesting thing about her keeping up this appearance of strength is that it seems to fuel her natural instincts and actually helps to make her tougher. The tougher the obstacles that she faces, the more hopeful and purposeful she becomes. This aura of hopefulness is obviously sensed by others around her, as when the character of Cinna says to her, "I want the audience to recognize you when you 're in the arena." "Katniss, the girl who was on fire" (Hunger
ENC 1102
19 September 2013
Mini-Essay 1
The Thin Line Between Hope and Hopelessness
Suzanne Collins ' novel, The Hunger Games and George Orwell 's 1984 both illustrate the theme that hope can remain alive even amid the most hopeless of circumstances. The main characters of these stories, Hunger Games ' Katniss Everdeen and 1984 's Winston Smith live in similar totalitarian societies where every move they make or thought they have is controlled by an all-powerful government. Although they are very different types of people, they have in common a streak of rebelliousness toward the societies they live in. Both harbor hopes of rising up against it in some way. While Katniss ' hopes center around her desire to provide a better life for her family, Winston has dreams of being able to revolt against his oppressors and lead a life of freedom. Given the worlds they live in, it is remarkable that either of them is able to achieve even a glimmer of hope, much less sustain it. …show more content…
In The Hunger Games, Katniss is always careful to never show signs of weakness because she is the main caretaker for her family. She is conscious of the fact that she must never surrender to her fears, as this could bring more hardship on her family. This serves her well in the games, where any show of vulnerability could get her killed. The interesting thing about her keeping up this appearance of strength is that it seems to fuel her natural instincts and actually helps to make her tougher. The tougher the obstacles that she faces, the more hopeful and purposeful she becomes. This aura of hopefulness is obviously sensed by others around her, as when the character of Cinna says to her, "I want the audience to recognize you when you 're in the arena." "Katniss, the girl who was on fire" (Hunger