Rebellion Against The Capitol In The Hunger Games
Forbidden Rebellion
How is it possible that one force can rule over a group more than double its size? In Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, there are 12 districts of many people ruled by one force known as The Capitol. The country is run is a Marxist manner: The Capitol serves as the bourgeoisie of Panem, and the districts serve as the proletariat. The Capitol controls every move the districts make, punishes every act of rebellion, and kills off innocent people just to show their power and control. Many characters act as a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss goes outside her district walls and hunts for food, Cinna makes the bold move of asking to makeover District 12, and District 12 as a whole uses symbols, not words, to express their rebellion. Through all of these characters, it is seen how the Capitol acts as a controlling power, and how the citizens are silently rebelling in a way the Capitol can see but do nothing about.
The Capitol is all knowing, all seeing, and all hearing. They can sense rebellion and make no hesitation to act upon it. Katniss magnifies this concept when she says: “When I was little, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out…about the people who rule our country…I understood this would only lead to more trouble…so I learned to hold my tongue,” (Collins 5). Katniss reveals to us that no matter how young or small, the Capitol will not hesitate to punish, or even kill any sign of rebellion. Her mother’s fear exemplifies how afraid the citizens of the districts of Panem are of their rulers in the Capitol. This can also be seen in Foucault’s writing, “Panopticism.” Just as the citizens fear the Capitol can see them even though they usually can’t, the prisoners within the panoptic mechanism think they are constantly being watched but can’t see who is watching or if they are watching, “he is seen, but he does not see” (Foucault 287). The citizens of District 12 think that the Capitol can see
How is it possible that one force can rule over a group more than double its size? In Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, there are 12 districts of many people ruled by one force known as The Capitol. The country is run is a Marxist manner: The Capitol serves as the bourgeoisie of Panem, and the districts serve as the proletariat. The Capitol controls every move the districts make, punishes every act of rebellion, and kills off innocent people just to show their power and control. Many characters act as a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss goes outside her district walls and hunts for food, Cinna makes the bold move of asking to makeover District 12, and District 12 as a whole uses symbols, not words, to express their rebellion. Through all of these characters, it is seen how the Capitol acts as a controlling power, and how the citizens are silently rebelling in a way the Capitol can see but do nothing about.
The Capitol is all knowing, all seeing, and all hearing. They can sense rebellion and make no hesitation to act upon it. Katniss magnifies this concept when she says: “When I was little, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out…about the people who rule our country…I understood this would only lead to more trouble…so I learned to hold my tongue,” (Collins 5). Katniss reveals to us that no matter how young or small, the Capitol will not hesitate to punish, or even kill any sign of rebellion. Her mother’s fear exemplifies how afraid the citizens of the districts of Panem are of their rulers in the Capitol. This can also be seen in Foucault’s writing, “Panopticism.” Just as the citizens fear the Capitol can see them even though they usually can’t, the prisoners within the panoptic mechanism think they are constantly being watched but can’t see who is watching or if they are watching, “he is seen, but he does not see” (Foucault 287). The citizens of District 12 think that the Capitol can see