The Romans employed such a technique through their use of gladiators and President Snow similarly uses it in his support of the Hunger Games (Anthon 52), which enables him to provide those living in the Capitol with all of the food that they need to survive while using the Games as a distraction to keep attention away from any uprisings that might be happening within the districts. The name of the country itself signifies the importance that food holds in this society: panem is the Latin word for bread and is often associated with the phrase panem et circenses, which translates to “bread and circuses” and refers to a government using superficial means such as circuses and games to provide citizens with the necessities of life (such as bread) while distracting them from more pressing matters (Despain 70). Food is used as power to force the districts into submission, as well as a reward for those who are skilled enough to make it out of the Hunger Games alive. Once chosen, twenty-four tributes battle to the death in a designated arena and the winner is rewarded with money, food, and a house to live in, and extra food is provided for their entire district.įrom the outset, it is clear that the Capitol controls the neighbouring districts through their control of the food supply. Tributes are chosen randomly during the “reaping,” a lottery-like process during which names are picked out of a bowl. Due to an uprising of the districts against the Capitol that happened many years ago, each district is obligated to offer two “tributes” to a national competition called the Hunger Games each year: one male and one female between the ages of twelve and eighteen.
The majority of these resources are shipped to the Capitol with very little left for the districts, creating a visible stratification of wealth and power within Panem. Each district is responsible for providing a resource to the Capitol, such as coal or grain. The Capitol is the elite part of Panem where rich, upper-class citizens and President Snow, the oppressor of the twelve districts, reside.
The story takes place in the fictional country of Panem, which consists of the Capitol and twelve districts. The Hunger Games focuses on the life of Katniss Everdeen, a young woman from District 12 who has been the sole provider for her family ever since her father passed away. Her books are filled with references to food and recurring symbolism in their use of specific food items, which this paper will analyze to reveal the deeper meanings that food takes on within the fictional world of the novels.
HUNGER GAMES DIVISION AND CONTROL QUOTES SERIES
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is a prime example of a contemporary book series that exploits the possibilities of food symbolism in order to deliver messages to the audience that go beyond the letters on the page. Food, a common everyday item and necessary part of life, is often used by authors to signify deeper meanings about their characters or plots as a story progresses. Whether it is through the use of character choices, beliefs, or values, the author is always trying to put forth a deeper meaning than simply the words on the page. Silvio Lioniello, University of Toronto MississaugaĪuthors have a variety of options and literary devices to choose from when incorporating subtle messages and themes into their works.
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