I know it's 2016 and it's not necessarily cool or trendy to write about The Hunger Games anymore. I get that the final movie came out last November, and that the kids have all moved on to bigger and better things (Pokemon Go! and what not). Perhaps, this proves I am not hip with the times. I'm okay with that. I hate how fast our culture gets over things and moves on the next. I try not to be that way, and considering, I have been thinking a lot about the election this year. Like most Americans, I am thoroughly fascinated, cautiously intrigued, and radically concerned at what I see coming from both Republicans and Democrats. As the primary unfolded, and as the general election heats up, The Hunger Games is something I've continued to go back to. Especially now, with the recent discussion of police violence, and the shootings in Dallas, I can't help but draw parallels between what happened in Suzanne Collins's fiction novels and what's happening in the real world today.
Here are a few of the parallels I've made...
People are fed up with the status quo. Just like the outer districts grow increasingly fed up with the Capitol, everyday Americans are feeling a sense of anger towards the people who they see as the "establishment". There's a reason Jeb Bush had so much trouble during the primaries. His last name represents many of the things that people hate about the nation today. The case is the same with Hillary Clinton. The reason she has so many detractors is that her last name comes with so much baggage. People feel betrayed by their government, and they see President Clinton and President Bush as causes of that.
Many feel the system is rigged against them. A huge reason that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have/had so many supporters is largely due to so many people feeling disenfranchised by the government. They've seen war, economic recession, wage stagnation, and the cost of living increase. They see their senators and representatives do little to nothing to provide better lives for them; instead focusing on petty party disagreements. This can cause people to feel like their officials care more about their own political problems than the problems facing the citizens they were elected to represent. The districts in The Hunger Games feel this way as the series progresses, particularly in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. They see the Capitol as an ivory tower, and many Americans are beginning to see Washington that way.
Donald Trump is Alma Coin. While some may prefer I cast Hillary Clinton as President Snow (and those comparisons are worth hearing), I see more similarities between Donald Trump and President Coin. In Mockingjay, Alma Coin is the leader of the rebellion, and uses Katniss to help convince the other districts to join her movement through various propaganda films. She utilizes anger and irritation towards the Capitol to help achieve her own agenda. While at first she seems to be fighting for the people, Katniss soon realizes that she is only using the citizens as a means to gain power. She's no better than the people she claims to hate. I fear this is the case with Donald Trump. He's tapped into an anger that has been bubbling for a while, and is using it to his advantage. He's running on a platform of anti-establishment change, but under the surface, he's more of the same. For decades, Trump has used and abused the rigged system he's running against.
The justice system and retaliation to it are growing out of control. In Catching Fire, Peacekeepers publicly execute an old man from District 11 after he whistles a four-note salute to Rue. The scene harkens to many videos we've seen recently of police brutality towards people of color. While the large majority of police officers are moral keepers of the law, there are growing concerns that free rein and lack of training play into unregulated local criminal justice departments. On the flip-side, retaliation towards the police has spiraled into an unhealthy place. The recent killing of five officers in Dallas has ignited the idea that protesting has gone too far. The response to violence cannot be violence. While I see many similarities between America and Panem, there are many differences. I acknowledge some police officers have Peacekeeper-like qualities, but the enormous majority of them are simply trying to do the right thing and protect citizens. Taking your anger out violently will accomplish nothing. Yes, the rebellion in The Hunger Games use violent tactics to achieve their mission, but the most effective strategies throughout the books and films are the peaceful protests (like the three-finger salute) and ideological challenges.
Do we need a Katniss Everdeen? Not yet, but the time may come. I don't know that any individual person will rise up and lead a rebellion, but growing frustration among every corner of the country means that something has to change. Besides, Katniss was more of a symbol. Her purpose was to motivate the masses to challenge the things they had issues with. That's what Americans have to do; stand up and declare what is right and what is wrong. Ours was meant to be a government of the people and when the people lose their say, America, as it was intended, ceases to exist.
