Lim 1Avery LimMr. StewartENG 3U20 August 2014The Hunger Games vs Reality: The TruthToday's society has been twisted warped into worshipping money, media and appearances. This phenomenon is apparent in both fiction and reality through Suzanne Collin's, The Hunger Games and modern western civilization. Firstly, most people in the Capitol are like rich fools similar to people living today who think only of their own comforts. Secondly, the Hunger Games and reality television is a profitable market that forces people to resort to extremes in order to survive. Thirdly, the superficiality of the people in the Capitol can be compared to people in the present day. Most Americans have warped ideals on beauty and perfection. Collins accomplishes a message through dystopian elements and characteristics to warn readers that the current civilization is traveling down a dangerous.In both Panem and well developed countries, wealth is heavily concentrated in the hands of the rich. The Hunger Games shows it particularly in those who live in the Capitol and certain of the districts, and the result is a huge disparity between their lives and the lives of the poor. This inequality is evident in terms of food and medicine. The protagonist, Katniss notes on the amount of food the capitolhas and the lengths she would have to go through to get it."I try to imagine assembling this meal myself back home. Chickens are too expensive, but I could make do with a wild turkey. I'd need to shoot a second turkey to trade for an orange. Goat's milk would have to substitute for cream. We can grow peas in the garden. I'd have to get wild onions from the woods. I don't recognize the grain, our own tessera rations cook down to an unattractive brown mush. Fancy rolls would mean another trade with the baker, perhaps forLim 2two or three squirrels. As for the pudding, I can't even guess what's in it. Days of hunting and gathering for this one meal and even then it would be a poor substitution for the Capitol version." (Collins 26)The Capitol is a place of seemingly infinite wealth, especially compared with District 12. One meal of theirs, as Katniss notes, would take her days to assemble. Only the rich can afford medicine and food. President Snow's hides the poor development of the districts from their citizens in the Capitol to keep the wealth within the government. This poverty is shown in today's society, millions of people all over the world are dying from starvation and treatable diseases. In well developed countries such as Canada or United States there are landfills coved in wasted food and pharmaceutical companies who monopolize the market and over charge for medicine and treatments. The reason the human species has thrived so well is their ability to share knowledge and work together. Countries are becoming more consumed by wealth leaving under developed nations to catch up on their own. As humanity becomes more selfish others will be jealous leading to a possi...
