Peeta complies, having always been perceptive about the significance of appearances and making lasting impressions. Katniss understands the importance of appearances and decides to play the part of a star-crossed lover for the cameras. This is similar to celebrity culture in real life – who need to keep up appearances for the sake of lucrative deals and sponsors. The better the appearances of the tribute, the larger the chances of sponsors. Thus, the tributes are all provided with a bevy of stylists and advisors who dress them up in fashionable costumes and teach them the ways of the wealthy. To gain sponsors for life-saving gifts during the Games, each tribute must make himself/herself appealing to the public. They wear gaudy clothes, ostentatious accessories, and bright colors to demonstrate their money, power, and influence at the Capitol.Īppearances are vital in the Hunger Games. Those who live at the Capitol show off their wealth and power through their appearances.

The districts are not allowed to contact one another, and they have no access to information other than what is provided to them by the authorities.Īppearances are extremely important in Panem. The censorship of the media is another way to maintain control. Those who rebel are either obliterated or silenced to become Avox, i.e., people who have had their tongues cut off and are now acting as servants at the Capitol. The status quo is maintained by “Peacemakers,” who, hypocritically, ensure that the control remains in the hands of the capital by any means necessary, including violence. For instance, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 make it their mission to train specifically for the Games – and are even known as “ Career tributes.” The wealthier districts have a distinct advantage over the poorer ones in the Games.

All districts in the totalitarian nation of Panem are kept under varying degrees of poverty and are routinely pitted against each other in the form of the Hunger Games. The authorities in the Capitol maintain their positions of power through wealth, fear, and rivalry. The Hunger Games Themes Oppression and Inequality Some of the themes that can be gleaned from the novel include the theme of oppression, inequality, appearances, celebrity culture, as well as violence. Part of the reason for its fame is the riveting themes that it captures, all of which are central to the post-apocalyptic and dystopian nature of the novel. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has risen in popularity ever since its release in 2008.

The hunger games by suzanne collins