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Hunger Games

In: English and Literature

Submitted By drozov
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Throughout the novel The Hunger Games, the author makes powerful statements about consumerism and commodity culture, privacy and performance. Consumerism is portrayed in the name of Katniss’s district. While commodity culture is seen in the Hunger Games, the portrayal of the Capitol and it’s residences. Statements about privacy are made whenever Katniss has to be aware of what she’s saying. Examples of performance are seen in Katniss throughout the entire novel. A big example of consumerism in the novel is the nickname given to Katniss’s district. In the beginning of the book Katniss says, “Our part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, is usually crawling with coal miners” (4). It is also mentioned in the book that District’s 12 main exports to the capitol is coal. By definition a “coal seam” is a single layer of coal in the ground, while a “coal bed” is many seams stacked on top of one another. There is more coal located in a bed, meaning more coal can be mined from it. Katniss even says, “The people before us mined coal as well. So the miners need to go deep in order to mine anything”. That paints a picture of manifest destiny. The Capitol believes there is always going to be more coal or something better if they keep having District 12 mine deeper and deeper. But based on District 12’s nickname and what that nickname means, there might not be as much coal available, as the Capitol would like to believe. Commodity culture is very prominent in the Capitol as well as with its residence. The Capitol is wealthy and technologically advanced. While Katniss is eating lunch with Cinna she says, “What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at the press of a button?” (65). Here, at the Capitol because of the other districts food has become a commodity. Capitol residences don’t need to worry where their food comes from while people

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