The dystopia genre is one of the oldest and most impactful genres in all of literature, not only for its rhetorical richness but also for its modern and relevant messages, and as a result, it’s produced some of the most famous and influential novels to date, one of which being The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Set in a futuristic society called Panem, the world is broken into 12 different districts, each becoming progressively poorer and more impoverished. The main protagonist of the story, Katniss Everdeen, is a resident of District 12 and lives with the struggles built into the poorest district in Panem, which quickly became the least of her problems. Along with the plethora of systematic issues built into Panem, a barbaric yearly game, known as “the Hunger Games,” reared its head, and in an act of selflessness and sacrifice, Katniss volunteers as tribute in place of her little sister and competes alongside the male tribute of District 12, Peeta Mellark. Through the remaining length of the book, the true nature of Panem’s government and the increasingly barbaric nature of the Hunger Games become increasingly more apparent as more and more tributes die and more and more corruption comes to light. As the Hunger Games near their end, the leaders of Panem pull the rug on Katniss and Peeta, stating that there may be only one victor, prompting Katniss to threaten a double suicide, forcing the government’s hand.

The Hunger Games serves as a cautionary tale of class divides in society, brainwashing, revolution, and more than anything, government control. As we navigate the experiences of Katniss and her time spent in the upper echelons of Panem, the divide in classes on the basis of status and wealth becomes increasingly apparent, and its effects play greater and greater roles in Katniss’s struggles, from the beginning to the end. At the same time, we see increasingly shifting attitudes towards the Hunger Games. As Katniss progressively climbs the districts, the people become increasingly accepting of the current government and increasingly barbaric when presented with the Hunger Games.

A modern cult classic turned into an equally successful movie series, The Hunger Games blends science fiction and dystopia together in a piece of literary beauty, with equally amazing messaging. Through the motifs of oppression and class disparity, meshed with the themes of authoritarianism and barbarianism, Suzanne Collins crafted a beautiful and telling series underscoring the very real and very modern apparent in our own societies.