What's worse? Panem, or that we could become it?
Over the week of Thanksgiving I read "The Hunger Games Trilogy" and all three books were very well written. The books are set in the nation of Panem, a place formed after the destruction of North America, which consists of twelve districts (plus one destroyed one) and a rich yet cruel Capitol. Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl, becomes a tribute in one of the annual Hunger Games, a "reality show"/contest where two tributes from each district (Katniss is from the extremely poor district of 12) are chosen and must fight to the death until there is only one person left (who will be the winner). She battles more than other tributes though and is forced to encounter much more.
I really enjoyed reading these books but throughout this entire trilogy, an eerie sense of reality kept making its reappearance. It seemed as though Suzanne Collins may have glimpsed the future and was giving us a hint or perhaps more of a warning . It may seem funny that I say this but it is because we do have the potential to become the future Panem. The selfishness and evil that lies in some are the reasons that these books may become true. In fact some of it is already true. How you may ask? Well look at some of the communist countries. Or totalitarian as others say. The capitol of those countries are all rich and beautiful while people are starving and suffering in other parts. Maybe the part about the actual Hunger Games do not exist but who knows how long that will last? The measures taken to ensure power can go pretty far and the more people know, the more they would want freedom.
There was one specific line in the third book, Mockingjay that I couldn't seem to forget. It was when (SPOILER) a "children related to the powerful people of the Capitol" edition of the Hunger Games was suggested although the overthrow of the capitol prior to this suggestion was supposed to end the Hunger Games. Katniss upon hearing that said/thought that "Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever change now" and I found this line very true. What has changed? We all think that many good things have been done but why does it seem that no matter how much good there is in the world, it can never out do the bad? Of course, this doesn't mean to stop doing good deeds but will there ever be a time in the future where we can all be at peace? Or will Panem replace it instead? Wars rage, starvation and poverty kills, the rich always seem to win, nothing seems to have changed at all. There have been scientific advancements, new technologies and medicine, but what does that compare to that of the cruelty from hearts of our own? Dictators are still in "reign" as well as countries where there is no true freedom (communist/totalitarian, etc), and how different is it from that of Panem, where people can't even say there disapproval of the Capitol without risking their lives? It is all the same. Life in many places are The Hunger Games.
Do we really need to go to the point of actually destructing the world to know we've went too far? Actually, the real question is "how long will it take before these books become an obvious reality?" Can change for the good even happen anymore even though many say it is? I don't see a difference. I'm not some sort of pessimist but I honestly don't see a great difference between times that we've considered bad and modern day. I earnestly hope though that I am proven wrong.
Change is the only constant but that doesn't guarantee its for the good so lets all work our way to a better EARTH and not that of PANEM.
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