Hunger games

Throughout history, works have been "products of their environment" only literally. In my British Literature class last semester, we covered this discussion. My professor first pointed out how Godzilla was released in the 1950's just a few years after World War Two. The movie plays on a very real fear at the time of an atomic war and the effects of such chemicals. Another example of this would be The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is set in a totalitarian dystopia as well. Atwood drew upon history- mainly Puritan theocracy in America and the political climate of the country in the early 1980's. She also points to the election of Reagan as president and the country's embrace of Christian conservatism as influences for the book. 

In the same way, Hunger Games reflects concerns of the beginning of the century since it was published in 2008. The recession took place during this time and this reflects in the book. In the beginning, on page 6, Katniss says, "District Twelve. There you can starve to death in safety." This reflects how the government's control lacks actual control over certain situations. Their focus is in the wrong place. With the stock market crashing, the government was left to pick up the pieces, only they were focused entirely on the wrong puzzle in the eyes of some. Suzanne Collin's father was a militarily historian and what she would have learned from him is also very evident in the book. 

In further research for inspiration for the book, I found that one night, while flipping back and forth between coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a reality-TV show, Collins had the idea that would ultimately turn into The Hunger Games. A longtime fan of Greek and Roman mythology, Collins borrowed a great deal from those sources to give the story its shape. One notable contribution came from the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, in which the Cretan king Minos demanded that seven maidens and seven youths be sent as a tribute every nine years. He gave these tributes to the Minotaur, who would consume them. Collins also borrowed from Ancient Roman history. The gladiatorial games were updated and turned into a televised competition, and Collins took the name of her fictional dystopia from the Latin phrase “panem et circenses.” 

I'd also like to note that this era produced The Maze Runner and Divergent series as well. All highlighting the concerns people were having with the government and their power. Overall, the book, though I hate to admit it, was better than the movie and I want to continue to read the series- AND there is a prequel due to come out next year!