4. Poverty Versus Wealth
Let's start with the most obvious one. The Capitol is full of men and women so engulfed in their own hedonistic desires that they not only allow themselves to watch the Hunger Games, but they actively enjoy it. In fact, the games unite the Capitol in a buzz of anticipation equal to and exceeding the euphoria we have toward our own sporting events. One scene in Catching Fire sums it up perfectly: Katniss and Peeta attend the final party on their victory tour in the capitol, where Peeta is offered a drink that will make him throw up so that he can continue eating. Peeta's line of dialogue a few moments later says it all. He comments on District 12's starvation against the Capitol's citizens desire to eat more than their own fill. Can this be reflected back onto our own ability as the upper class to eat our fill and more (often throwing out scraps when we're full), while others who aren't so fortunate suffer in food-deprived circumstances? There is subtlety in the film's inherent allegory of the state of the upper-class of today, though in a very general way (I'm trying not to insult anyone). Power is control, and President Snow continues to maintain his perfect world by ensuring that the people understand just who's in charge. The story takes into consideration the idea of leaving the poor to fend for themselves, to suffer and die. Our world is littered not with people who don't care enough to help, but rather don't manage to simply consider that they can. The districts of Panem are essentially no different to the third world countries of our world - in the first novel of the trilogy, Katniss says: "District 12, where you can starve to death in safety." The Capitol is well aware (its leaders most of all) that the districts are poor and suffering, but if the districts don't pull their weight , they sure as hell don't deserve to be fed. Is it possible for a world like this to exist? Does it already? Arguably, the signs are already there if we look closely enough.