Theme Background

What to Know about Dystopian Literature

When we think of a perfect world, the term generally associated with it is a “utopia.” However, when we want to discuss something on the complete opposite end of the “everything is okay” spectrum, we use the word “dystopia.” The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel due to the fact that it takes place in an almost post-apocalyptic (although we do not have a conclusive idea to what exactly caused the end of the United States) representation of America. There are no longer states, but a new country called Panem, with twelve Districts that survive to serve and supplement the people who live in luxury in the Capital.

Social Justice

Famine and Hunger

Ironically, citizens of District 12, and other characters in within the actual games suffer from hunger in The Hunger Games. As I will express with the handout and discussion questions in class, as compared to the map of Panem, particular areas of the United States are impacted with hunger more than others.

Worksheet for Class

Violence

There is a distinct rise in violence — between what is presented in movies, on the news, heard on the radio, discussed in songs, written about in novels and poetry — and violence is almost impossible to escape from. Whether the violence belongs on an episode of Law and Order, or it is occurring on a much more grand caliper, war and violence have become integrated as components of our everyday lives.

One of the biggest links for PTSD in veterans is war; specifically for those who fought in the Vietnam War, they faced radical hardships when they returned home. As compared to how WWII veterans were treated, Vietnam veterans found it incredibly hard to find jobs and sustain civilian life once they returned home. War was no longer glorified — for the first time, war was publicized and shown on the news with footage reels and statements made that horrified audiences across the country. It was not until decades later that the veterans from the Vietnam War were given a monument and finally treated with the respect that the US military deserves.

Worksheet for Class