The Capitol’s Invisible Hand The novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins addresses themes of imperialism and control by depicting a sixteen year old girl named Katniss who must analyze her every move in order to stay alive. In a scene during the games, Katniss experiences a change in perspective when she becomes allies with another tribute. After groggily waking up from a two-day sleep disorientated from the three tracker jacker stings, Katniss finds the young, female tribute Rue from District 11 hiding behind a tree. The two quickly become allies when Katniss reaches out to Rue in a maternal manner because “she reminds [her] of Prim” (201). That night, while cuddled together in a tree tucked inside the warmth of Katniss’s insulated sleeping
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Because Katniss knows that the majority of her sponsors were a result of Peeta initiating the star-crossed lovers’ fiasco, she is discreet when revealing to Rue that their love is only an act because she knows negates the beliefs of the viewers. In turn, Katniss uses the audience’s desire for drama to manipulate the system and, as a result, earn more sponsors. Her aspiration to get sponsors is reflective of people’s desire to please potential bosses because both the sponsors and bosses have something that is beneficial to the aspirer. Katniss is reluctant to allow her feelings to come into play when making decisions, however, because she knows that the only way to stay alive is to abide by the Capitol’s system. She tells herself and Rue that if Peeta saved her life “‘it was all probably just part of his act….to make people think he’s in love with me’” (206). In fact, she is so focused on concealing her emotions that it results in her becoming out of touch with her own feelings. Her absence of emotion is a result of the Capitol’s infringement on her personal life because she is a tribute of the Hunger Games. She forces herself to deny her feelings for Peeta, even though she longs to repay him for saving her life, twice, because she knows the game makers and people of the Capitol will not allow …show more content…
For instance, she was initially reluctant to form an alliance with Rue because “this kind of deal can only be temporary” (201). Nonetheless, her self-control can only extend itself so far because her instinctive fondness towards Rue overruled her cognizance that one of them has to die eventually. Katniss’s natural, protective instinct to take Rue under her wing, in part because “she reminds [her] of Prim,” overshadowed he rationale when she invites Rue to share her sleeping bag with her. Katniss instinctive actions allow the reader to see her true persona that is hidden underneath the person she is convinced the Capitol wants to see. Katniss is consumed by an internal battle to rebel against the Capitol’s imperialistic control or to play by the rules of the game, so she can return home to her safety net with Gale in the woods. However, her relationship with Rue illustrates the strength of the survival instinct people inhabit to form groups. Ultimately, people’s survival instinct is what provokes them to maintain different personas because it allows them to fit in with the crowd, and Katniss realizes that forming an alliance with Rue will benefit her both physically and
Because Katniss knows that the majority of her sponsors were a result of Peeta initiating the star-crossed lovers’ fiasco, she is discreet when revealing to Rue that their love is only an act because she knows negates the beliefs of the viewers. In turn, Katniss uses the audience’s desire for drama to manipulate the system and, as a result, earn more sponsors. Her aspiration to get sponsors is reflective of people’s desire to please potential bosses because both the sponsors and bosses have something that is beneficial to the aspirer. Katniss is reluctant to allow her feelings to come into play when making decisions, however, because she knows that the only way to stay alive is to abide by the Capitol’s system. She tells herself and Rue that if Peeta saved her life “‘it was all probably just part of his act….to make people think he’s in love with me’” (206). In fact, she is so focused on concealing her emotions that it results in her becoming out of touch with her own feelings. Her absence of emotion is a result of the Capitol’s infringement on her personal life because she is a tribute of the Hunger Games. She forces herself to deny her feelings for Peeta, even though she longs to repay him for saving her life, twice, because she knows the game makers and people of the Capitol will not allow …show more content…
For instance, she was initially reluctant to form an alliance with Rue because “this kind of deal can only be temporary” (201). Nonetheless, her self-control can only extend itself so far because her instinctive fondness towards Rue overruled her cognizance that one of them has to die eventually. Katniss’s natural, protective instinct to take Rue under her wing, in part because “she reminds [her] of Prim,” overshadowed he rationale when she invites Rue to share her sleeping bag with her. Katniss instinctive actions allow the reader to see her true persona that is hidden underneath the person she is convinced the Capitol wants to see. Katniss is consumed by an internal battle to rebel against the Capitol’s imperialistic control or to play by the rules of the game, so she can return home to her safety net with Gale in the woods. However, her relationship with Rue illustrates the strength of the survival instinct people inhabit to form groups. Ultimately, people’s survival instinct is what provokes them to maintain different personas because it allows them to fit in with the crowd, and Katniss realizes that forming an alliance with Rue will benefit her both physically and