Comparing Truman Show And The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

What if the government was corrupt? This is often the theme of many dystopian novels, particularly in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl living in poverty, forced to care for her mother and younger sister. During the annual hunger games – a festivity broadcast to the whole country – Katniss’s sister Prim is chosen. So, Katniss volunteers to take her place and by doing so, Katniss enters a world where she must compete for her life under the watchful eye of the Capitol. A dystopian text similar to the Hunger Games is The Truman Show, a movie that follows the life of Truman Burbank. Unbeknownst to Truman, his whole life has and is being broadcast to the globe as a show. Through the

These aesthetic features and stylistic devices are used to draw hope for the protagonists and anger towards the authorities from the audience. The physical control of the authorities is demonstrated in the Truman Show when Sylvia is taken away from Truman to prevent him learning the truth about his world. Whereas in the Hunger Games, physical control is demonstrated by the Gamemakers creating a wall of fire that forces Katniss to engage with the other tributes. Psychological manipulation is also a form of power and control present in both texts. This is evident in Christof fabricating the death of Truman’s dad to give Truman aquaphobia which prevents him from exploring his world. Meanwhile the Gamemaker’s creation of “mutts” that look like the other tributes horrifies Katniss, nearly causing her to drop her arrow, and therefore her chance at winning the Games. These examples of power and control exerted by the authorities create anger in the audience due to the sense of injustice portrayed towards the protagonists. However, these displays of power and control are juxtaposed by both protagonists’ acts of rebellion. During the last scenes of the Truman show, Truman ultimately decides to walk through the exit door that leads to the real world, despite his creator persuading him not to. Similarly, during the last moments of the Game, Katniss and Peeta decide to eat the poisonous berries to regain power over themselves and undermine the Capitol. This juxtaposition of rebellion from the characters ultimately leads to the audience feeling hope and believing that despite the extent of power and control used by society, people are still able to break free and not conform to other’s expectations or their own