How Does Gary Ross Use Symbols In The Hunger Games

How is the dystopian genre in both movies represented and what does it say about the themes of rebellion, hope and humanity’s need for freedom?

Both Gary Ross in The Hunger Games and Wes Ball explore the theme of hope by using symbolism. Both texts similarly explore symbolism by using the mockingjay pin in The Hunger Games or the symbolism behind the chaos and order behind the movement of the maze in The Maze Runner. Gary Ross uses symbolism in the Hunger Games in the form of the Mockingjay, when Katniss monologues “This is what they do and we must fight back! ... I am a mockingjay. I am a mockingjay." Symbolism is the main technique used in this quote as Katniss' empowering speech impacts the audience and makes them refer back to the first

Likewise, Wes Ball explores the theme of hope by using symbolism when Thomas mentions, "Maybe we were the variables. The Gladers. Maybe we were put here for a reason, to make us stronger. Maybe we were always meant to stay in the Glade." This quote symbolizes a sense of purpose and hope that everything might be okay despite being trapped in their cage. Both the Gladers and Mockingjay, therefore, serve as a motif of ironically turning tools of oppression back on to the oppressors, as part of the broader socio-political satire. This irony is paralleled in The Capitol's obsession with fashion, appearance, and entertainment, satirizing our society's obsession with celebrity culture and reality television in context. The Hunger Games themselves are a televised spectacle where children fight to the death for entertainment, mirroring the voyeuristic nature

In The Maze Runner the whole idea of the maze in an apocalyptic world makes the film very dystopian with the maze feeling like a cage of darkness and order, through the maze setting having a dark and rigid appearance and the characters followed through the maze with hand-held camera work creating a sense of danger in the audience. The Hunger Games, similarly, uses its setting and hand-held camera work to highlight the dystopian themes. For instance, the dark and dusty setting of District twelve. Throughout the texts, non-diegetic and diegetic sound is additionally used to highlight the suspense and impending danger. For example, the diegetic sound of the cannon being shot when someone dies in the Hunger Games or the animalistic sounds of the grievers. The authors also use foreshadowing to represent the dystopian genre and the importance of freedom, hope and humanity’s need for freedom, to illustrate why Haymitch mentions "It's all a big show. It's all about how you're perceived. The right image, and you can get sponsors, which means survival. "Haymitch mentions the importance of their public image and the need of the audience’s sponsors for survival in the dystopian world of The Hunger