The Anthem Analysis

“Caged birds accept each other, but flight is what they long for”-Tennessee Williams. The Anthem, by Ayn Rand is a novel about the control and power the collective government has upon it’s citizens. In The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins, the same idea is explored, they both draw strong parallels about the idea of how much control and power the authority has. The impotence of the collective results in the unwillingness of the government to come to a conclusion and take action on behalf of the society it governs, through the means of limiting freedoms, enforcing laws with harmful punishment and propaganda. Ultimately, the amount of control the authority has upon it’s citizens plays a tremendous role in both, The Anthem and The Hunger Games.

“Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen” (Katniss, 76). The essential purpose which Katniss is conveying, is that The Hunger Games is a form of entertainment where deaths are televised to remind the tributes of how weak they are by the government. Therefore, the games are a means of control and limits the freedom of individuals. Additionally, due to the government’s oppression, it declines to disclose information on the ideas, expressions and actions of particular tributes they oppose, individuals are completely enslaved by the center of control, the Capitol. Evidently, the Capitol denies to provide information from one district to another, simply to keep them isolated from another. Resources such as food and medicine are also restricted from use from the districts and the tributes which shows a sign of empathetic expression. “I want to do something, right here, right now, to shame them, to make them accountable, to show the Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do

The Capitol embodies the usage of propaganda through television to broadcast its messages. In order for the Capitol to control the thought processes of its residents, everyone is required to have a television set despite the financial position of it’s residents. The significance of possessing a television is that the government of Panem is able to control their perceptions through the use of propaganda. As stated, "When they're airing the Games or some important government message on television it is mandatory to watch" (Katniss, 74). Furthermore, Claudius Templesmith, the arena broadcaster only shows specific scenes and keeps other’s secret, such as the Capitol keeping the knowledge of different districts away from the mainstream media. "I wonder if the Game makers are blocking out our conversation, because even though the information seems harmless, they don't want people in different districts to know about one another" (Rue, 246). Even things as simple as conversations are discarded to conceal information to promote The Hunger Games and avoid causing a rebellion. Additionally, Caesar Flicker man, a reporter, is the person in charge of the interviews with particular tributes. During these interviews, tributes including Katniss are taught to speak a certain way so that the audience will sponsor them. “Being one of the star-crossed lovers from District 12—it’s an absolute requirement if I