The Estranged God: An Analysis

French philosopher Albert Camus in The Estranged God: Modern Man’s Search for Belief (1966), contextualizes the objectives of youthful rebelliousness when he writes that “with rebellion, awareness is born” (109). Specifically, this statement promotes the notion that “resisting an established power” subsequently allows one to develop a greater command of individual consciousness and autonomy (OED). Thereby, it reflects the frequent but often ineffective efforts of youth to acquire control over the embodiment of their own identity against the intentions of authority figures. This struggle for self and so, the characteristics of youthful resistance, is especially apparent in Suzanne Collins’s novel, The Hunger Games (2008) and Anthony Burgess’s

By definition, social change is an “alteration of one’s behaviour patterns” and at the end of the novel, through the effects of socialization, Alex demonstrates this character shift (OED). Alex’s encounter with his old friend Pete, who is now “grown up” encourages him to forgo his aggressive teenage identity for more mature, adult values (Burgess 206. 208). Significant illustration of this character transformation manifests through Alex’s shifting relationship with classical music. Where before Alex’s love of loud classical music was synonymous with his love of extreme violence and so, firmly concretized his identity as a chaotic youth, after he decides to present himself as mature, these songs lose their relevance. Alex no longer “like cares much” for them and instead begins to “sloshy (listen) more like” to soft “romantic songs” (Burgess 206). Like Katniss, Alex is encouraged towards a persona that effectively conserves his society’s stability. This is especially evident through Alex’s use of the term “soft” to describe his newfound behaviour. Notably, it creates an association to the notion of being malleable or, “able to be influenced.” And, this suggests that the state can now easily shape Alex into the state of order that they desire; he is the exact image of the clockwork orange that he once protested (Burgess

Formerly, through the relationship with their parents, both characters seemingly had a position of dominance. However, it is through this institutionalization that they can actually be understood as submissive. For instance, in the hunger games arena, Katniss is forced to follow the discretion of the game-makers as they have absolute control over the environment she is in. An example of this is their “messing” with the temperature to directly impact the actions of the tributes (Collins 275). Through this, Katniss can no longer be seen to have “the power to influence others” as the game-makers demote her to a reactionary state (OED). One in which she can only yield to their choices rather than command her own autonomy as youth resistance dictates. Also, by being confined in the arena, Katniss often has to rely on the Capitol for the resources to survive and so, loses the complete self-reliance that she previously had. A symbolic image of this dependence and the inherent power of the Capitol is through the sponsors’ parachutes. Repeatedly, this object provides Katniss with necessary items to ensure her well-being such as the burn medication to heal her leg (Collins 188). As such, this image of gifts descending from the sky serves to illustrate Katniss’s lack of authority against the Capitol. It places the Capitol in the image