The Role Of Panem In The Hunger Games

The war, which results in the formation of Panem, creates an inhuman society that negatively affects the lives of lower class citizens. The war had a negative impact on Panem and the author of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, shows this because of The Hunger Games/Reaping, Haymitch Abernathy and the lack of freedom.

Firstly, The Hunger Games was created in order to remind the people of Panem that they must obey the Capitol’s rules and to never rebel. “Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us The Hunger Games.”

Haymitch Abernathy is an example of what happens to people from the Games. Haymitch is first introduced as a drunk man. “Haymitch Abernathy, a paunchy, middle-aged man, who at this moment appears hollering something unintelligible, staggers onto the stage, and falls into the third chair. He’s drunk. Very.” The first time the readers are introduced to Haymitch, he is drunk. In 74 years, there have only been 2 victors of The Hunger Games for District 12 and Haymitch is the only one alive. PTSD is shown in Haymitch because he is always drunk and never sober enough to remember anything from his dark time competing in the Games. “With all that alcohol in him, it’s probably not advisable to have him around an open flame.” Peeta makes a comment on how Haymitch always seems to be drunk, this could be because he needs to forget about the traumatization of what he witnessed and had to do to survive in the Games. “You don’t interfere with my drinking, and I’ll stay sober enough to help you.” At this point, Katniss and Peeta are aggravated by the lack of help of Haymitch because of his non-stop drinking, so Haymitch finally realizes that he should help. Although, he does not stop drinking because having to help people compete in The Hunger Games is a trigger which results in him drinking even

“Separating the Meadow from the woods, in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire loops.” Katniss talks about how her District is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, this shows that the Capitol basically holds the people of lower class in captivity and they are not allowed to leave. The Capitol does not want people to leave their district because they could meet with the other districts and start another rebellion which is what the Capitol does not want. “When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble.” The people in Paem also have to censor what they say which means they do not have the freedom to speak freely without being executed. Katniss is very much aware of what could happen if she were to continue speaking badly about the Capitol, she had to stop and keep her thoughts to herself in order to stay safe and stay alive. “These same people tend to be informers, and who hasn’t broken the law? I could be shot on a daily basis for hunting...” Since District 12 is surrounded by the fence, nobody is allowed to leave. Katniss risks her own life to hunt for food so she can trade it. If she were to be caught by the many guards that