Why I Find Dystopias Interesting?

The two concepts that interest me the most about dystopias are the idea of thing-power and assemblages in these environments.  I also enjoy looking at dystopian environments where the host, or dominant, group controls all of life.  The human response, or reaction, to these dystopian environments intrigues me so much!  As I read and watch about dystopian environments, I constantly find myself wondering how I, personally, would react if I were the main character in the same situations. 

Here’s a quick recap on what thing-power and assemblages are:

• Thing-power is when objects hold some sort of power and, therefore, have the ability to change society.  It is important to understand that anything can have power, including both organic (living) and inorganic (non-living) beings or objects.

• An assemblage is when beings or objects with thing-power come together and hold enough power to change reality.  The implication of an assemblage is, therefore, that our own human reality can be modified by objects and other beings.  Here, humans are equal to everything else (i.e. any other animal or inanimate object) on the planet.

For more information, please check out my fourth blog post by clicking on this link.

Moreover, I find myself questioning authoritative figures and groups in our current society as a result of my reading and watching of the dystopian genre.  I wonder how my perspective of authority may differ based on personal experiences as well as location of the globe that I live.  In these dystopian environments, the dominant group uses techniques of control, like surveillance and oppression, in order to quash rebellion and remain in power.  And, as a result of this constant control, it is shocking to find dissenters who have the guts and motivation to go against the dominant group.  It is these dissenters who create thing-power and form an assemblage to rise above and defeat the dominant group.  For more information about the methods of control in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins that the Capitol has over its districts, please check out my second blog post by clicking this link.

My Final Project

 

I find that The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and its following movies directed by Gary Ross to be filled with these new materialist concepts that allow for rebellion in the face of consistent control, through methods of surveillance and oppression, by the dominant group.  Thus, I have chosen to use The Hunger Games series to express two themes of new materialism, specifically thing-power and assemblages in dystopian environments, for my final project in which I will create a visual diorama of “The 74^th Hunger Games,” showing scenes and symbols that display new materialist concepts.  In this project, I hope to show the theme of thing-power through Katniss’s bow and arrow, Katniss’s choices following Rue’s death, and “The Mockingjay” symbol through the scenes portrayed in the diorama.  I take thing-power a little further by analyzing Katniss and Peeta’s love-power that spawns during “The 74^th Hunger Games.”  Then, I will take these ideas of thing-power and discuss how all items become a part of an assemblage that grow exponentially following “The 74^th Hunger Games” into “The Quarter Quell Hunger Games” and afterward. 

Thing-Power and Assemblages in the Project

Throughout the entire The Hunger Games series, the symbol of “The Mockingjay” plays a major role.  In fact, the covers of the novels, and subsequent movies based off of those novels, show how “The Mockingjay” symbol grows and evolves throughout Katniss’s journey.  On the cover of the first novel, Collins shows “The Mockingjay” curled, almost like how an animal would be sleeping as a baby.  To me, this “curling” of “The Mockingjay” shows that the energy of rebellion has yet to be recognized by Katniss since much of her reactions and retaliation against the Capitol and the “Gamemakers” are based on internal struggles at this point in time.  On the cover of the second novel, “The Mockingjay” is perched, almost ready to fly off.  This signifies that “The Mockingjay” is almost realized.  “The Mockingjay” is almost ready to fly and create its own journey, to take the leap of faith and fight against the Capitol.  And, finally, on the cover of the third novel, “The Mockingjay” is literally taking flight.  As the face of the rebellion, Katniss as “The Mockingjay” has made the decision to go and attack the Capitol in a complete rebellion and war against the oppressive, controlling Panem government.  And, most interestingly, Katniss literally becomes “The Mockingjay” symbol as she grows throughout the novels. 

However, without many individuals aiding it, the rebellion would have never stood a chance against the Capitol.  Thus, “The Mockingjay” contains both thing-power and is the assemblage of the rebellion.  In many ways, Katniss as “The Mockingjay” was used by the rebellion as a spotlight so that President Snow (and the rest of the Panem government) could focus on the movements of Katniss, even though the districts were aligned together to defeat the Capitol.  This focus on Katniss caused President Snow to lose judgement, and, eventually, the Capitol was overpowered by the sheer strength of the rebellion.  For more information about Katniss and “The Mockingjay” symbol, please see my third blog post by clicking on this link.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins book covers.  Image from pinterest.com.

Now, we consider the thing-power of Katniss’s bow and arrow.  Katniss uses the bow and arrow as a survival mechanism, both inside and outside of “The Games.”  In many ways, Katniss finds solace and comfort in holding the bow and arrow.  She is the best tribute in “The Games” she participates in at using the bow and arrow for her protection.  So, having these objects allows her to hold power and authority in “The Games.”  When Katniss holds the bow and arrow, she is respected for being a great shot in “The Games.”  Perhaps, the scene that best shows bow and arrow skills is when she shoots an arrow into an apple being held in a cooked pig’s mouth in front of the “Gamemakers” to get their attention before “The 74^th Hunger Games” began.  To see this scene, please click this link.

And, Katniss explains that the Capitol kills people for making weapons, like bows, because they are seen as weapons that could be created for rebellion (Collins, 5-6).  Here, it is interesting to note that the bow and arrow still contain thing-power, even without Katniss using it.

Katniss using bow and arrow in "The 74th Hunger Games."  Image from fanpop.com.

Through her use of the bow and arrow and her becoming the symbol of the rebellion, Katniss herself holding thing-power.  Thus, it is important to note the subtle ways in which Katniss shows her discontent for the Capitol throughout “The 74^th Hunger Games.”  One way that she shows rebellion is through her covering of Rue’s body with flowers upon her death in “The Games.”  Rue (the female tribute for District 11) and her use the song of mockingjays to figure out where each other are located when they team-up to survive.  So, when Rue is killed, Katniss covers Rue’s body with flowers to give her a proper burial whereas the Capitol wants everyone around the tribute to disperse immediately after the tribute dies.  Her action was in direct retaliation to the Capitol, showing one of her first rebellious acts in “The Games.”  To see this scene, please click this link.

Since Rue and Katniss are connected using the song of the mockingjays in “The Games,” the mockingjay itself takes on a great deal of thing-power.  Similar to the people of District 12 (the district that Katniss is a tribute of) who send Katniss off with the hand gesture of mockingjay (a direct sign of the rebellion), the people of District 11 do the same thing and whistle in the same tone of the mockingjay when Katniss goes on her victory tour.  To see Katniss's original tribute scene, please click this link.  To see the scene of the victory tour, please click this link.  It is at this moment where the actual song of the mockingjay contains a great deal of thing-power for itself and becomes a part of the assemblage against the Capitol.  In fact, after Rue's death, Katniss thinks, “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to… to show the Capitol they don’t own me.  That I’m more than just a piece in their Games” (Collins, 236).  Katniss's thoughts of rebellion grow larger and larger after this point.

Katniss’s rebellious acts begin with Rue in “The 74^th Hunger Games,” but they culminate at the end when Katniss and Peeta agree to commit suicide by eating toxic berries when the Capitol tells them that there can be only one victor in “The Games” after changing this rule originally.  To see the toxic berries scene, please click this link.

Katniss and Peeta’s major act of rebellion at the end of “The 74^th Hunger Games” humiliates the Capitol.  But, it is at this moment that love-power shows its importance in changing reality.  With Katniss and Peeta’s outright rebellion, the Capitol was left with two victors, instead of one.  In that moment, the districts had the upper-hand, and the Capitol felt that it was forced to respond.  Their response was to have “The Third Quarter Quell Hunger Games” tributes be previous victors.  And, in my opinion, this was the Capitol’s biggest mistake.  By having previous victors be killed in “The Games,” the symbol of “The Mockingjay” began to develop.  The tributes showed their retaliation of the Capitol’s choice in their interviews before “The Games” by holding hands together at the end.  And, in this moment, the tributes aligned together and formed an assemblage against the Capitol. 

The tributes of "The Third Quarter Quell Hunger Games" holding hands in defiance of the Capitol after their interviews.  Image from thehungergames.wikia.com.

In my final project, I hope to show the significance of thing-power and assemblages in my diorama of “The 74^th Hunger Games.”  I intend to recreate many of these scenes that evoke thing-power and assemblages that occurred in the first novel that had the power to change the events in the proceeding novels. 

Thus far, I have begun creating the background of “The 74^th Hunger Games” in the way that the “Gamemakers” would see it.  

Background of "The 74th Hunger Games" in the way the "Gamemakers" would see it.  Image taken by the author of this blog on 8 Apr. 2020.

In the next few weeks, I will create the scenes that display thing-power and assemblages using both The Hunger Games novel and The Hunger Games (2012) film for reference.

Word count:  1699 words

Works cited

Collins, Suzanne.  The Hunger Games.  Scholastic Press, New York:  2008.  pp. 1-374.