Dippel 1

Sydney Dippel
Professor Kendra Parker
English 113-03
January 29, 2015
NEED TITLE

Through the illustration of flawed post-apocalyptic societies forming from the ashes of a

past nation, movies like The Hunger Games and The Giver has begun to examine current
societies and force viewers, especially those within American culture, to consider the flaws
within their own society and view their way of life through a different lens.
Firstly, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies highlights the informal
separation of people into social classes, which raises issues about where the United States is

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:21 PM

Comment [1]:
I love your thesis! It really shows what you
are claiming and going to talk about

headed. In The Hunger Games, the people of Panem are separated very rigidly into districts, each
of these districts being responsible for providing a certain aspect of society for the others. The
wealthiest region of Panem is the Capitol, where the lawmakers live and work as the officials of
the country. The rest of the districts work to supply the rest of the country with natural resources,
food, and energy, but they live in poverty. Because the people of the Capitol can keep the
citizens oppressed through policies and rules, the districts continue to starve and struggle along
while the Capitol lavishes in the riches of their hard work. In American culture today, people are
divided into social classes based on their socio-economic status, their background, or where they
live. Although these divisions are unlike those in The Hunger Games because they are unofficial,
this entire concept is contrary to what the United States was founded on. The basis of the United
States Constitution is that everyone was created equal, however, our current practice of this
suggests that not everyone should be treated equal. It may be a slippery slope from informal

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:23 PM

Comment [2]:
yes! They are unofficial but they seem so
real

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social classes to rigidly enforced separation of people, and the United States may be heading in
the wrong direction down that slope.

Similarly, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies exposes the subtle racism that

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:23 PM

Comment [3]:
Great job at tying it back to your claim at
the beginning of your paper.

still exists within American society, which may escalate cultural movements surrounding racial
inequality. Although every United States citizen is equal in the eyes of the law, deep-seated
prejudice against African Americans in American culture still causes tension and even
discrimination in some cases. In The Hunger Games, there is an entire district consisting mostly
of African American citizens, and this district is responsible for growing and harvesting the
crops that feed all of Panem. The relationship between the racial composition of this district and
its role in agriculture, suggests subtle ties to slavery and the history of African Americans in the
United States. This parallel between the racial stereotypes in this movie and recent events that
have highlighted discrimination due to race, tempers may flare as people think about how they
have been treated in the past. Discrimination still exists in American culture, despite unrelenting
efforts to eradicate the idea that not all Americans deserve equal treatment. Because of the wide
range of perspectives that people take on movies, the on-going incidents surrounding this issue
may become escalated because of the subtle racism implied in the movie.

Moreover, the recent rise of The Hunger Games portrays a negative view of a revolution,
which may provoke a controversial opinion on how the American Revolution was different. As
an American, the American Revolution is presented as a courageous feat by strong-hearted men
to get what they deserved: independence. But, from the view of the oppressed people in The
Hunger Games, the Revolution of District 13 is an irrational attempt to get even with the Capitol.
The people of District 13 fought against an enemy for what they thought they deserved, just as

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:25 PM

Comment [4]:
This doesnt quite make sense. I
understand what you most likely are trying
to say. Just try to reword it. what if you
said:
might cause tempers to flare as people
think about
Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:27 PM
Comment [5]:
could you maybe give an example of
where the racism exists in real society, like
you gave how it exists in the hunger
games

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the 13 American colonies did with Great Britain in the 18th century. The primary difference
between these situations is that the American Revolution was successful, which is why the
American people revere it as a triumph against a tyranny that catapulted their nation in the global
sphere. Instead of a victory, the Revolution of District 13 gave the Capitol an excuse to
annihilate the district and use this as an intimidation tactic against the rest of the districts; thus
the commencement of the first Hunger Games competition. If Americans start to perceive the
history of their country through the perspective of this book, a very different interpretation of the
American Revolution may begin to emerge.
The rising popularity of movies depicting a flawed society after the assumed breakdown
of the United States makes people consider the governments control in their lives, which may
demonstrate that the government is beneficial because it organizes and institutes order in the
world. Most people would agree that some aspect of governmental control is necessary to
maintain a society and keep it running smoothly. But in the movie The Giver, almost all of the
people believe a very extreme version of this concept. Because the government controls every
aspect of their lives--including their jobs, marriages, childbearing, and death--they do not feel
pain, they do not suffer, and they do not experience loss. These negatives emotions are
nonexistent in their lives because the government, the Elders, think that ignorance is bliss. The
people simply see that all of society is in order, that all is as it should be, and that they are
experiencing the only way of life anyone has ever known. While this is an extreme example of
governmental interference, many people in todays modern society have a similar view when it
comes to governmental control. They think of government as the institution that helps a society
run smoothly and that people should buy into that system. Although some may not agree with the

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:29 PM

Comment [6]:
I never thought of this all like this. It is so
true.

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extent of governmental control as in The Giver, the society functions smoothly with minimal
despondency from the citizens. If that is not the goal of a community then, what is?
On the other hand, the rising popularity of post-apocalyptic movies makes people
reevaluate the governments prevalence in their lives, which may imply that the power the
government has over the American people is too great. Contrary to the vast majority of the
citizens in The Giver, the main character Jonas and his mentor, The Giver, are not limited to

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:31 PM

Comment [7]:
That is a great point! Of course, in the
Giver, the government seems to have
taken things too far, but they are all living
in harmony. It seems to have worked. I
like how you are promoting the
government. It is a different point of view
from what is normally taken.

recognizing only pleasurable emotions. Their job is to receive all the memories of the world, in
order to be of counsel to the Elders when a decision requires this higher knowledge. The Giver
transfers all the memories, all the emotions, and all the realities of the past to Jonas, as it
becomes his responsibility to take over the position. He begins to see and understand everything
that his entire community does not. He sees that death it painful and tragic, he learns about pain,
and failure, but he also learns about love and what it means to yearn for someone. Jonas realizes

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:33 PM

Comment [8]:
is

that the Elders have been holding everyone else hostage to what it truly means to be human. This
movie puts the whole institution of organized government under the microscope; making the
viewer examine how much of their own life they actually control. Obviously, the United States
government is not wiping the brains of its citizens clean of all emotions, but the concept makes
viewers consider the motivation behind the restrictions that are being implemented on them.
Maybe to experience life in its entirety, people must be exposed to unimaginable pain, so they
can better appreciate unimaginable joy.

Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:34 PM

Comment [9]:
Yes! If loving is being human than why
doesnt the government allow gay
marriage everywhere? It dehumanizes
some people
Alec Dood 1/27/2015 11:35 PM
Comment [10]:
I thought this was an outstanding essay. It
is hard to believe that this is a first draft! I
believe that you have many great
examples that tie back into your main
claims that you have made. I believe you
successfully answer your thesis statement.
What you obviously need is an introduction
and a conclusion. For your intro I think it
would be wise to start broader and then
narrow down your topic. That is what I do
at least! Your choice tho! Then for your
conclusion, find a way to make your
reading think about what these types of
books are really doing to society. Great
work.

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