The Hunger Games: A Comparative Analysis of the Novel and the Adaptation-The Depiction the Theme of Power in the Two Media

Abstract

The critically and commercially recognized dystopian young adult novel, The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins is often read as a political tale in which the author examines the various political manifestations of Panem‘s government. President Snow‘s authoritarian rule manipulates hunger as a control mechanism to suppress the inhabitants in the outlying districts of Panem. The abundance and absence of food serve as a symbol of power vs. powerlessness. Fear is manipulated as a mode of exerting power and severe punishment methods including the annual Hunger Games pageant. Censored communication, the reality television phenomenon and unimaginable technology used in Capitol further augment the capacity of Capitol‘s authority. The Hunger Games was adapted into a feature film by the American Director, Gary Ross in 2012 which too was both critically and commercially acknowledged. Thus, this study evaluates the depiction of Panem‘s forms of exerting power in both the novel and its cinematic adaptation. Aspects of the Theory of Adaptation such as elision, addition of scenes, alteration, and cinematic techniques such as camera angles are incorporated to thoroughly analyse the film. Theories related to hunger and reality television are also taken into consideration during the content analysis of the two media. The findings proved that the adaptation has aptly portrayed the theme of power using a variety of camera techniques and alterations to the plot of the fictional effort. The additions of scenes and modifications in the cinematic version have enhanced the verbal demonstration of the theme of power in the source novel. The elision of certain incidents in the cinematic counterpart does not have an impact on the overall demonstration of the methods of power used by Panem to oppress the districts.