Panem vs. Today's World | Teen Ink

Panem vs. Today's World

September 14, 2010
By emily12321 BRONZE, Kansas City, Missouri
emily12321 BRONZE, Kansas City, Missouri
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The best way to predict the future is to create it."- Abraham Lincoln


Does some type of struggling dominate current society? People first think of children or families dying of starvation. Digging deeper illustrates that people are struggling on many levels, including both the people of Panem and the ones living in America. Panem is closer than thought. Panem and the contemporary society have many similarities. There are many parallels and differences involving survival, physical appearance, punishment, and control in Panem and today's current world.
First of all, struggle is one important part of Panem and the world today. In District 12 the struggle for food is unbearable. On the globe today families in many countries are also working very hard to fight hunger. Lots of the children with no food are dying. According to the World Food Programme, one out of every six people in the world today is hungry. Panem also has many hungry people. Panem and the world as we know it are split into wealthy districts and poor districts. But the people of Panem struggle to stay alive from the violence around them and not to be chosen for the Hunger Games. The struggling in Panem and the world is worse than it seems to appear.
The next topic is about the people in Panem’s capitol, the United States, and even the world and their obsession with their physical appearance. Tattooing, makeup, and plastic surgery are just a few of the changes they all do to transform their body into something that makes them look better. Panem’s people in the capitol go above and beyond with this body enhancement. They dye their skin a color, such as a pale green or hot pink, just like people in the United States dye their hair. One thing that people in the United States and the Capitol look down upon are wrinkles. They will do anything to get rid of them. In the District 12 it is different. Wrinkles show that a person has survived through tough winters and can support their family on their own. People learn to help that person and show them full respect.

In addition to struggle and physical appearance there is also punishment in both Panem and the United States. Watching criminals punished, might seem horrible to people in America. But compared to Panem’s punishment, the United States is not as cruel. In Panem one might be electrocuted, or whipped to death just for stealing a loaf of bread. There are many more punishments the Capitol stores for people who defy the rules. In the United States if someone kidnaps a child, they will be put in jail. In Panem if someone breaks a small regulation, they become an Avox as punishment. Being an Avox, people of Panem will get their tongue cut out (never to talk again), and work the worst jobs in the Capitol. The United States wouldn’t do such a punishment. They only have prisoners in jail. People in both Panem and the United States are punished for stealing and hurting others, but Panem pushes it too far.

The final category is control. It is everywhere, such as in government, boundaries and police. Not only does Panem decree that people obey numerous laws, more than that they say people must stay within the physical boundaries of their districts. Of course there are no physical boundaries in the United States except jails and places that are strictly forbidden. There are mostly just political and socioeconomic boundaries. Peacekeepers are Panem’s version of the United States police force. But again Panem has taken it to new heights. Peacekeepers patrol the streets twenty-four hours a day, forcing one to follow every rule all of the time. The police of the United States have the same idea, but they are only out looking for crimes. All of this control comes from the government of Panem and the United States. No one knows how the leader, President Snow, became president. America’s president is voted and goes through a whole process just to become a candidate. Like the voting for president, Americans vote for many laws. The people from Panem aren’t as lucky. President Snow makes most of their decisions for them. Just as Panem wants power, so too does the United States. Although America works hard to obtain power, they are careful not to harm anyone in the process. But Panem will do anything, and kill anyone it get it.

The world might be evolving. The current society’s struggle, physical appearance, punishment, and control are very similar to Panem’s world. There are, in a way, big differences. Now, the United States is straining to top other countries and its image is low in other region’s eyes. Is the United States going to end up like Panem? No one knows. But we will, in the future, if Americans are laggard and don’t help the country now.



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This article has 2 comments.


Irakli said...
on Aug. 15 2017 at 3:05 pm
If we look even further, actually Panem is not USA but our world. The capitol is countries like USA, Canada, European countries. Difference is that these First World Countries seem Democratic and Liberal, but in reality behind democracy, how media spreads it they are acting horrible beyond their gates. Districts are actually second and third world countries. First and Second districts are countries which are just peripheries and follow First world and adore them. Like Eastern Europian countries which are wealthier than others, but still not core. While others are struggling. For example: India, Ghana, Zimbabwe and countries like this. Actually from the countries where half of people die from hunger and half by infections, almost everything is imported to the First world countries, where everyone is in comfort, with education, medical care and in no-war zone. While secretly first world countries are warring almost everywhere beyond their boundaries. Even a person working in McDonalds in countries like Denmark and Canada can buy a yacht. While people in Africa are struggling, because of no-education,medicine, or food, add to that constant wars which add extra horror to their life, not only between them, but with America just to get oil from other countries. Many First Worlders are "sad" for violence abroad, but actually they don't care, but even if they care a little don't do anything. They have so many things to do: Chat with friends for 3 hour, go to Glen Coco's party, look good to be liked by a crush, do a 5-minute homework to become wealthy in future and than watch tons of serials and movies. The message of the Hunger Games, is that there is no USA, or Indonesia, or Britian. There is just one - Humanity and our world. We are all same and have equal rights. But books end desperately, Suzanne says thats impossible to make ideal "unified world" without violence and dominance, but at least we should try to make it a better place.

Greyjane said...
on Dec. 19 2013 at 5:15 am
I think you missed the point about Avoxes in Panem. In many states in America, if you have been convicted of a felony crime then you lose the right to vote. That is effectively taking your voice away in a democracy. Also, while President Snow has much more power than American presidents have due to the separation of powers and the checks and balances we have, the Capitol citizens represent the monied class in this country, as well as the role America plays in the world. We mostly dismiss the suffering of the people who make our relatively rich lives possible. Even when we know about it we, like Effie, struggle with keeping up appearances and our lifestyles when faced with the real suffering of those who supply us with our goodies. But any talk of changing the system and, thus, giving up our exalted position in the world is fought tooth and nail by those who "game" the system and encourage the rest of us to fight one another for the leftovers. The deaths in this game are not televised (usually), but they are real.

Alabian GOLD said...
on Aug. 27 2013 at 7:30 pm
Alabian GOLD, Limbo, Other
13 articles 2 photos 125 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you can fly, don't stop at the sky cause there are footprints on the moon" - Owl City

I like the part about both presidents. There is a strange similarity, don't you think?