Alex Astort-Fabra711 

1984 & Hunger games  

Both books are very similar and very different in many ways for example they both have very strict governments but both governments have very different ways of controlling their people. Both governments use propaganda to control their people. They are also very different in the ways the government controls them. The book The Hunger Games is about a girl Katniss Everdeen who lives in a very poor society or what they call “districts” she lives in district 12 the worst district. Every year the capitol has an annual hunger games where 2 tributes from each district so 24 in total fight in an arena to the death until one remains which he or she is crowned the victor. In 1984 the main Character Winston Smith is a man who lives in a society that the government controls everything. In his community the government has a thought police. The thought police have cameras and microphones ever where, and they watch you through your T.V which you are never allowed to turn off. They use this to stop any sort of rebellion. Imagine being controlled to the point when you have no privacy, how would you feel? That’s what most of the characters in both books feel. 

Both books have very over powering governments that use fear to control the people. For example in 1984 the party uses a thought police to control people by placing cameras and microphones in every ones house to catch people who want to rebel or people who are doing something against the rules. When they catch you they will take you away and torture you in the ministry of love. Also in the hunger games if people show any signs of rebellion they will take them and kill them. For example the three fingers, if any peace keeper sees anyone put up their three fingers they will take them and torture them. Both governments use torture or pain to get what they want. For example in 1984 once they have tortured them they totally control their minds. In Hunger Games the capitol wants people to not think of rebellion. 

Although both governments are very similar they are also very different in the ways they control their people. In 1984 they control them by beating and torturing until they snapped and did everything they wanted. For example Big Brother convinced people that 2+2=5 and that slavery is freedom and that war is peace. They did that after the extreme things big brother have done to the people like re writing the history books now almost all the people in the society are convinced the big brother is always right, and if they don’t think he is always right they will torture you to the point that you will. In the hunger games they controlled people by if they submitted their name multiple times in the reaping they would get some portions of food. The capitol starved the people so they would submit their names more times to participate in the annual hunger games a game where 2 tributes from each district fight to the death until one victor remains. This was one of the main ways the Capitol controlled their people. “ Give them hope but not too much because then they would want to rebel” states President Snow. This proves that if they give them too much hope people will rebel. 

All in All both books explore most of the same themes but in different ways. Both governments are very similar and different in many different ways. If you were to be in one of these societies which one would you chose?