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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In this following chapter, the review of related studies and theories is provided in order to support the analysis of the study. This chapter is divided into
two sub-chapters. The first one is the review of related studies contained some criticism and comment about the work of literature. The second one is the review
of related theories contained the theories that related to the study.
A. Review of Related Studies
Suzanne Collin‟s Catching Fire is the sequel of the previous book Hunger Game and most known for its violent element in the story. Nevertheless, the book
itself has received many honorable awards from USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many more credible media for the bestselling book back
in 2009. The story itself i s actually the influence of the author‟s life background.
“An Interview with Suzanne Collin” by James Blasingame reveals that the author‟s father was in the military and also a professor in West Point Academy.
From the interview the author also states that her father was an intelligent and very knowledgeable person and it is no doubt that she is influenced by her father‟s
education and life experience. Through Catching Fire, it can be seen how those who have more power, in
this case the Capitol is actually anxious of being overthrown by the proletariats or the working class. Thus, in order to hold off any action of revolutionary they
manipulate their power towards the working class.
Benjamin J. Geistfeld on his thesis entitled “Playing Games: Governmental In
fluence and Personal Assertion in Suzanne Collins‟ The Hunger Games Series” discusses about the influence of the two government in The
Hunger Games Series toward the protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Each of the government has their own method to support their own agendas. According to
Giestfeld, The oppressive governments in these young adult novels create the social
conditions from which the protagonists must remove themselves, and the protagonists successfully remove themselves from those social conditions
by acting on their own interests rather than the government‟s interests 2013: 1.
Such condition is what he found on Suzanne Collins‟ The Hunger Games Series. Catching Fire is one of The Hunger Games series indirectly shows how people
who have less power are being treated unequally and controlled by those who have more power. It is also stated that
Citizens in the classes who hold power the upper classes often justify their exploitation by denying the human status of the citizens they are
exploiting the lower classes. Because citizens of the lower classes no longer hold human status, they often have fewer rights than citizens in the
upper classes Giestfeld, 2013: 15.
Meanwhile a thesis done by Hardian Putra Pratama on “Class Struggle as the
Impact of Oppression Seen in Clifford Odets‟ Waiting for Lefty: A Marxist Study” sees the class struggle through Waiting for Lefty. Pratama on his thesis states that,
all people, no matter what social class and life background they have, deserve welfare and through Waiting for Lefty the writer tries to describe that situation
2009: 3.
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