Ideology and Hegemony Discussion
From the socio-economic base where everything centers on money, the superstructure appears in the form of social and political systems, values, and etc. These are the ideologies
that influence how Panem is run through the system that has been put in place by the capitalist. The capitalists, the officials in the Capitol, exploit the working class in the
established districts by determining how much money or food ration they receive and their working and living conditions. It has been sta
ted by Eagleton that “the function of ideology is to legitimate the power of the ruling class in society. The dominant ideas of a society are
the ideas of its ruling class” 555. Unfortunately, ideologies of Panem put the people in the poor districts in suffering.
Separating the woods, in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed wire loops. In theory, it’s supposed to be electrified twenty-four
hours a day as a deterrent to the predators that live in the woods – packs of wild dogs,
lone cougars, bears – that used to threaten our streets. But since we’re lucky to get
two or three hours of electricity in the evenings, it’s usually safe to touch. Even so, I always take a moment to listen carefully for the hum that means the fence is live.
Collins 4 The districts are made to believe that the officials have divided the lands where people
live and in the woods danger of wild animals exists. This ideology of enclosing the citizens from danger discourages people from hunting in the woods. Yet, the woods is the source of
food that they need to survive because hunting outside of the district will bring in more food. Essentially, without some of the citizens even realizing it, they are being bounded to an
ideology where they b elieve they are being “kept safe”; however, because of this they may
lack food. According to Bertens, ideology presents reality as being “natural and harmonious what is artificial and contradictory” 85. The fences surrounding the district contradicts its
purpose of protecting its citizens. Katniss admits that “District 12 [is] where you can starve Rimun 11
yourself in safety” Collins 5. Though the protaganist admits their predicament, the citizens’ safety is not quite ensured if the fence only runs on two to three hours of electricity. What has
been promised as safety is not fulfilled if they are free from “danger” for only a few hours in the day.
In this case, hegemony occurs because the interest of the powerful bourgeoisie in the Capitol has been universalized within the society, and so the exploitation and mistreatment of
the poor is seen as the natural way of life for the whole society. Storey describes hegemony as where “a society in which conflict is contained and channelled into ideologically safe
harbour s.” 80 So it seems that Panem is currently a safe country, but a consequence to
submitting to hegemony, two different societies exist within the same country. On the other side of the country, in the Capitol, it seemed like a different society
despite still being a part of Panem. The stark contrast between the life in the Capitol and the districts exemplifies hegemony.
The Capitol twinkles like a vast field of fireflies. Electricity in District 12 comes and goes, usually we only have it a few hours a day. Often the evenings are spent in
candlelight. The only time you can count on it is when they’re airing the Games or some important government message on television that it’s mandatory to watch. But
here there would be no shortage. Ever. Collins 76 As Katniss observes the pleasure in living in the rich city, she ponders on the
difficulties people in the districts are going through at that moment. In the grand city, lights surround the city to show its grandeur. However, at the same time, people in the districts
spend their nights with candle light. After spending their day at work, the workers in the districts come home to a dark home. They are given the fair amount of electricity only when
they have to watch the live battle of the Hunger Games. That being the case, the basic Rimun 12
necessity of electricity is not distributed equally among the different social groups in Panem. Yet, this unfairness continues every day in Panem with no change, because it is just the way
of life for both of these classes. Ideologies, though they are belief systems, are results of what culture that society has
deemed natural Tyson 56. Yet, ideologies have their disadvantage when “undesirable ideologies promote repressive political agendas and, in order to ensure their acceptance
among the citizenry, pass themselves off as natural ways of seeing the world instead of acknowledging themselves as ideologies” Tyson 56. Accepting ideologies set by the
bourgeoisie as natural is the case for the citizens of Panem living in the districts. For the Capitalist bourgeoisie to reap maximum profit for themselves, they have imposed rules that
discourage the proletariats, or the workers, to gain anything. However, these rules are seen as natural to the workers because it is the natural order in their society, and coincidentally, the
rule makers in Panem are the bourgeoisies in the Capitol. One rule that has evolved to be
“natural” in Panem is Treaty of Treason. “The Treaty
of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee ‘peace’, and as our yearly reminder that the
Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games ” Collins 17.
This imposed law was made to guarantee peace to hinder any rebellion which could lead to the Dark Days
faced by Panem years ago. From this law, it can be seen that these citizens fall prey to hegemony where “there is a large measure of social stability; a society in which subordinate
groups and classes appear to actively support and subscribe to values, ideals, objectives, which bind them to, and incorporate them into t
he prevailing structures of power” Storey 80. Therefore, this law supposedly helped maintain “peace” for 74 years, even though it
subjects the poor to the structure and ruling of the rich. Rimun 13
Consequently, the bourgeoisie’s Treaty of Treason led to the Hunger Games which
isolates underage children in a grueling battle to be a “supposed” sacrifice for peace. Though there could have been other positive ways to promote peace in Panem, the officials use the
Treaty of Treason as a reminder that Panem district workers and their families are indebted to the “peace” they have now. This treaty is advantageous for those who live in the Capitol
because their children are exempt from entering in the Hunger Games Collins 42.
A law that was supposedly made for the betterment of the people in the districts, the Treaty of
Treason actually only benefits the people in the Capitol. Sadly, the isolation of only the district children in an extreme arena is a ruling that has been implanted in their minds for 74
years. This ideo logy becomes the normal life and it seems they’ve brought it on themselves
because of past rebellious history. Egan explains that “ideology functions at the psychological level so that each individual internalizes the social orders governing principles
and lives them as though they were her own which, being so deeply embedded, they are”
32. Citizens in the districts have internalized the Treaty of Treason as their annual obligation, making it clear that the bourgeoisie have succeeded in achieving their “peace,”
only to work to their own advantage. In conclusion, people in the Capitol have no reason to rebel because they are provided
with luxury and easy living, and the districts’ poor treatment is told to be what they deserve
as their status as workers. “Taking the kids from our districts…is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy” Collins 17. Forcing the subordinate citizens
in the districts to fight against each other and die is acceptable in the minds of the Capitol. People living in the districts are not allowed to question how the Capitol enforces the rules
that clearly discourage a better living situation for the District. It has been implanted in a capitalistic society’s minds that what socioeconomic class a person belongs to will determine
the kind of lifestyle they will have, whether they could live or die. Rimun 14