natures of rugged individualism and the facade of self-reliance. The researcher also attempts to analyse the damaging commodity culture as its second objective.
1. The Revelation of the Degrading Natures of Rugged Individualism
One of the prevailing ideologies to understand the world today is American Dream. American Dream does not only constitute American society but
also the international community as well, due to America’s superior geopolitical position inherited from its victory over other powerful rivals. Starting from 1930s,
the dream has been spread into the corners of the globe and formed the faith in democracy, represented by the revival of the ideas of freedom, peace, and dignity
Rosenberg in Iriye, 1983: 127. The American Dream is not only spread through military or economic powers, but also through its manifestation in various forms
of literature, such as movies, television shows, and the internet Campbell and Kean, 1997: 256-258. The popularity of the values of the dream is caused by its
utopian belief in which everybody can achieve their aspirations if they are willing to work really hard and persevere. This belief interpellates individuals from
various social background, but most of all those from the underclass and lower class. Althusser in Ferretter, 2006: 78 explains that ideology is understood as the
lived relation between men and the world, it is the way men make sense of the real world, in short, the way they understand their world. As expounded by
Marx’s historical materialism, the reality lies with the forces and relations of production that forms exploitation and domination, the lived relation that
individuals have in the present is the way individuals cope with their world. In
this case, this ideology helps people with inferior attributed qualities to cope with the harsh reality of constant discrimination and injustice in many legal systems,
such as education and workplace. Many fundamental ideas of the American dream functions to enlist the support of the society, even those who fails to fulfill it, in
endorsing the interests of the ruling class Tyson, 2006: 58. One of the dominant trait of American dream is rugged individualism.
Rugged individualism romanticizes an individual who dares to go out all alone in pursuing a difficult aspiration Tyson, 2006: 60. The task is difficult and not
everybody can fulfill it. Although it appears to be an ideal trait for the modern society today, who is faced with increasingly difficult technological progress and
tough competition, rugged individualism belongs to the repressive ideology because it prioritizes self-interest above everything, including even the survival of
others. By putting the interests of each individuals over the interest of the society as a whole, this ideology disrupts the well-being of society as a whole and
threaten the survival of the underpriviledged people Tyson, 2006: 60. Individualism is strongly embodied by the main character of the novel,
Katniss Everdeen. Katniss’ characterization follows the archetype of an ideal individualist; she comes from the underclass society, yet through trial and
tribulations she finally manages to achieve victory in the Hunger Games. Katniss led a harsh life, started with the death of her father, thus making her the head of
her family who is responsible in keeping her mother and her sister alive in a nation where the well-being of their citizens become its last concern. She was then
