CRITICISM TOWARDS REPRESSIVE CAPITALIST IDEOLOGIES AND CULTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY OF THE U.S. IN COLLINS’ THE HUNGER GAMES: A MARXIST ANALYSIS.

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All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us

– J.R.R. Tolkien

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only

remembers to turn on the light

– J. K. Rowling

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself

– Franklin D. Roosevelt

For my mother, the unbroken woman, and my whole family, who shed love and light on to my world.

First and above all, I praise Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, for everything in my life including the time and opportunity to accomplish this thesis. I also would like to express my gratitude to many people for their contribution to the accomplishment of this thesis.

My deepest gratitude goes to Drs Sugi Iswalono, M.A. and Rachmat Nurcahyo, M.A. for their guidance, support, patience, time, and knowledge in helping me finish this thesis. I would also express my appreciation for all lecturers of the English Education Department, and the whole staffs of the Languages and Arts Faculty of Yogyakarta State University who taught and guided me during my years of study.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my mother, Ibuk Djuwarni, and father, Bapak Sudarto, who shower me with love and faith; my sisters, Mbak Dian and Mbak Puput and brother, Mas Didik, who understand me; and my many nieces, Atta, Faya, Luna, Kinar and one nephew, Fahry, who bring light into my darkest time.

My special gratitude is delivered to Syahroni Febriantoro for his smiles and frowns, and making things better in my highs and lows.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Tissa, Nena, Rian, and Erik for the laughter and disaster. A special gratitude is also offered to my loving and understanding girls Hapny, Tiara, and Rain. I would also offer my gratitude for

APPROVAL SHEET ... ii

RATIFICATION SHEET ... iii

PERNYATAAN ... iv

MOTTOS ... v

DEDICATIONS ... vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix

LIST OF FIGURE & TABLE ... xi

LIST OF APPENDICES ... xii

ABSTRACT ... xiii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1

A.Background of the Study ... 1

B.Research Focus ... 5

C.Research Objectives ... 6

D.Research Significance ... 6

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ... 8

A.Theoretical Review ... 8

1. Karl Marx and Marxism ... 8

a. Material Conditions as Fundamental Reality ... 9

b. Relation of Dominance and Exploitation among Classes ... 10

c. Base and Superstructure ... 11

2. Ideology ... 12

B.Background of the Novel ... 17

1. The Author ... 17

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD ... 24

A.Research Approach ... 24

B.Data and Source of Data ... 25

C.Research Instrument ... 25

D.Data Collecting Technique ... 26

E.Data Trustworthiness ... 27

F. Data Analysis Technique ... 28

CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ... 30

A.Criticism towards Capitalist Ideologies revealed in Collins’ the Hunger Games ... 30

1. The Revelation of the Degrading Natures of Rugged Individualism ... 31

a. Ignorance as an Acceptable Virtue ... 33

b. The notion of Self against Other ... 38

2. Self-reliance as a Facade ... 43

a. Socioeconomic Attributes as the Determining Element ... 43

b. The Negative Role of Ego Gratification ... 45

B.Commodification as a Dehumanizing Culture in Collins’ The Hunger Games ... 50

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS ... 59

REFERENCES ... 61

APPENDICES ... 64  

Figure 1 : The Conceptual Framework ... 23 Table 1 : The Example of the Data for the Criticism towards the

Repressive Capitalist Ideologies in Collins’ The Hunger

Games ... 27  

Appendix I : Synopsis of the Novel ... 63 Appendix II : The Data ... 65 Appendix III : Pernyataan Triangulasi ... 109  

HUNGER GAMES: A MARXIST ANALYSIS

By Niki Septi Pawestri NIM 09211141032

ABSTRACT

This research aims to analyze (1) how Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes repressive capitalist ideologies in the 21st century of the U.S., and (2) to identify the prominent capitalist culture in the 21st century of the U.S. that is criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games. Therefore, the researcher applied Marxist literary criticism to analyse the ideologies and the prevailing culture in the novel.

The research was a descriptive qualitative study with the researcher as the main instrument. The object of this research was Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. The data were phrases, clauses, and sentences related to the repressive capitalist ideologies and their flaws, along with the commodification as the corresponding culture of capitalism. In collecting the data, the researcher read and tried to interpret every sentence in the novel. Then, the data were categorized and analyzed based on each category of the repressive capitalist ideology and the commodity culture. To enhance the trustworthiness of the data in this study, the researcher applied triangulations by asking two friends to review and to check this research.

 The result of the research shows important points. First, Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes the repressive capitalist ideologies through the revelation of (1) the degrading natures of rugged individualism and (2) self-reliance as a facade. The degrading natures of rugged individualism are (1) the acceptance to ignorance as a common virtue and (2) the notion of self against other. Meanwhile, self-reliance is revealed to be (1) heavily relied on socioeconomic conditions as its determining elements and (2) prolonging the status quo by prompting ego gratification to its adherents. Hence, those ideologies contain repressive agendas to sustain the relations of dominance and exploitation in the classist society. Second, the prominent culture of capitalism criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games is commodification, which dehumanizes the main character in the book. Keywords: ideology, capitalism, The Hunger Games, individualism, self-reliance, commodification

A. Background of the Study

The end of the notion of ideology was once marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which also signified the end of communism. Lately, the notion of ideology is once again claimed to be “obsolete”, even though the world has confronted the influx of violence and conflicts in the name of ideologies (Eagleton, 1991: xi). The Middle East has faced both regression from democratic upheaval of the Arab Spring and the emergence of religious fundamentalism in the last decade which spread violence across Middle Eastern states’ borders. Cold War-type tension loomed in Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine. Even some of the most powerful and advanced governments were involved in violent crackdowns on their minorities because of their different religious beliefs or their fear of militant extremists (Roth, 2015: 1). In the middle of all these ideological clashes, the very notion of ideology itself is renounced as an absurdity.

Many factors bring about the downfall of the notion of ideology. One of them is the proliferation of postmodernist thought, in which ideology’s “totalitarian” explanation is considered to be no longer relevant (Eagleton, 1991: xi). The other explanation offered by Huntington (1993: 22-26), argues that political ideology as distinguishing feature between people has been replaced by culture, and the conflicts ensued will take place as clashes between civilization.

nation states, its grip on the people’s mind is strong, proven by the destructionist political acts in protest to the opressive regimes commited by Moslem demonstrators, or the collective consent of a nation towards a military intervention that cost the lives of the innocents.

According to Eagleton (1991: xiii), as long as people still act and commit atrocities in the name of ideas, as long as people still differentiate one another as either “gods” or “vermin” based on ideas, study of ideology is important in guiding the people to their political emancipation, where they could free themselves from oppression that formerly has became natural conditions for them. People who believed that they are inferior is taught to feel and believe that they are inferior. Vice versa, in order to free them from this oppressive belief, they also have to be taught and made aware of their sufferings and gratifications from their own vantage point, from their own understanding of themselves. Therefore, the study of ideology as “an inquiry into the the ways people may come to invest in their own unhappiness” is necessary to understand how people live in a mixture of pleasure and misery when the political conditions appear dangerous and impossible (Eagleton, 1991: xiii-ix).

The ways of life adopted by individuals are often repressive, in a sense that they “promote repressive political agendas” (Tyson, 2006: 56). Repressive ideologies could be found in the most ordinary thought of an individual, for example the belief to always “get ahead” in capitalist mode of production. Since capitalism has become one of the most prominent mode of production in the

being better than yesterday is not enough, an individual constantly strives to be better than the others, and this is often represented by their consumerism and commodification (Tyson, 2006: 60-62). These dominant world view in capitalist society is gradually perceived as common or obvious, and it is inherent in individuals’ perception of their identity, particularly the way they place themselves in the society. People are constantly attempt to “get ahead” by succumbing into endless material consumption and relying on commodification of everything. As the inherent result of capitalism as the dominant mode of production, these cultures are embedded in the society as an inevitable routine and perceived as natural.

The total submission of the people towards the prevailing repressive ideology is dangerous. It paves the way for the naturalisation of various repressive political agendas which disadvantages certain minority groups or dissenters. Without an understanding of the existing repressive ideologies or culture that exist in the society, the discrimination towards the underprivileged and dissenters would go unnoticed and eventually accepted as a normality, regardless the misery brought to the masses. For example, without understanding capitalism as a whole, not only its positive impacts to the growth of economy but also its influence to the various classes in the society, the consequences would be accepted as a normality, such as the proliferation of commodity culture and consumerism. Therefore, it is imperative to increase awareness towards the falsity and degrading natures of repressive ideologies, especially those who have been accepted as the established

Among many cultural products that contribute to the shaping of world views, literature becomes a prominent mediation of the society to its existing material reality. Literature does not only passively reflect the material base in which it is formed, but it also reacts back and mediate the society and its historical reality through its content, form, and structure (Eagleton, 1976: 14-15). According to Leon Trotsky (in Eagleton, 1976: 14), literature has a “high degree of autonomy”, although it is still determined by the economic base. In relation to ideology, Trotsky (in Eagleton, 1976: 24-25) argues that the literary form is influenced by “the ways of perceiving social reality”, so that the change in literary form is also the change in the collective ideological perception. In this way, literature becomes an effective medium in understanding the material reality that is formerly unattainable for the subjects of the dominating mode of production (Eagleton, 1976: 18).

Many literary works does not merely sustain the establishing order, they also challenge those orders by questioning the prevailing ideological assumptions of their times. One of the examples of these works is Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. The characters in the book is caught up in a classist dystopian America, a nation called Panem. The characters are laden with the prevailing capitalist ideologies common to be found in 21st century America, such as rugged individualism and self-reliance. These ideologies divide the people and sustain the status quo, benefitting the ruling government and segregate the people into classes. These ideologies also cause the commodification which is adopted by the

author challenge the common beliefs by entrenching the capitalist ideologies and capitalist culture such as commodification in the form, structure, and other literary devices of the novel.

B. Research Focus

Capitalist ideologies and culture are deeply entrenched in the minds of the people who live in the capitalism which has became a dominant mode of production in the 21st century. Seen as the only prevailing belief after the triumph of the free market and liberalism, capitalism has strengthen its grip on the people from its origin country, the United States of America, as well as the countries affected by its policies and interventions. Ideologies such as individualism and self-reliance is often portrayed as positive ways of life regardless the decadence and remaining poverty of the invisible classes found in even the most advanced civilizations. Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games attempt to understand the realities of capitalist ideologies and culture in the post-apocalyptic version of North America through the arduous life of Katniss Everdeen and other tributes of the titular The Hunger Games, a state apparatus attempting to sustain the opressive ruling order.

The theory used to analyze the book is Karl Marx’ conception of ideology found in Lois Tyson’s Critical Theory Today: a User-Friendly Guide and supported by the discussion in Terry Eagleton’s Marxism and Literary Criticism regarding the topic. According to Marxism, ideologies are divided into repressive

understanding the material conditions to keep them subservient to the ruling system; and the nonrepressive ones, such as Marxism itself, which acknowledge the existence of ideology as an inherent part of the sustenance of the status quo. The repressive ideologies shape individuals’ understanding of the world through the scope that sustain the relations of dominance and exploitation.

The object of the analysis of the study is the identification of the criticism towards repressive capitalist ideologies and their corresponding commodity culture in the 21st century of the U.S. in Collins’ The Hunger Games. The research attempt to reveal the criticism towards capitalism, specifically in the ideologies of individualism and self-reliance, and the decadent culture of capitalism portrayed by the form, content, and other literary elements of the novel.

C. Research Objectives

Based on the research focus above, the objectives of this research are as follows: 1. to analyse how Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes repressive capitalist

ideologies in the 21st century of the U.S., and

2. to identify the prominent capitalist culture in the 21st century of the U.S. being criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games.

D. Research Significance

1. Theoretically, it is expected that this research can contribute to the knowledge regarding ideologies and its culture. The findings of this study are expected to give useful information to conduct similar studies.

2. Practically, it is expected that this research will contribute to the awareness toward seemingly harmless forms of ideologies, from the point of view of Marxist literary criticism.

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Theoretical Review 1. Karl Marx and Marxism

Karl Marx was born in Trier, in the German Rhineland, in 1818. His family was Jewish but converted to Christianity in order to pave the way for his father to work under the Prussia’s anti-Jewish law. He studied law in Bonn and Berlin, and then wrote PhD thesis in Philosophy. After acquired his doctorate, his involvement with a group of radical thinkers prevented him to work in academic institution. Commiting to journalism, he engaged in political and social issues and contemplated about communist theory. Among many of his prominent works, The Communist Manifesto, co-written with Friedrich Engels, is probably the most widely read. Nevertheless, his main economic work is Capital or Das Kapital, published in 1867, which was famous for his critique to capitalism (Wolff, 2015: par.2-3). He was influenced by Hegel as reflected by his early works, but later he was able to distinguish himself from Hegelian thoughts (Althusser in Ferretter, 2006: 23). He was known as a revolutionary thinker, as well as philosopher, due to the foundation of many communist regimes in the twentieth century inspired by his conception (Wolff, 2015: par.1).

There has been a common conception that Marxism has collapsed along with the Berlin Wall. However, Marxism is different from “the reductive political

programmes that had been derived from his works”, which was represented by defeated communist regimes in the past (Roberts, 2000: 17). According to Lois Tyson (2006: 53), the defeated communist societies as we know it in twentieth century is in fact oligarchies, in which a small group of leaders who have the control over money and weapons force its policies and phisically intimidate a population to keep them in line. Nevertheless, Marxism concerns in bring about the change to the world in order to make the world a better place to live in, where inequitability and opression should be abolished. Therefore, his philosophy is a materialist philosophy, concerning about the actual world in which people live instead of abstracts ideas (Roberts, 2000: 17). He believes that the organizing principle behind society is economics and this conception influences most of his writings.

a. Material Conditions as Fundamental Reality

The first important conception of Marxist criticism is the fact that the fundamental reality that determines human lives is their material conditions, which is comprised of forces and relations of production, instead of human ideas (Marx and Engels in Ferretter, 2006: 13). It means that human ideas and actions are influenced by their position in the society, not vice versa, mainly by their roles in the economic system in the society. Therefore, there is no innate quality such as personality or humanity that determines a person’s life. All of one’s life events are determined by his function in society, either from ruling class or working class

background. Thus, in Eagleton’s words, “consciousness does not determine life, life determines consciousness” (1976: 4).

According to Tyson (2006: 54), for the Marxist critic, all human events, either personal or political, and human productions such as nuclear submarines and television shows can only be understood through the scrutiny of the specific material/historical circumstances in which those events and productions occur. An accurate understanding of human affairs cannot be obtained by the use of abstract conceptions, it should be based on the concrete conditions in the world instead. Hence, to understand human events and productions, marxist analysis focuses on relationships among socioeconomic classes and the distribution of power in the society (Tyson, 2006: 54).

b. Relation of Dominance and Exploitation among Classes

The second marxist world view as Marx and Engels (in Ferretter, 2006: 18) argue in their book, The Communist Manifesto, is that the society that we know today is the result of relation of dominance and exploitation among socioeconomic classes. The world, including its modern society and the cultural progresses, is formed by the ongoing relation of dominance of one class by another. This is the crucial fact of human life, in which everything in the superstructure is based. The developed nations are the result of class struggle in the past. For instance, the superior status of Britain today is the result of the domination of the working class British in the eighteenth century. The relations of

dominance and exploitation practiced by the ruling class towards the working class was the determining factors of this nation’s glory.

As explained by Tyson (2006: 54), according to Marxist criticism, the most significant element that divide the society is differences in socioeconomic class. The differences is sharply drawn between the bourgeoisie, or those who control “natural, economic, and human resources”, and the proletariat, or “the majority of the global population who live in substandard conditions” and who always “perform the manual labor” such as mining, factory work, ditch digging, railroad bulding, which eventually benefitted the rich (Tyson, 2006: 54). The working class is oblivious to this material conditions of dominance and exploitation which disadvantages them by allowing themselves to be divided into warring factions based on gender, races, or ethnicity. This separation prevents them into raising and uniting under the common banner against the injustice imposed by the ruling class which will radically alter the power structure and culminate into a classless society (Tyson, 2006: 54).

c. Base and Superstructure

Marx and Engels (in Ferretter, 2006: 15) explains the second fundamental principle of their world view which is the concept of base and superstructure. Base, or infrastructure, is the foundation of reality, formed by the combination of forces and relations of production. Resulted from the base is superstructure, comprised of legal institutions in the social structure, such as constitution, forms of government, and other basic political institutions in a nation; and every kinds of

cultural products such as philosophy, arts, and literature. These cultural products resulted from the consciousness of the people are ideology. Ideology is further explained by Marx (in Ferretter, 2006: 16) as “the forms of conciousness in which its members represent their lives to one another in a way determined by that society’s production relations”. These are values, ideas, and images bind individuals to their social functions and, in doing so, prevent them to understand the material reality as a whole (Eagleton, 1976: 16-17). Thus, ideology of a person in a society cannot be separated from the forces and relations of production where that person lives. This is depicted by cultural products of the postmodern period, in which the marxist critic Fredric Jameson (in Ferretter, 2006: 17) expounds them as the cultural representation of complex network of economic relationships that formed global capitalism in the twenty first century.

2. Ideology

According to Terry Eagleton (1976: viii), Marxist criticism is a part of theoretical analysis which aims to understand “the ideas, values, and feelings by which men experience their societies at various times”, or ideologies. Ideologies are part of the superstructure. They take the forms of social consciousness which function to legitimate the ruling class’ power in society. It is also believed that, in consequence, the dominant ideas in the society is the ideas of its ruling class (Eagleton, 1976: 5).

There are many definitions of ideology in Eagleton’s Ideology: an Introduction. However, in relation to literature, ideology in Marxist’s sense is “not

in the first place a set of doctrines, it is rather the way men live out their roles in class-society”, it comprised of the values, ideas, and images which bind them to their social functions which simultaneously prevent them from a true understanding of society as a whole (Eagleton, 1976: 16-17). Examples of ideology as the way men understand their roles in a society are as ordinary as the role adopted by a mother through familial attributes in which she strives to make the world a better place for her children, or the role adopted by a hardworking man in which he sees his daily struggles in life as necessities to achieve material success, or a religion adherent who sees the world as a series of temptations to his faith. The ordinary struggles of both the priviledged and the commoners are intertwined with ideologies, as the scope in which they attempt to make sense of their lives.

Tyson (2006: 56) further explains ideology in terms of their function as “the products of cultural conditioning”. She believes that since ideology is a belief system, they are simultaneously products of cultural conditioning. She divides ideologies into two categories: 1) the repressive ideologies, and 2) nonrepressive ideologies. The repressive ideologies are those ideologies that search to propagate repressive political agendas. In order to be accepted in the society, these undesirable ideologies take the form of obvious truth, natural ways of seeing the world instead of openly acknowledge themselves as ideologies. Examples of these ideologies are the sexist belief that men are superior than women which stemmed from patriarchal society, and the capitalist belief of the land and property

ownership as the result of Reaganism in 1980s (Sultana, 2011: 1; Dreier, 2004: par.12).

Repressive ideologies refuse to acknowledge themselves as ideologies, and they pass themselves as natural or obvious facts among society. These ideologies refuse the connection between society’s material conditions and the way the people perceive their world. Therefore, they hamper society from understanding the material/historical conditions by posing as natural ways of seeing the world. Example of this ideology is the belief that some people were born with innate superior quality than the others, thus they are justified to have a better quality of life or even have the right to subordinate people with different characteristic, such as color, gender, or social class. This had been practiced in the past, with slavery and the domination towards the working class people. These practices leave residue that is prolonged into the present. Another example of these ideologies are the inability to acknowledge the existence of classes in advanced nations such as the United States of America, or refusal to admit the existence of discrimination or subordination towards minorities or the underprivileged. The sharp class disparities represented by the slums in urban housing, the homeless in the streets, or the unfair social justice system are repressed by the ideology that put the blames on individuals’ lack for determination, or for moral fibre, labelling the victims of the unjust socioeconomic conditions as the undeserving poor, those who earn their own unfortunate conditions. This kind of world view support the status quo which disadvantages the underprivileged classes both by the higher classes’ refusal to

acknowledge the flawed system, or by the absence of internal recognition of the lower classes that they are being deprived systematically.

On the other hand, nonrepressive ideologies such as Marxism, aims to produce awareness of the existence of repressive ideologies that divert the people from understanding themselves as the products of their socioeconomic circumstances. Hence, nonrepressive ideologies prevent the subservience of the working class people to the order established by the ruling class’ repressive ideologies (Tyson, 2006: 57).

Capitalism, as a resounding ideology today, can be categorized into the realm of repressive ideology due to its function in naturalizing the injustice social system in the society. Capitalism justifies the misery of the masses in legitimizing the power and prosperity of particular group in the society. It permeates the way individuals perceive their world, helping them to accept their conditions as the way it is supposed to be, despite the existence of discrimination and ignorance to the marginalized masses in society. Capitalism takes the form of obviousness, it is perceived as common logic, for example the view that if one is capable to pursue happiness, if one works really hard for it. Or the belief that poverty is the result of the lack of perseverance and efforts. It justifies the marginalization of the underpriviledged people. Whereas this view hides the reality which the unemployment of the underpriviledged people is caused by the systemic discrimination in work place and education, hence creating the vicious circle upon which they cannot escape. In this case, capitalism works to create a space in which individuals, the underpriviledged people, are able to make sense of their

world, to cope with the difficulties and tribulations they faced regularly. It helps them to accept reality as it is.

Capitalist ideologies, such as American Dream, become one of the focuses of Marxist criticism due to their support to the socioeconomic inequities in America as a capitalist country (Tyson, 2006: 58). American Dream was founded on the ideas of “getting ahead”, competition, and rugged individualism, among many others. These ideals that form the self-made men, such as Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, become the common trajectory of all Americans, the ordinary or the priviledges ones. Many believe that it is natural to be able to feel “better” or “ahead” than anyone else, as well as that competition is only a natural way of things, as old as Darwinian “survival of the fittest”. Above all, rugged individualism is perceived as an innate or natural way to see the world, the only means to realize one’s ambition. According to Marxist analysis, these ideologies are repressive in which they “blind” the people “to the enormities of their own failure”, such as the slavery of the Africans, the racism and abuses suffered by the immigrants, the gaping disparity between the rich and the poor, and others. Ideologies justify ignorance, aggression, and segregation due to their perception as obvious truth. In fact, as concluded by Tyson, the success of American Dream relies to the misery of the masses, and ideology diverts the people to understand these harsh realities (2006: 58).

As explained by the Russian Marxist critic Georgy Plekhanov (in Eagleton, 1976: 6), literary works are the “forms of perception, particular ways of seeing the world”, and therefore they are related to the dominant ideology of that

particular age in which the texts are being produced. Since humans are unable to avoid their involvement in social relations, they are influenced by their mode of economic production, along with their products. Eagleton (1976: viii) explains that the responsible of Marxist criticism is to understand the ideas, values, and feelings experienced by people in particular historical conditions. Those ideas, values, and feelings are available to the critics only in literature. In order to explain a literary work more fully, therefore, a Marxist critic focuses on its forms, style, and meanings, and grasping those elements as the products of a particular history (Eagleton, 1976: 3). The complex relations between the works and the social relations they inhabit are manifest not only in themes but also in style, rhytm, image, quality, and form (Eagleton, 1976: 6).

B.Background of the Novel 1. The Author

Suzanne Collins was born on August 1962 as the youngest of four children. A daughter of a career Air Force Officer and a military historian, she was constantly influenced by America’s military endeavors, starting from her early childhood spent near the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York where her father taught for the Army, until the time when her father was deployed in the war in Vietnam. She is heavily influenced by her father’s figure, often reminded of his war and survival stories during America’s most turbulent times such as the Great Depression in which her father had to gather and

hunt in the forest to survive, and the traumatizing events in the war in Vietnam that her father experienced.

Since her childhood, she often moved repeatedly following her father’s deployment and this resulted in her experience as a stranger. She eventually resorted to books and was particularly interested in fantasy and Greek myths, which become the inspiration for The Hunger Games. She was also influenced by the dark tales of Edgar Allan Poe, revolving around the themes of death, loss, and violence which are also inspired her works. She particularly believes that children and young adults can be benefitted by stories with serious subject matters and frightening themes.

She was graduated from Indiana University and earned Bachelor of the Arts degrees in theater and telecommunications. Later on she began her career as a writer for children television shows. In 2008, she published The Hunger Games and the book made her a celebrity. The inspiration for the book came when Collins was watching television late at night. When she was changing the television channels, she came to realise there is little difference between reality show and the coverage of the Iraq war. This inspire a fictional character, Katniss Everdeen, who is trapped in the throes of war in a dystopian future (Henthorne, 2012: 13-18).

2. The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a young adult dystopian novel that takes place in the nation of Panem, a post apocalyptic version of North America. The main character

of the novel, Katniss Everdeen, volunteer to be participant in The Hunger Games, a fight to death reality show, in an exchange for her sister. The game’s rule is simple, the last one to live wins. Katniss has to eliminate the other 23 teenagers in order to survive the game.

The story relies on the perspective of 16 years old Katniss when she struggles against the dangerous obstacles in the game, her feeling about killing other person in the game, and her affection to her fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. She despises the game and the government who forces its citizens to be involved in the game and make them watch their children dies. At the climax of the story, Katniss has to choose between life and death, between her or Peeta’s life. She finally decides to act as if she and Peeta intend to commit suicide together because she knows the game cannot end without a victor. The act resulted in the change of the rule of the game and both she and Peeta are called the victors of the game.

C.Social Background: Classes in the 21st Century America

Currently it is increasingly difficult to categorize the classes in America as bourgeoisie or proletariat, since the acquisition of income is no longer appropriate to define an individual’s social standing in the capitalist mode of production. One can be a wage earner with a higher income than a business owner, therefore what was defined as labor force in the past is not as less-priviledged compared to the owner of the capital as in the past. It does not mean that the capitalist society is a classless one, it is on the contrary. The existence of classes in the society is more

prominent than ever. As it is explained by Lois Tyson (2006: 55), the class disparity is visible through the socioeconomic lifestyle.

Tyson (2006: 55) describes the striking disparities between “the homeless”, “the poor”, “the financially established”, “the well-to-do”, and the “extremely wealthy”. The homeless possess none or a few material possession as well as hope for improvement, the poor struggle to support their families with the constant fear of being homeless and own limited education and career opportunities, the financially established are economically secure in a sense that they own nice homes and cars and are able to send their children to college, the well-to-do are rather similar with the financially established but they can afford to buy more homes and cars, and finally the extremely wealthy, or the American aristocrats, who own large corporations and abundant of wealth for whom money become their last concern. Tyson loosely refers to them as America’s underclass, lower class, middle class, upper class, and “aristocracy” (2006: 55).

It is clear that the American underclass and lower class are socially as well as economically oppressed. While they own little or none means to improve their conditions, they are the first to suffer from economic recessions and welfare deprivation. They have limited chances to secure their economic conditions, let alone for social climbs. Meanwhile, the upper class and American aristocrats possess financial security, they are the least to be affected by economic downturns and recessions. They are able to enjoy luxurious lifestyles which is strikingly different with the underclass and the lower class. The middle class, however, are torn between both opposites, they have better financial security compared to the

underclass and lower class, but they also deeply affected by economic changes since they also share the nation’s tax burden (Tyson, 2006: 55-56).

D.Previous Studies

The researcher found that feminism is the most commonly used literary criticism to analyze Suzanne Collins’ the Hunger Games. One of the research is done by Kristi Loobeek, a student of Concordia University, St Paul, in 2012. The research, entitled “A Feminist Analysis of the Film The Hunger Games”, focuses on identification of the main character, Katniss Everdeen, according to the third wave feminism. This research is similar in terms of the object which is Collins’ The Hunger Games and the scrutiny of the main characters’ traits and corresponding actions. However, this research analyze the book instead of the film, and uses Marxism instead of Feminism to be more specific in ideology and its flaws that are manifested in the novel.

Other research that analyze Collins’ The Hunger Games is a research conducted by Sara Petersson entitled “The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Entertainment or Social Criticism?”. Petersson is a student of Department of English Studies in Lund University. The focus of her research is the use of the novel as social criticism of the present day US, particularly in its aspects of media and surveillance. This research is similar with the research conducted by Petersson in terms of the object, Collins’ The Hunger Games, and the use of Eagleton’s literary theory to support the research. However, Petersson’s research seek to analyze the novel’s reflections to the present day US, particularly in

entertainment and surveillance, while this research attempt to understand the manifestation of the U.S. capitalist ideologies in the book as the mediation between the text and the social realities of the U.S. in the 21st century.

E.Framework of Thinking

The focus of this research is to reveal the capitalist ideologies in the book and their flaws as an attempt of mediation to the social realities of the 21st century America. The characters and their corresponding actions are analysed using Marx’s theory of ideology which can be found in Lois Tyson’s book entitled Critical Theory Today: a User-Friendly Guide, and supported by Terry Eagleton’s Marxism and Literary Criticism. The research aims to identify the criticism towards capitalist ideologies and culture in the book. Below is the conceptual framework of the research.

Figure 1. The Conceptual Framework Marxist Literary

Criticism

Marx’s Ideology

RQ 1: How does the Collins’ The Hunger Games criticize repressive

capitalist ideologies in the 21st century of the U.S.? Material Conditions

as Fundamental Reality

Relations of Dominance and

Exploitation

Base and Superstructure

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games

RQ 2: What is the capitalist culture criticized in Collins’

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD

A.Research Approach

This research used qualitative research design. According to Denzin and Lincoln (in Creswell and Miller, 2007: 36), qualitative research consists of a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible. It involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena, in terms of the meanings people bring to them, without manipulation of phenomena or issues. Since the findings from qualitative research are resulted from real world settings, they cannot be measured through means of statistical procedures (Strauss and Corbin in Golafshani, 2003: 600).

Qualitative research is used when the researcher need to explore a problem or issue that happened to an individual or a society in a detailed manner (Creswell and Miller, 2007: 40). It is a necessary approach to empower individuals to share their stories, and minimize the power relationship between a researcher and participants, therefore the researchers will be able to hear the silenced voice in groups or communities. The framework in qualitative research is often applied to conduct research that involves social and human issues such as feminism, post modernism, LGBT, and other issues that involves marginalized communities. Hence qualitative research design was used by the researcher to analyze the

criticism towards capitalist ideologies and the corresponding culture in Collins’ The Hunger Games.

B.Data and Source of Data

The primary data source of the research was Suzanne Collins’ novel entitled The Hunger Games which was first published in 2008, with the paperback edition published in 2009. The novel is comprised of 374 pages and three parts with 27 subparts. Therefore the data collected for this research were in the forms of language features such as words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, taken from the primary data source. The data were collected based on the theoretical framework used in this research, i.e. Karl Marx’ theory of ideology stemmed from his conception of historical reality discussed in Lois Tyson’s Critical Theory Today: a User-Friendly Guide with the related discussion in Terry Eagleton’s Marxism and Literary Criticism. The researcher also used other sources from printed materials and the internet including academic journals and other books that explains Marx’s theory of ideology such as Eagleton’s Ideology: an Introduction.

C.Research Instrument

A research instrument is the equipment applied in a certain work, study, or research for a scientific purpose (Hornby, 1995: 619). A researcher is the key instrument in a research. The researcher gathers data through examining documents, observing behavior, and interviewing participants if necessary. In

gathering the data, the researcher is encouraged to follow some protocols or procedures, but she has to conduct these procedures herself.

Therefore, by conducting the research, the researcher worked as the human instrument. She initially planned the research, marked and collected the data, scrutinized and interpreted them, and finally reported the result of the analysis according to the procedures. The researcher also arranged the data and the corresponding interpretation into the data sheet, which is useful to scrutinize the data systematically.

D.Data Collecting Technique

The process of collecting data consisted of reading, note taking, interpreting, and categorizing. The first step taken was reading and scrutinizing the primary source of the research, which was Collins’ The Hunger Games. Secondly, the researcher took notes of parts of the novel that were relevant to the research and highlighted these parts to be used as the data. Thirdly, the researcher interpreted these data using the theoretical framework used for this research. Lastly, the data were categorized into a particular form of data sheet and the researcher highlighted the quotation related to the findings. The data sheet functioned to track the progress of the research while organizing the data into categorization. The form of data sheet is presented in the figure as follow.

Table 1. The Example of the Data for the Criticism towards the Repressive Capitalist Ideologies in Collins’ The Hunger Games

No. Category Sub Category

Data Explanation Page

1 The Revelation of the Degrading Natures of Rugged Individualism Ignorance as an Acceptable Virtue

Why him? I think. Then I try to convince myself it doesn’t matter. Peeta Mellark and I are not friends. Not even neighbors. We don’t speak. Our

only real interaction

happened years ago. He’s probably forgotten it. But I haven’t and I know I never will . . . .

Katniss attempt to distance herself from Peeta, her would-be competitor in the Games. This is an adjustment for her in order to obey the rule of the Games.

26

E.Data Trustworthiness

For improving the validity and reliability of this research, triangulation was applied as a technique to check the validity of the data by using something outside of the data and the data itself. It is used due to its ability to control bias and establishing valid propositions in qualitative research (Mathison in Golafshani, 2003: 603). Using peer debriefing as one of the validity procedure,

review or debriefing is the review of the data and research process by someone who is familiar with the research or the phenomenon being investigated. A peer reviewer provides support, challenges the researchers' assumptions, pushes the researchers to the next step methodologically, and asks difficult questions about methods and interpretations (Lincoln and Guba in Creswell and Miller, 2000: 129). By seeking the assistance of peer reviewers, the researcher added credibility to the research. The researcher was assisted by two English Language and Literature Program students majoring in Literature to check the research. More importantly, the researcher also discussed her analysis with her first and second consultants, Bapak Drs Sugi Iswalono, M.A and Bapak Rachmat Nurcahyo, M.A. to gain greater accuracy and validity of the research.

F.Data Analysis Technique

Creswell and Miller (2009: 185) mentions that there are six steps in data analysis: organizing and preparing the data, reading the data, coding and categorizing the data, giving data a description, interrelating description and interpreting the meaning. The researcher analyzed the data following Creswell’s data analysis procedures in order to accomplish the researcher’s objectives. The six steps to analyze the data are explained below:

1. The first is organizing and preparing the data by preparing the primary source of the research, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

2. The second is reading, rereading, and highlighting the data which consists of words, phrase, clauses, and sentences taken from the primary source of the research.

3. The third is categorizing the relevant data based on categories.

4. The fourth is sorting the relevant data and giving the data a description.

1. The fifth is making the interrelation between the description of the data and Marx’s theory of ideology; and the background of Collins’ The Hunger Games to get the finding based on the objectives: (1) to analyse how Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes repressive capitalist ideologies in the 21st century of the U.S., and (2) to identify the prominent capitalist culture in the 21st century of the U.S. being criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games.

 

A.Criticism towards Repressive Capitalist Ideologies in Collins’ the Hunger Games

According to Marxism (Tyson, 2006: 56), an ideology is a belief system which is the outcome of cultural conditioning. Ideologies in general are divided into two categories; the repressive ideologies, or those that distort the masses in understanding material realities of human condition, and nonrepressive ideologies. Repressive ideologies refuse the notion that material conditions shape the way an individual live his world. It often functions to legitimize the opression of a particular group in society by posing as natural ways to see the world to distort the material reality. On the contrary, a nonrepressive ideology functions to create awareness that individuals are shaped by their material conditions and reminds the existence of repressive ideologies that help individuals to submit to the ruling power (Tyson, 2006: 57).

Capitalist ideologies and criticism towards them as repressive ideologies are manifested in many literary works published in the United States of America. As one of those works, Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes the cornerstones of capitalism, which is individualism and self-reliance. This work reveals the negative elements of capitalism practiced by the main character as the antithesis of the authoritarian government. Therefore, the researcher will attempt to reveal how the work criticizes these ideologies through the revelation of the degrading

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

volunteered to be a tribute in The Hunger Games and managed to win it, which elevates her socioeconomic standing.

Individualism in the characterization and Katniss’ responses is a form of revelation of the contemporary American ideology. The book depicts Katniss’ adaptation to individualism and self-reliance as the ways to fight back against the grim prospects of the future and the authoritarian government who limits civil rights and liberties. However, these ideologies entail flaws that hamper their adherents to see the material reality of their conditions and help them to accept their disadvantaged circumstances. Therefore, they function as repressive ideologies which pose as natural ways to live the world while sustaining the unjust social structure.

a. Ignorance as an Acceptable Virtue

In the contemporary America, the society regards individualism as a common logic. If one wants to survive in the constant competition as faced by the society today, one has to adopt individualism. This is implemented by those who attempt to realize their pursuit of happiness. In consequence, in the pursuit of one’s happiness, one does not need to regard others’ well-being. This is shown by the existence of huge gaps in wealth, represented by disparities in lifestyles, between the social classes in America today, which consists of underclass, lower class, middle class, upper class, and American “aristocracy” (Tyson, 2006: 55). Despite the poverty that is shown by the increasing numbers of homeless people, Americans middle class and above disregard the subordination of this ‘other’

inferior class because of their individualism, reflected by their constant dissent to tax policies, which is going to be used to fund the underclass, seeing it as a burden for them (Tyson, 2006: 56). This ideology sustain the idea of classism, it puts individuals into their own places, separated with others because they are restricted by their collective self-interest. Thus, this ideology is crucial in a capitalist society because it nullifies compassion between classes and sustain the classist society.

Categorized as a dytopian novel, The Hunger Games continuously glimpses the occurences in the book to those that happen in the western society today. According to Hintz and Ostry (in Hamre, 2013: 5), utopia and dystopia genres represent the society and world that are better or worse compared to those of the readers’ world. The most prominent example of a dystopian novel is George Orwell’s 1984 which depicts the condition of the world if democracy did not prevail and was replaced instead by authoritarianism. Panem, the dystopian country in The Hunger Games, is often referenced as the future America. It is a “utopia that has gone wrong, or a utopia that only functions for a particular segment of society” (Gordin, Tilley, and Prakash in Hamre, 2013: 5). The upper class people of the novel, the Capitol people, live in a secluded utopia, ringed by mountains to prevent attacks, and surrounded by luxury. On the contrary, the well-being of this few costs the misery of many, of the twelve districts of Panem who live on food shortage and restricted civil liberties. For the ruling class Capitol people, Panem is their utopia, on the contrary, for the rest of the population which consists of middle class and working class people, Panem is a dytopia.

The endorsement towards individualism that is adhered by many of the American citizens today is reflected by the main character in the book, Katniss Everdeen. As a proletariat who has to cope with unjust economic system, Katniss resorts to individualism, constantly projects her dream on a better life in which she can live in peace alongside her sister and mother. The freedom to live with her family without being restricted by her subordinated circumstances as they are living in the poorest slum in the most backward district, is her definition of life fulfillment, her American Dream.

For the first time, I allow myself to truly think about the possibility that I might make it home. To fame. To wealth. To my own house in the Victor’s Village. My mother and Prim would live there with me. No more fear of hunger. A new kind of freedom. But then . . . what? What would my life be like on a daily basis? Most of it has been consumed with the acquisition of food. Take that away and I’m not really sure who I am, what my identity is. The idea scares me some. I think of Haymitch, with all his money. What did his life become? He lives alone, no wife or children, most of his waking hours drunk. I don’t want to end up like that.

(Collins, 2008: 310-311) The quest of the realisation of her self-interest influences her view and understanding of her environment as a harmful place that threaten to disintegrate her family’s well-being. This is signified by her protectionist measures taken to protect her sister, such as her illegal trespassing in the woods, trading in the black market, and volunteering to be the tribute of The Hunger Games. Those were all done in order to realize her dream.

I protect Prim in every way I can, but I’m powerless against the reaping. The anguish I always feel when she’s in pain wells up in my chest and threatens to register on my face.

Her regard for the well-being of her family often puts Katniss in positive lights. However, this dream of betterment for her family also fuels her ignorance to the well-being of others, particularly those people that she considers as competitors. She puts her self-interest above the others’ well-being. This ignorance to others is apparent from her thoughts and corresponding actions to her competitors, particularly Peeta. For example, just after she and Peeta are declared to be tributes, she has the intention to get rid of Peeta eventhough he has helped her in the past. Peeta is not just anybody to her, he saved her life in the past when no one else cared. At first, she feels grateful for him, but at the end of the contemplation she genuinely imagines her kiling him in the arena. This signifies her ignorance to the misery of others, a possessive individualism. This is where she comes to a realization that she must be freed from any relation with others except those relations that is in accordance with her self-interest (Macpherson in Taylor, 1965: 242). This is caused by her prioritizing her own interest above all else, even the person whom she owes her life to. The evidence can be seen as follow.

To this day, I can never shake the connection between this boy, Peeta Mellark, and the bread that gave me hope, and the dandelion that reminded me that I was not doomed. And more than once, I have turned in the school hallway and caught his eyes trained on me, only to quickly flit away. I feel like I owe him something, and I hate owing people. Maybe if I had thanked him at some point, I’d be feeling less conflicted now. I thought about it a couple of times, but the opportunity never seemed to present itself. And now it never will. Because we’re going to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death. Exactly how am I supposed to work in a thank-you in there? Somehow it just won’t seem sincere if I’m trying to slit his throat.

This action is the form of ignorance which is only natural for Katniss, resulted from her perception of the world as a place which constantly threaten to disintegrate her family. In seeing her objectives, she disregards other people who stand in her way. Most of the people in contemporary society also adopt this manner of thinking. Ignorance to the suffering of other people has become a habit due to the loss of communitarian solidarity and the emergence of individualism. As long as one’s life is uninterrupted, one would not budge when seeing atrocities commited in other parts of the world caused by civil war or military intervention.

This adoption of ignorance as a virtue in the contemporary capitalist society is also manifested in other characters in the book, notably the priviledged class. It can be seen as follows.

“At least, you two have decent manners,” says Effie as we’re finishing the main course. “The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion.”

The pair last year were two kids from the Seam who’d never, not one day of their lives, had enought to eat. And when they did have food, table manners were surely the last thing on their minds. Peeta’s a baker’s son. My mother taught Prim and me to eat properly, so yes, I can handle a fork and a knife. But I hate Effie trinket’s comment so much I make a point of eating the rest of my meal with my fingers. Then I wipe my hands on the tablecloth. This makes her purse her lips tightly together.

(Collins, 2008: 44-45) Effie Trinket, as a person who comes from the ruling city of Capitol, is ignorant to the fact that the people who dine with her have suffered from starvation. They do not possess the same access to food as she has for her whole life. It is only natural if they devour the food like savages once they can afford it. For Effie, this is incomprehensible. Raised and educated in the ruling city, she

concern to this crucial issue, but focus on superficial thing instead, such as manner. As a part of the ruling class, ignorance to the fate of the underclass is a normal virtue. Their subordination, which rest on her priviledged life, does not concern her because it does not bring direct harm to her life. This is shown by her negative response due to the absence of table manner which directly influence her appetite, it “upset her digestion”. She only reacts when the action of these people, who notably come from another class, threaten to directly disturb her.

Moreover, the ruling class’ attitude shown by Effie signifies their belief that they are superior, and this diverts them into seeing that people from classes lower than theirs suffer from discrimination, in this case, of fair distribution of welfare. This superiority perpetuates ignorance as a common way when dealing with people from lower classes. The ruling class perceives the working class to have worse attributes than them and deserve the inequalities and unfair judgements befall upon them as a consequence for their lack of civilization. This perception helps them to justify their ignorance to the people from classes lower than theirs, and simultaneously keeping each classes in their places.

b. The notion of Self against Other

The notion of ‘me’ above ‘us’, which is the core of individualism, is extended into ‘me’ above ‘others’. This trait disregards other people besides himself, and acts for the good of himself without considering the consequences of his action to the others. This individualism relies heavily on the disregard of the

well-being of others, or even the perception of others as obstacles to one’s pursuit of happiness. Therefore, usually the others are branded as villains or enemies.

The branding of other as villain is manifested in the United States during Bush administration. After the 9/11 attack, the collective citizens under the Bush administration released the ‘with us’ or ‘against us’ rhetoric, pitting the international community to take side with the U.S., otherwise they were branded as enemies. This belief became the collective ideology of the American society at that time due to their perception to the threat posed by terrorists. The aggressive measure was seen as the only obvious way to cope with their fear of terrorism. However, the violence commited by both the state and its citizens often affected those who are innocents, such as the civilian casualties died during the bombings or ambushes in Iraq. Hence, the collective individualism adapted by the United States at that time caused the misery of many, disrupting civilians’ security.

Katniss labels the other tributes in the Games as enemies, or weaklings, those who deserve to be sacrifice in order to attain her own self-interest, eventhough their encounters with Katniss are caused by the unfortunate circumstances, not because of their deliberate will to cause her harm. This can be seen from Katniss’ labelling of her rivals as ‘other’, or as ‘enemies’. She gives them various inhuman attributes in justification of her ignorance and aggression. The evidence can be seen as follows.

One by one, we see the other reapings, the names called, the volunteers stepping forward or, more often, not. We examine the faces of the kids who will be our competition. A few stand out in my mind. A monstrous boy who lunges forward to volunteer from District 2. A fox-faced girl with sleek red hair from district 5. A boy with a

old girl from District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that, she’s very like Prim in size and demeanor. Only when she mounts the stage and they ask for volunteers, all you can hear is the wind whistling through the decrepit buildings around her. There’s no one willing to take her place.

(Collins, 2008: 45-46)

By branding her enemies with various threatening inhuman attributes, she labels them as the ‘others’, emphasizing her self-centeredness. This hampers her to see these people as her equals because she only sees them as obstacles to her goal. She forgets that they are in the same position as her, thrown into brutal competition due to the condition which obligates every individuals to compete in order to survive. This is the same as the condition in the contemporary American society today, in which competition has become the people’s reality and one cannot escape in order to survive (Tyson, 2006: 57). People from various social and economic background have made competition as their reality, thus hamper them to see their rivals as their equals and separated them into frictions and classes, each following their own self-interests.

Perceiving other as enemies distorts the people into seeing the truth that their subordinate condition is the result of material conditions shaped by the unjust economic system which benefitted the ruling class. Their perceived “enemies” are only thrown by circumstances in which they have no power to control either. Their subordinate conditions are determined by various laws and regulations created and sustained by government institutions. For instance, Katniss’ underpriviledged circumstances is the outcome of his father’s job occupation and the absence of government’s help. As a coal miner, her father is

constantly at risk of losing his life due to his work conditions. However, when it does happen, there is no government’s support that would significantly help his family to be able to carry on. This is a vicious circle that disadvantages the underpriviledged even more due to their high risk jobs. Nevertheless, her individualism often makes her blame others for the injustice that she has to suffer.

You can see why someone like Madge, who has never been at risk of needing a tessera, can set him off. The chance of her name being drawn is very slim compared to those of us who live in the Seam. Not impossible, but slim. And even though the rules were set up by the Capitol, not the districts, certainly not Madge’s family, it’s hard not to resent those who don’t have to sign up for tesserae.

(Collins, 2008: 13) Individualism leads to act of agression to others. In one occasion, Katniss deliberately pushes Peeta when she feels threaten by his action, namely his declaration of love to her. This action leads her to believe that Peeta is dangerous for her chance in winning the Games because she is convinced that his strategy will make her appear to be a weak candidate. Nevertheless, the declaration of love is actually a good move on Peeta’s part not only for himself, but also for Katniss, because it solicits sympathy from the audience for their cause. This will help them shape their image as star-crossed lovers and draw sponsors. However, her self-pride resulted from her individualism leads Katniss to keep her good judgement against Peeta. Since she has already marks him as enemy, everything he does is evil in her eyes. This ultimately lead her to take agressive measures against him. The evidence can be seen as follows.

. . . Peeta has only just stepped from his car when I slam my palms into his chest. He loses his balance and crashes into an ugly urn filled with fake flowers. The urn tips and shatters into hundreds of

tiny pieces. Peeta lands in the shards, and blood immediately flows from his hands.

“What was that for?” he says, aghast.

“You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!” I shout at him.

Now the elevators open and the whole crew is there, Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia.

“What’s going on?” says Effie, a note of hysteria in her voice. “Did you fall?”

“After she shoved me,” says Peeta as Effie and Cinna help him up. Haymitch turns on me. “Shoved him?”

“This was your idea, wasn’t it? Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?” I answer.

(Collins, 2008: 134-135) Individualism expressed by Katniss’ detachment to her fellow tributes is important in keeping individuals separated from each other and prevent the class struggle for the common cause. As the cornerstone of capitalism, individualism encourages individuals to acquire and perform characteristics that distinguish them from the masses as unique individuals with their own self interests that erodes class identification and thus, the class consciousness (Rottenberg, 2004: 76). As Katniss choose to detach herself by ignoring or labelling her fellow tributes as enemies, she simultaneously refuse to acknowledge the common struggle that they are all entitled to and instead, sustaining the flawed system that marginalizes them.

It is to the advantage of the ruling class if everything remain to the status quo. If the classes are separated, if they would rather maintain their subordinate conditions, if they fight against each other; those consume their time and attention to worthless actions that do not really contribute anything in changing their conditions to be better. Their understanding of the world is therefore

misundertanding because they contribute nothing to change the injustice that they suffer.

2. Self-Reliance as a Facade

According to Emerson (in Izaguirre, 2014: 20), self-reliance “emphasizes the essential uniqueness which resides in each individual and asserts that true fulfillment transcends rationality, science, and societal customs”. It encourages individuals to acknowledge and accept the internal genius that resides in everyone, urging them to trust themselves and determine their own path in life because no other people can do it for them. The beauty of this belief is that everybody have the capability to attain their life goals regardless their social background.

a. Socioeconomic Attributes as the Determining Element

Katniss is often depicted as a tragic hero, who has to rely to herself in order to resolve all the obstacles in life. Her freedom and independence are depicted as the result of her willingness to adapt and to acknowledge her survival skills. She gains her skill to hunt due to her talent and experience in the wood. This hunting experience also manages to deliver her to be crowned as a victor. Here, according to self reliance, Katniss is depicted as an individual who is suceeded to attain her life goal by acknowledging and utilitizes her skills.

However, the skills that is owned by Katniss is not the result of her mere individual decision, or personal discovery. Her ability to survive is the outcome of

to struggle to find source of food in the forest in daily basis, therefore she is able to attain her “destined” skills. Her self-reliance is heavily shaped by her material condition as a member of underclass society instead of something that is innately endowed in her. She also inherits her superior hunting ability from her father, who is a hunter as well as a coal miner, who regularly trains her since she was a child. Thus, the novel reveals that self-reliance is not merely something that can be obtained through self-discovery. It is influenced by material reality as well as socioeconomic background. One of the evidences can be seen as follow.

The next day, we were off school. For a while I hung around the edges of the Meadow, but finally I worked up the courage to go under the fence. It was the first time I’d been there alone, without my father’s weapons to protect me. But I retrieved the small bow and arrows he’d made me from a hollow tree. I probably didn’t go more than twenty yards into the woods that day. Most of the time, I perched up in the branches of an old oak, hoping for game to come by. After several hours, I had the good luck to kill a rabbit. I’d shot a few rabbits before, with my father’s guidance. But this I’d done on my own.

(Collins, 2008: 50-51) The passage above has a dominant tone of self-reliance by its emphasizes twice on Katniss’ courage on going alone without her father’s protection by her side. By successfully attain food in the dangerous forest only accompanied by “small bow and arrows”, she embodies the ideal of self-reliance, in which one only needs to trust one’s ability to overcome obstacles and achieve life goal. However, Katniss must not forget that her ability derives from her experience with her father in the past, even the bow and arrows which becomes her ultimate weapon is made by her father. It shows that one’s inherited ability or experience is important to determine one’s capability to suceed. Therefore, instead of solely

relies in herself, one’s capability is influenced by one’s socioeconomic background and the corresponding experience.

Self-reliance hampers an individual in conforming to the society because it believes that societal values cannot determine an individual’s destiny or life goals. Since it believes that each individual is unique, therefore societal values would bind them to normalities that hamper their true aspirations. This belief often leads alienation of an individuals from the rest of the society, along with the societal norms. In aspiring to her goal, for example, Katniss disobey the law and often found that she is better to be left alone. She is disocciated from her surroundings due to her determination in resolving every problems on her own. Although this appear to be an admirable trait, usually this lead to to undesirable actions. As an example, Katniss breaks the law by tresspassing into the forest and joining the trade in the black market. The evidence can be seen as follow.

Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal and poaching carries the severest of penalties, more people would risk it if they had weapons. But most are not bold enough to venture out with just a knife. My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers. My father could have made good money selling them, but if the officials found out he would have been publicly executed for inciting a rebellion.

(Collins, 2008: 5)

b. The Negative Role of Ego Gratification

According to Tyson (2006: 58), American dream offers ego gratification to its adherents. It is “the sense of being appreciated or needed by diverse role partners” (Sieber, 1974: 576). Ego gratification produces self esteem and “a sheer

come from the underclass, ego gratification is important in keeping them to carry on living. This gives them illusion that they are able to overcome their hardships despite the limited resources in their possession, and in suceeded in doing this, they are better than the rest of their lot. Ego gratification gives them false assumption that they have the ability to influence and change their life using their own power, even though their lives are heavily influenced by the socioeconomic conditions. Ego gratification is important for the ruling class to sustain their power because it eludes the masses into thinking that the opressive condition is acceptable for them because they can overcome it anyway. It makes them belief that anything is possible if only they keep trying.

Katniss derives the sense of gratification from her ability to fulfill the role of the breadwinner of the family, replacing her father. Her only happiness relates on the pleasure she derives on keeping the well-being of her family, particularly her sister, secure.

I prop myself up on one elbow. There’s enough light in the bedroom to see them. My little sister, Prim, curled up on her side, cocooned in my mother’s body, their cheeks pressed together. In sleep, my mother looks younger, still worn but not so beaten-down. Prim’s face is as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named. My mother was very beautiful once, too. Or so they tell me.

(Collins, 2008: 3) She describes her family affectionately, using words like “lovely” and “beautiful”, and she derives gratification from seeing her family well and secure in their sleep, safe from the danger of food shortage or the opressive authority. This is what keeps her going in her daily hunting and gathering rituals, instead of actually

she perceived from her family’s well-being keeps her satisfied and continue living without significant objection or protest to the social system, let alone trying to change it.

The sense of gratification keeps her attached to her role as the head of the family and this makes her preoccupied. She devotes all of her time and energy into keeping her family alive and well, and this leaves her no time to contemplate about her subordination to the social structure. The role as the head of the family keeps her mind and body busy, and fulfill her needs to be recognized in the family and society as a capable individual. As a result, she ignores the social structure and focus on her family needs instead.

Somehow it all comes back to coal at school. Besides basic reading and math most of our instruction is coal-related. Except for the weekly lecture on the history of Panem. It’s mostly a lot of blather about what we owe the Capitol. I know there must be more than they’re telling us, an actual account of what happened during the rebellion. But I don’t spend much time thinking about it. Whatever the truth is, I don’t see how it will help me get food on the table.

(Collins, 2008: 42) The preoccupation to her role in the family which is sustained by her ego gratification prevents her to deal with the paramount issue that threaten her family such as the marginalization of the working class in which her family is a part of, or the existence of tesserae. The existence of the tesserae is actually a tool for keeping the working class dependant to the government, as well as subjecting them to be the potential tributes of The Hunger Games compare to the middle class. However, Katniss’ resort to tesserae as she is entitled to her role as the breadwinner in the family reveals that she does not consider the consequence of it,

from my body. All that remains of the design-team’s efforts are the flames on my nails. I decide to keep them as reminder of who I am to the audience. Katniss, the girl who was on fire. Perhaps it will give me something to hold on to in the days to come.

represents her acceptance of her commodification.

“No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to . . . to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games,” says Peeta.

“But you’re not,” I say. “None of us are. That’s how the Games work.” “Okay, but within that framework, there’s still you, there’s still me,” he insists. “Don’t you see?”

“A little. Only . . . no offense, but who cares, Peeta?” I say.

Katniss regards Peeta’s intention to remain to his genuine selfhood as useless. She accepts the rule and corresponding customs as normal, including self-commodification.

142

In the faint light of the Careers’ torches, I inch back down to my fork to find the best surprise I’ve ever had. Sitting on my sleeping back is a small plastic pot attached to a silver parachute. My first gift from a sponsor! Haymitch must have had it sent in during the anthem. The pot easily fits in the palm of my hand. What can it be? Not food surely. I unscrew the lid and I know by the scent that it’s medicine. Cautiously, I probe the surface of the ointment. The throbbing in my fingertip vanishes.

“Oh, Haymitch,” I whisper. “Thank you.” He has not abandoned me. Not left me to fend entirely for myself. The cost of this medicine must be

She has sold her self worth and her identity in an exchange for her survival. Her survival is represented by the high-tech medicine sent to heal the burn on her calf. By continuing to live up to the name “the girl who was on fire”, she prolong her life in the Games and increases the chance of her victory.

187-188

104   

astronomical. Probably not one but many sponsors have contributed to buy this one tiny pot. To me, it is priceless.

The star-crossed lovers . . . Peeta must have been playing that angle all along. Why else would the Gamemakers have made this unprecedented change in the rules? For two tributes to have a shot at winning, our “romance” must be so popular with the audience that condemning it would jeopardize the success of the Games. . . .

Romance is a high-valued commodity in the show. It is even able to change the rule of the Games.

247

Haymitch couldn’t be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth. I can almost hear his snarl. “You’re supposed to be in love, sweetheart. The boy’s dying. Give me something I can work with!” And he’s right. If I want to keep Peeta alive, I’ve got to give the audience something more to care about. Star-crossed lovers desperate to get home together. Two hearts beating as one. Romance.

Romance is used by Katniss due to its exchange value, which is the means to save both she and Peeta.

261

“What am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch you die?” I say. He must know that’s not an option. That the audience would hate me. And frankly, I would hate myself, too, if I didn’t try.

In order to convince the audience of their romance, Katniss is willing to risk her life in saving Peeta. She could not risk the audience to recognize her pretense.

275

. . . I’m about to leave when I remember the importance of sustaining the star-crossed lover routine and I lean over and give Peeta a long, lingering kiss. I imagine the teary sighs emanating from the Capitol and pretend to brush away a tear of my own. Then I squeeze through the

In order to convince the audience of their romance, Katniss is willing to risk her life in saving Peeta. She could not risk the audience to recognize her pretense.

opening in the rocks out into the night.

I raise my eyebrows before I remember he doesn’t know about the message Haymitch sent us a couple of nights ago. One kiss equals one pot of broth. It’s not the sort of thing I can blurt out, either. To say my thoughts aloud would be tipping off the audience that the romance has been fabricated to play on their sympathies and that would result in no food at all. Somehow, believably, I’ve got to get things back on track. Something simple to start with. I reach out and take his hand.

She perceives her romance in terms of it exchange value or sign-exchange value. The exchange value would be that the romance sustain their food, medicine, and other practical things that support their survival. The sign-exchange value would be that it characterizes her as a virtuous, love-stricken girl so that the audience can relate to her.

296

I’m startled by his intensity but recognize an excellent opportunity for getting food, so I try to keep up. “Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta, did you ever think of that? Maybe you aren’t the only one who . . . who worries about . . . what it would be like if . . .”

The exchange value of their romance would be that the romance sustain their food, medicine, and other practical things that support their survival.

297

The day drags on turning into evening and there’s no break in the weather. Haymitch is our only hope, but nothing is forthcoming, either from lack of money – everything will cost an exorbitant amount – or because he’s dissatisfied with our performance. Probably the latter. I’d be the first to admit we’re not exactly riveting today. Starving, weak from injuries, trying not to reopen wounds. We’re sitting huddled together wrapped in the sleeping bag, yes, but mostly to keep warm. The most exciting thing either of us does is nap.

She perceives her romance in terms of it exchange value or sign-exchange value. The exchange value would be that the romance sustain their food, medicine, and other practical things that support their survival. The sign-exchange value would be that it characterizes her as a virtuous, love-stricken girl so that the audience can relate to her.

106   

I’m not really sure how to ramp up the romance. ... Anyway, just a kiss isn’t enough anymore clearly because if it was we’d have gotten food last night. My instincts tell me Haymitch isn’t just looking for physical affection, he wants something more personal. The sort of stuff he was trying to get me to tell about myself when we were practicing for the interview. I’m rotten at it, but Peeta’s not. Maybe the best approach is to get him talking.

She has changed her romance into a thing that has an exchange value as their savior. In doing so, she also deliberately manipulates Peeta to pull romantic stunts.

300

For a moment, I’m almost foolishly happy and then confusion sweeps over me. Because we’re supposed to be making up this stuff, playing at being in love, not actually being in love.

She is eventually confused by her notion of self, whether it is defined by her real feeling or her fabricated infatuation with Peeta, even though the latter is not real.

301

Our lips have just barely touched when the clunk outside makes us jump. My bow comes up, the arrow ready to fly, but there’s no other sound. Peeta peers through the rocks and then gives a whoop. Before I can stop him, he’s out in the rain, then handing something in to me. A silver parachute attached to a basket. I rip it open at once and inside there’s a feast – fresh rolls, goat cheese, apples, and best of all, a tureen of that incredible lamb stew on wild rice. The very dish I told Caesar Flickerman was the most impressive thing the Capitol had to offer.

The exchange value of their romance would be that the romance sustain their food, medicine, and other practical things that support their survival.