User:Lkhk32/The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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The storyline of the film is perceived as having strong ties with the portrayal of ecological integrity. The incorporation of ecological topics including the environment, food and starvation, and political ecology are present in the motion picture.

Ecological Integrity

An ecology study can be conducted with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in order to understand its ecological integrity. Topics such as the environmental setting of the movie, the nourishment and starvation conditions of the population in Panem, and the political ecology are highlighted throughout the film.

Environment: Panem and the 75th Hunger Games Arena

Map of the fictional nation of Panem, the main setting of the film.

Panem is a nation that was created in the aftermath of ecological disasters and global conflict; a great number of land areas around the world had disappeared due to rising sea levels. Panem consists of its capital city, the Capitol, and twelve surrounding districts. A 13th district had previously existed, however, the Capitol destroyed District 13 and its residents because they had led an uprising against the Capitol. As a consequence of the rebellion, the Capitol ordained an annual violent competition to punish the districts and discourage future insurrections. Each year, two randomly selected participants, called "tributes", of each district are sent to an arena, and forced to fight for their survival. In this film, the 75th Hunger Games are being held, marking the third Quarter Quell, where the tributes were reaped within the group of previous victors.

The arena for the 75th Hunger Games was divided into sections and constructed in the shape of a clock, with a powerful force-field surrounding it. At the 12th "clock handle" a tree was periodically struck by lightning during the 12th hour. The gamemakers were in charge of the arena and controlled everything about the conditions of the pretend environment. Gamemakers added trees, animals, and other environmental features to entertain the event's audience and make the games more difficult for the competitors. At every hour, the tributes faced new adversities such as a blood rain, a tidal wave, jabberjays (bird mutations) repeating the screaming sounds of the tributes' loved ones, lightning, poisonous fog, and a mandrills attack. Regarding the resources the arena provided, the only safe water the participants were able to drink was from the trees in the arena, by extracting it with the use of a spile, and consumed the fish within the waters inside the arena.

Food & Starvation: Survival and Resources

Throughout The Hunger Games trilogy, survival means eating things one would not normally eat. Hence, food ends up being a major symbolism present throughout The Hunger Games novel and film series. For instance, Panem means bread in Latin. Bread is a significant symbol throughout the movies. It represents hope and change for the rebellion against the Capitol. The annual competition is called the Hunger Games. The competitive aspect of the event derives from the fact that the declared winner is showered with gifts and lives in luxury for the rest of their lives, and the winning district receives parcels of food from the Capitol for a year. The Capitol of Panem has control of the food supply for all twelve districts. Particularly, in Catching Fire, the contrast between the starvation suffered by the people of the districts and the repletion experienced by the Capitol citizens is demonstrated throughout the film. The Capitol uses the food system as a source of oppressive power which restrains and rewards the citizens of Panem. The food system is a luxury for the rich and residents from the Capitol, and it exploits the poor. During the film, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark attend a celebration feast at President Snow’s mansion, where the overindulgence and ignorance of the citizens of the Capitol are shown. Peeta is urged to keep eating from the banquet, even though he is full. People from the Capitol offer him a drink to throw up, in order to eat more food, neglecting the fact that the citizens of the districts are in constant hunger.

Each of the twelve districts of Panem provides the Capitol with resources such as District 4 (Fishing), District 9 (Grain), District 10 (Livestock), and District 11 (Agriculture). The food regulation by the Capitol leads the citizens of Panem, specifically within the twelve districts, to have a lack of resources to survive with. The Districts' exploitation of food resources is limited by the totalitarian police state of Panem. The population’s focus on having food and fighting starvation favors the Capitol’s power through the submission of the districts, and the distraction it causes from the important matters occurring in the society. Throughout the film, the Capitol of Panem “seizes all material production while “providing” for its citizens by keeping them at the threshold of starvation, and so prevents them from rebelling against oppression and exploitation.” Additionally, the food produced by nature is prohibited. Therefore, hunting, although made illegal by the Capitol, is the main source of food for Katniss and her family’s survival. Food ends up symbolizing life. As seen at the beginning of the film, Katniss and Gale are shown hunting rabbits and turkeys for the day.

Political Ecology: Environmental Injustice, Corruption, and Oppression

The Hunger Games series portrays the theme of political ecology as the main problems demonstrated in the films are the food system and the environmental injustice. Political ecology is defined as the study of relationships between political, environmental, and ecological events. There is an environmental injustice within the higher class from the Capitol and the lower social classes in the twelve districts. After many natural disasters, the Capitol became the country in charge. In the surrounding twelve districts, people are under a dictatorship and face many struggles. The Districts even have an electrified fence that keeps the people under surveillance and control. The food that nature provides beyond the fence is out of reach for the citizens in the districts. The Capitol prevents the poor from having power, access to food, and the food they produce or other benefits they have. The oppressing rules of the government have left the districts struggling for survival. Additionally, the Capitol forces the youth in the districts to be part of the Hunger Games for their entertainment. This is a reminder of the Capitol's power over the other districts.

Catching Fire introduces President Snow. President Snow is shown as a “corrupt figurehead”. The film presents how the people in Panem are dependent on their environment to survive. The environment supports their way of life, and to maintain the citizens of Panem in control, President Snow will place the winners of the Hunger Games against each other. In Catching Fire, the audience can have a better view of the society in Panem. In this film, it is shown an “understanding of this ruthlessly oppressive society and raising the stakes for the uprising in store.” The struggles that the oppressive Capitol brings are exposed when Katniss and Peeta observe the quality of life in the other districts during their Victory Tour. Katniss and Peeta try to find signs of rebellion against the Capitol. Throughout the trilogy, Katniss becomes a symbol of hope against the social injustice and oppression over society.