Hunger Games: Survival of the Fittest

Hunger Games follows the competition between districts of young people, all fighting to survive in the state of limited resources and rivalry. As the fight unravels, we see the story through a first person point of view of the main character, Katniss. From the beginning, as readers, we take a position that is favorable to the success of Katniss, when she volunteers for the games for the sake of her younger sister. From the point on,her bravery puts forces us to root for Katniss, even as times get hard for Katniss. At one point during the game, Katniss attempts to take supplies from an area protected back a group of her opposition:

  "I stay put for a half an hour or so, trying to figure out what to do about the supplies. The one advantage I have with the bow and arrow is distance. I could send a flaming arrow into the pyramid easily enough — I'm a good enough shot to get it through those openings in the net — but there's no guarantee it would catch. More likely it'd just burn itself out and then what? I'd have achieved nothing and given them far too much information about myself. That I was here, that I have an accomplice, that I can use the bow and arrow with accuracy." (217)

The passage exemplifies on of Katniss's many challenges during the games. Katniss's main goal is to get the supplies, but more in general, to "achieve". As Katniss and her rivals live in a state of nature, without governing or "rules", only the strong survive. As Rousseau suggests that the state of nature is the "most suitable for mankind", the situation in the Hunger Games suggests otherwise. He suggests this because while in the state of nature, man pursing to protect themselves is the least harmful to others. More specifically, as man’s main goal is survival, in the state of nature where survival needs are met without the harm of another, true peace and success of mankind overall can be reached. In Hunger Games, the opposite is proven. Although we are put in a position to root for Katniss, we know that in the position she is in, reaching "success" will not constitute "true peace". In the fight for survival for Katniss, like the individual in the state of nature, she must realize her advantages and strengths in order to reign above her opposition.

 Ultimately, although we take a position in favor of Katniss's success from the beginning, page 217 forces us to come to terms with the reality of her situation. She must prevail in a state of nature where only the strong survive and in order to do so, she must harm others. This idea in Hunger Games opposes Rousseau's idea about humans in the state of nature, but only to an extent. On the other hand, as readers, we question if the children actually live in a true state of nature, or if the coordinators of the Hunger Games assume the role of a governing body. As a governing body, the coordinators limit resources and, therefore, instigate conflict and war amongst the young people. If one assigns the coordinators as "government", Rousseau's argument about the state of nature is then reinforced. Viewing the coordinators as "government" in the Hunger Games, Rousseau's argument is solidified, as we see that "true peace" is not reached and survival forces the harming of others in the presence of a governing body. In the end, it depends on if one believes there is a true state of nature in Hunger Games, or not.