07 | My EE about Biotech in the Hunger Games ft. DALL-E
I got an A for this guys - fight me
I used excerpts of my IB Extended Essay as Dall-E prompts… and I absolutely loved the results. Scroll to see.
Biotechnology and Socioeconomic Inequality in The Hunger Games
How does Suzzane Collins use Language to Negatively Portray the Socioeconomic Impacts of Biotechnological Advancement within The Hunger Games?
I. Introduction
With the increasing growth of bioengineering as a scientific field, there is a burgeoning interest surrounding the discussion of bioethics and how humanity can best adapt to these technological advancements. Within popular culture, this bioethical discourse is spearheaded by the arts due to its effective ability to introduce new ideas and change the perspective of mass media. The Arts and Bioethics network maintains the belief that the arts enrich bioethics due to its abilities of opening new and creative approaches to framing bioethical concerns (Macneill and Ferran, 2010, p. 71). Evidently, the manner in which biotechnology is represented within literature, film, and the arts significantly affects public response towards science and its mainstream perception (Caulfield, 2004, p. 213).
Notably, The Hunger Games, written by Suzzane Collins is a popular dystopian novel characterized by focal narrative themes such as elements of war and social inequality (Merritt & Lu, 2018, p. 20). The Hunger Games' spent over two hundred consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list since its publication with over 100 million copies sold worldwide (Imdb). Besides being conventionally acclaimed, multiple critics and prominent reviewers note the character development, sophisticated motifs, and distinct cultural criticism present in The Hunger Games as evidence of the novel’s value (Peters, 2013, p.6). Suzzane Collin’s use of language and semantics to describe biotechnology within The Hunger Games is worthy of investigation due to the novel’s modern relevance within contemporary literature and immense popularity. Bioengineering plays a considerable role within the world building of Panem, the main setting of the novel, often instigating conflict as a plot device to reflect these themes. Hence, this paper seeks to explore how the use of language to describe biotechnology perpetuates the specific theme of socioeconomic inequality, giving rise to the central question of: How does Suzzane Collins use language to negatively portray the socioeconomic impacts of biotechnological advancement within The Hunger Games?
The use of language refers to symbolism, manipulation of semantics, and specific lexical choices and their implied connotative meanings. Due to the contemporary nature of The Hunger Games, there is an investigative limitation of fewer existing quantities of secondary sources examining the text than more comprehensively studied pieces of literature. However, this study’s textual analysis will be supplemented by research papers and several published critical interpretations to offer insight and expert viewpoints. However, it should be acknowledged that due to the precise nature of this research question, no discovered secondary source specifically analyzes genetic engineering within The Hunger Games, and instead this paper will utilize and corroborate multiple sources offering insight regarding different aspects of The Hunger Games to support its textual analysis and evaluation of the thesis. The exploration of Collins’ use of language within The Hunger Games will be split into three categories: consumerism and material culture, weaponization, and the overarching motif of the Mockingjay. In summary, this paper will identify, analyze, and evaluate how Collins uses language to perpetuate a techno skeptic lens towards biotechnology’s effects on society through its procapitalist representation in The Hunger Games.
II. Consumerism and Material Culture
Collins represents the far-reaching impacts of biotechnology in the process of cosmetic biomodification and physical appearance as negative by drawing parallels between the superficiality of a character and their application of bodily modification.
Collins does this first in The Hunger Games by representing individuals with facial cosmetology as villains, and hence in support of the Capitol’s dictatorship, as the majority, if not all of Capitol citizens, are solely characterized by their “freakish” nature and appearance (Collins, 2008, p.301). The Hunger Games employs biomodification as a device to elucidate connections between a character’s appearance and their depth of personality and in essence, their “goodness”. This is supported by how the protagonists and their supporting ensemble, including background characters of Peeta, Haymitch, Cinna, Effie Trinket, and Katniss, have little to no superficial characteristics in terms of body modification. Collins attempts to create positive associations between goodness and the natural as opposed to the unnatural nature of human biomodification. This assists Collins in her world-building by making it easier for her to antagonize the villains in this story by appealing to the stereotypical tendency of the rich to exploit resources for shallow and cosmetic purposes.
Aside from perpetuating the socioeconomic facet of techno skepticism, she draws upon her audience’s preconceived perceptions of modifying God’s design via genetic engineering as a theological sin. The Hunger Games is published by Scholastic, a Western Publishing house, and is written in English, with Western audiences tending to be familiar or versed in Christian values. Indeed, Collins herself identifies as Roman Catholic and had a Protestant upbringing (Finnigan). Biotechnology does not adhere to Christian ideologies and Collins brings this to the attention of the readers because it is a simple yet effective method to negatively portray characters by capitalizing on the beliefs of a Western audience. Therefore, Collins appeals to Christian morals to negatively portray GMOs, aiding in her representation of biomodifcation as negative through its association with villainy.
Moreover, Venia, Octavia, and Flavius, the helpers of a fashion designer named Cinna, have biotechnologically modified skin colours and have undergone cosmetic surgery to modify their appearance in line with a post-human aesthetic (Guanio-Uluru, 2017, p. 4). However, though they are secondary characters who support the protagonist’s ambitions, their attitude and personalities are characterized primarily by their superficiality. Their main role within The Hunger Games is comic-relief as they act as Katniss’ and the reader's medium of understanding of negative Capitol values such as greed and insensitivity. They are described by Katniss as “total idiots” and “affectionate trio of pets”, which further solidifies their good-natured yet imbecilic portrayal within the novel (Collins, 2008, p. 49). The use of the pre-modifier “total”, highlights the derogatory connotations of noun “idiots”. Moreover, by using the metaphor of “pets” to describe human beings, Collins emphasizes how Katniss sees them not as equals, but as lesser beings by likening them to animals. Thus, Collin’s portrayal of the characters who undergo bodily modification compels the reader to associate negative characteristics with these wealthy characters through describing them using diction that creates a semantic field of negativity. On a broader scale, this affects readers by making subtle connections between morality and the exploitation of biotechnology for the sole purpose of superficial bodily modification. Through utilizing these literary devices, Collins sets the scene and the foundations for the theme of socioeconomic conflict in the rest of the novel with Katniss representing the less wealthy districts reacting to the citizens of the Capitol. Through the operation of technology, Collins projects the image of a society so stratified that it “approaches species difference” (Kunkel, 2008, p. 92). The wealthy’s use of technology in service of body modification rather than to address social inequality and injustice is used by Collins to characterize Capitol citizens as superficial, portraying the socioeconomic future biotechnology will bring in a bleak light.
In addition to Collin’s portrayal of biotechnology within the more superficial purpose of cosmetic biomodification, Collins presents medicine as a symbol of power, using biotechnology as a plot device to portray the negative implications of socioeconomic inequality. When Katniss is hit by man-made fireballs within the Hunger Games Arena, she obtains a severe burn on her calf. She experiences debilitating physical pain which prompts Haymitch, her mentor, to source out “burn cream”, a biotechnological ointment created for the purpose of treating burns. The packages containing the medicine and burn cream are sent by the spectators from the Capitol. Collins places an emphasis on the juxtaposition between Katniss’ relief and disbelief when she receives the ointment, where she gasps out gratitude and quickly realizes the fiscally “astronomical cost” of the medicine, labelling it as “priceless” (Collins, 2008, p. 146).
Through her diction, Collins acknowledges the importance of power and utility of biotechnology within the context of the games. However, due to Katniss’ surprise and her comments about the intangibility of this class of medicine for commoners, the reader is made aware of the technology’s perceived inaccessibility. This is further supported by how Katniss continues to describe the burn cream, stating, “This is no herbal concoction that my mother grinds up out of woodland plants, it’s high-tech medicine brewed up in the Capitol’s labs . . . .” (146). Collin’s uses the noun “concoction” to describe the commoners medicine in contrast with “high tech”, conveying the superiority of the latter. The use of “grinds up” also contrasts with “brewed”, with “grind” more innately connoting to hard work than “brewed”, depicting the difficulty the poor face to acquire biotechnology in comparison to the rich.
Notably, the Capitol is characterized as a society where the nation’s most wealthy, famous and powerful citizens live. As Collins depicts this priceless symbol within the hands of the powerful and wealthy, she conveys the message that in a futuristic dystopian society, the wealthy will be responsible for controlling the distribution of bioengineered resources and supplies, allowing them to choose who are deserving of the medicine, just as the spectators of the Hunger Games choose who to sponsor. Panem is a microcosm of the society’s system whereby developed nations exercise their economic power over poor populations in exchange for food or material goods (Burke, 2014, p. 8). Taking this into account, it can also be inferred that Collins claims that the viewers are the sponsors choosing who are deserving of aid within the context of the real world with impoverished orphans and war refugees being the tributes.
Collins creates this subconscious association in the viewer by using biotechnology as a device within the story to represent these resources. The interplay between bioengineering and socioeconomic inequality is explored by its function as a plot device and how Collins employs symbolism through medicine, persuading the reader to comprehend how this new technology will be readily available to some but not to all, and how different socioeconomic brackets may perceive this.
III. Weaponization of genetically modified organisms
The Iraq war sets the context for Collins in portraying the danger of genetic engineering as weapons within The Hunger Games. Footage of the war and reality television served inspiration for Collins in the writing of The Hunger Games (Scholastic). The Iraq war was based on false pretenses, the foundation of which being how Iraq was suspected to harbor biological weapons (Merritt & Lu, 2018, p. 26). Suzzane Collins would have sensed the nation’s perception and mood surrounding the use of bio-modification and biological weapons, the negative stories surrounding these floating in the media and permeating popular culture and society. Hence, since Panem is an allusion to America, and The Hunger Games parallels its social inequality and political environment today, it can be inferred that she chose to present bioengineering with the same mirroring quality, especially with the context linking the creation of the novel to the Iraq war. The ethical implications of this feature as a significant sub-text within The Hunger Games since the Capitol’s unjust regime is founded on biotechnology used to exploit and subjugate the poorer districts and non-capitol citizens. A clear example of this is Collin’s portrayal of bioengineered animals as weapons.
Mutts within The Hunger Games are genetically modified beings created by the Capitol to achieve an intended purpose, of which usually include disruption, destruction, and incapacitation through death. Collin’s operation of anthropomorphism in her utilization of noun “mutt” to describe GMOs immediately depicts genetically modified beings in an unfavorable light to the reader due to the etymology of “mutt” as a slang word with damaging connotations of mixed cultural identity and social injustice. (Kyff) This aids her approach of portraying the mutts within the context of the story as transparently negative. This negativity surrounding the term is perpetuated given how every time a mutt is mentioned within the book, a death occurs. Collin’s pairing of GMO’s and the theme of death results in a subtle codependent association between the two, planting the following seed of thought within the reader: with the presence of mutts, destructive incidents transpire.
An example of this is her portrayal of the tracker jackers, biotechnologically created killer wasps. She describes their origination as “spawned in a lab”, creating a negative semantic field around genetic modification with the lexical choice “spawned”, and then likens the wasps to “strategically placed land mines, around the districts, during the war” (Collins, 2008, p. 144). Of note, landmines are traditionally unexpected and concealed, depicting the hidden danger of bioengineering. Unexploded bombs, or UXOs, like land mines are explosive weapons that did not explode during the time of war yet still risk detonation decades after its intended use. These are currently only persistently found in Myanmar, Libya, and Syria–– all of which are third world countries (ICBL). By likening tracker jackers to landmines, Colins creates a connection between bioengineering and how its negative aftereffects can linger years after its intended use as a negative effect of its power. This also ties into how the tracker jackers, because of their ability to harm and incapacitate, were only used by the Capitol military “around the districts”, conveying how these bioengineered weapons were used to control the lower socioeconomic class. Her characterization of tracker jackers shows how bioengineering can act as a threat and symbol of control by the wealthy, further emphasized by how she describes the wasps as having a “distinctive solid gold body” (144). Gold as a colour has clear connotations of wealth and prosperity and this reinforces the connection between the rich and their influence and power in the realm of bioethics.
Tracker jackers act as a symbol of fear and a reminder of the lack of power held by those who are impoverished and Katniss' emotionally charged description of them as “another reminder of our weakness” intensifies this notion (144). It is interesting to note, however, that it is Glimmer who is killed by the tracker jackers. Glimmer comes from District 1, a district closely aligned and in support of the Capitol and associated with luxury, and although once beautiful, Glimmer is now disfigured by the tracker jacker stings. Collins uses this irony to showcase the ability of GMOs to be used as a weapon. Katniss’ reclaims the symbol of power by cutting off the tree branch and dropping it on Glimmer, thereby metaphorically setting it against the wealthy and thus the reader is exposed to how GMOs are inherently weaponizable. Braidotti argues that this vulnerability to technologic exploitation is certainly a facet of life in Panem, where different species of animals are genetically and technologically altered to be used as weapons (63). Through the characterization of the tracker jackers, Collins depicts the uncontrollability of GMOs and its capability to negatively affect both the lower and upper socioeconomic class in the long run.
Another prominent use of muttations within The Hunger Games are the biologically modified wolves that chase Katniss and Peeta towards the Cornucopia, the gold horn in the middle of the arena containing food and weapons. An obvious attribute of wolves is their nature as predators, and their connotative association with emotions of danger and destruction. By representing GMOs as yet another hostile animal (firstly wasps, and now wolves), Collins sustains her depiction of perpetual danger in association with GMOs. What bothers Katniss the most within the story, however, are the eyes of the mutts due to their “unmistakably human nature” (Collins, 2008, p. 259). This negative outlook is maintained by Katniss’s depiction of these mutts as “menacing” and “horrible” (259). Consequently, the reader is exposed to the extent of Katniss’ extreme distaste for mutts and GMOs, possibly cementing that same disgust in the viewer.
Collins reinforces the power of biotechnology by representing bioengineering as something very intentional, with every aspect placed for a purpose, conveyed by the manner in which these mutt’s eyes were left alone to specifically to unsettle the tributes. This is a metaphor for how regardless of the district wealth or socioeconomic class of the tribute the mutts mimic, they are all jointly biotechnologically disfigured, showing how bioengineering affects all wealth brackets negatively. Additionally, because Katniss and Peeta flee from the mutts towards the Cornucopia, Collins creates the implication that to escape the dangers of bioengineering, you must be wealthy as the Cornucopia is a symbol for wealth, as shown in the quote:
“I start climbing, scaling the Cornucopia on my hands and feet. The pure gold surface has been designed to resemble the woven horn that we fill at harvest, so there are little ridges and seams to get a decent hold on. But after a day in the arena sun, the metal feels hot enough to blister my hands“ (Collins, 2008, p. 258).
Katniss is from District 12, the poorest district. The juxtaposition between the Capitol’s “pure gold” Cornucopia and Katniss’s familiar “woven horn” only exacerbates the distinction between social classes. While gold is an expensive metal, woven cloth is a material more commonly associated with the lower economic class and as the Cornucopia originally symbolizes prosperity, the notion that it is made out of cloth highlights the impoverished state of Katniss Everdeen. Katniss scales the Cornucopia using her hands and feet to get away from the danger of the bioengineered animals, and the Cornucopia’s metal blisters her hands. The use of the verb “blisters” is of note as blisters are most commonly obtained due to ill fitting clothes. Collins describes Katniss climbing the Cornucopia, the symbol of wealth, in this manner to show how wealth is not easily obtained by the impoverished, subtly highlighting how this is metaphorically ‘ill fitting’, thereby depicting the difficulties the poor face while trying to escape the negative ramifications of biotechnological advancement by mirroring the difficulty of “climbing the economic ladder” to reach a more privileged quality of life.
Collin’s negative portrayal of biotechnological advancement within The Hunger Games may persuade young readers to begin seeing the dangers of biotechnology while also identifying the technologic inequality in their own lives that parallel the circumstances that they read about. In an online interview, Collins expressed what she hoped her readers would take away from the novel: a provocation into thinking about personal accountability and activism (Burke, 2014, p. 17). The bioethical discussion The Hunger Games prompts through its use of biotechnological elements can lead to greater bioethical awareness, which may translate into wider discussions about how technology perpetuates socioeconomic inequality.
IV. Mockingjay as a motif
The mockingjay is arguably the epitome of Suzanne Collin’s representation of biotechnology, as it facilitates the discussion of the constructive and destabilizing effects of biotechnological advancement. Mockingjays are the mutts of Panem, scientific oddities and abominations, forged from laboratories as chimeras. (Weida, 2017, p. 7). Collins explores the multifaceted nature of biotechnology through the mockingjay as a symbol of rebellion of the lower socioeconomic brackets against the wealthy in the overall narrative of The Hunger Games.
The Mockingjay is a symbol of how power can backfire, linking back to how biotechnology can be reclaimed by the less wealthy and be used as against its more wealthy creators due to its inherent ungovernable nature. Of note, Jabberjays were the Capitol’s attempt in “breeding a series of genetically altered animals as weapons” (Collins, 2008, p. 50). However, Mockingjays became the result of the mating of the fictional jabberjays and mockingbirds. In the books, they are seen as a symbol of rebellion (Guanio-Uluru, 2017, p. 71). Collins shows how bioengineering can be used for an intended purpose, in this case spying on the rebels, yet fails and continues to be integrated within the natural environment, demonstrating the imperfections and implications of biotechnology gone wrong.
Mockingjays are a capitalistic emblem within biotechnology since they represent the possibility of technology being used against the wealthy since the mockingjay is symbol of both reclamation and rebellion. The verb ‘mock’ is also found within the word ‘Mockingjay’, and Collins uses this to accentuate the ridicule and scorn these birds represent towards the Capitol and consequently, its reliance on biotechnology. The Capitol and its citizens are the antagonists in this story and therefore by making the Mockingjay a symbol of rebellion towards the Capitol, the Mockingjay is given a positive connotation within the novel, ironically, the one mutt that is good is a failure of bioengineering: a clear intentional literary choice by Collins to portray biotechnology negatively. Therefore, the Capitol’s heavy dependence on biotechnology is used by Collins to portray them as the antagonists through their use of it to exploit the less wealthy protagonists.
This portrayal of unnatural modification reflects a society perverted by power and privilege. Panem, at heart, is a dystopian reflection of current society and therefore a larger allegory and depiction of how bioengineering could paramountly and negatively affect society. Through the motif of the Mockingjay, The Hunger Games speculates on the possibilities when the biotechnological market is overrun by the wealthy, and when the same destructive technology is turned inward unto the very people who created it.
Conclusion
Suzzane Collins uses language to depict a dystopian rendering of the future relationship between socioeconomic welfare and biotechnological development: The Hunger Games projects that should the ongoing monopoly of the bioengineering market by the rich continue, it will lead to an inevitable nightmarish conclusion.
Suzzane Collins uses various literary devices to portray the negative socioeconomic impacts of biotechnological advancement within The Hunger Games. She uses symbolism, motifs, diction, and manipulation of language and semantics to characterize each depiction of biotechnology as plot devices or as it integrates with the setting. This examination of The Hunger Games demonstrates that, despite portraying how bioengineering can improve people’s livelihoods and demonstrate power, The Hunger Games often uses language to perpetuate anti-biotechnological perspectives. In particular, the novel places great emphasis on biotechnological advancement through using language to emphasize its negative implications on the commodification of resources, weaponization of animals, and its socioeconomic ramifications. Moreover, a further implication of the novel is that it facilitates the creation of a hypothetical and imaginary world but that is built on realistic and familiar concepts. This helps bring to light a timely bioethical discussion of the morality and ethics of using biotechnology, bio-weapons, and technological advancement. In doing so, the book succeeds in representing both the positive and negative implications of these issues, and although biased, still encourages critical thinking and promotes a facilitated deliberation of the larger and more esoteric questions posed within the trilogy about the morality of human development, socioeconomic progress, and technological change. The Hunger Games can be a suitable introduction of the socioeconomic ramifications of biotechnology, provoking meaningful bioethical conversation about biotechnological advancement using its procapitalist representation within The Hunger Games.
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