Perspectives

Dystopian novel

Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games can be considered a dystopian novel. 

Dystopian fiction presents an imagined society, often set in the future, which is disturbing or frightening and where there is great suffering and injustice. Dystopian societies often feature tyrannical governments, environmental disasters, and an overall decline in society. 

This is also present in Panem, the country where the events of The Hunger Games take place. The country was born out of the ruins of North America after wars, flooding, fires, and other disasters reshaped the world. Panem is ruled by a totalitarian government that oppresses its people by enforcing strict class divisions and letting poor citizens die of starvation while the wealthy enjoy luxuries.

Dystopian novels also feature societies in which the public expression of any form of dissent against the rul...