Luxury and Starvation: Capitalism and Class Conflict in Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games

Abstract

This paper examines the representation of capitalism and class conflict in The Hunger Games, focusing on the stark contrast between luxury and starvation in the dystopian nation of Panem. Using a Marxist theoretical framework, the study explores how economic inequality, social stratification, and ideological control function within the narrative. The Capitol’s excessive wealth and the districts’ deprivation highlight systemic exploitation and the commodification of human life. Through literary analysis, this research argues that The Hunger Games critiques capitalist structures by exposing the consequences of extreme inequality, where survival itself becomes a form of resistance....