“We Shall Overcome”: The Districts of Panem and Identity Politics in The Hunger Games

Abstract

In The Hunger Games trilogy, author Suzanne Collins introduces a simple hand gesture to express complex emotions that include admiration, gratitude, and love shared between characters. In the books and film adaptations of the series, when Katniss offers to take the place of her younger sister Prim, the citizens of District 12 choose to recognize her with a district salute (three fingers touched to the lips and then held to the sky) rather than applause. When Rue, the youngest of the tributes dies in the arena, Katniss expresses her sorrow and respect to Rue’s district using the same salute. And when Rue’s District 11, the predominantly AfricanAmerican district of Panem, meets Katniss and Peeta on their Victory Tour, the citizens respond to the victors’ speeches with the same salute. In this series, Collins uses this highly symbolic gesture to establish identification between Katniss and the people she represents. The study of identity politics involves examination of the social organizationand political behavior of people based upon shared characteristics such as race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. In this way, it is the study of the political experience of diverse groups. In American history, racial identity has shaped African-American social and political experience. From the colonial period and the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the Civil War, to the civil rights struggle of the twentieth century, American history has a racial legacy. This historical and cultural heritage not only sustains identity politics but also shapes African-American representation in politics today. We explore the relationship between the representative and the represented through the lens of identity and oppression in the Hunger Games trilogy. The Hunger Games sheds light on the meaning of marginalization and representation in American politicalhistory through the story of Panem’s diverse districts. District 11 represents the American South in the age of slavery, while District 12 represents white poverty during the Great Depression. Taken together, these districts illustrate the intersection of racial and class-based politics. Katniss proves to be District 11’s strongest advocate against an oppressive regime, serves as a protector for Rue in the Games, recognizing the plight of District 11 after her death, and provides hope to those left behind.