The film Catching Fire is science fiction because the props
in it include technology that we do not have and have never had such as the 3-D
battle simulator and the fully-manipulable game stadium. All these pieces of
technology are, at this time, beyond the knowledge and abilities of scientists
and engineers today. This brings me to conclude that Catching Fire and the
whole Hunger Games trilogy is set in a future human society. Panem, I imagine,
is the United States of America many years from now after the rise of a
government that has lost sight of democracy.
The Hunger Games franchise, I believe, is a commentary
on not just future, but past and present human society. It touches on present
society because of the class stratification in which the extremes of rich and
poor are a harsh reality, and the depictions of human interactions that are very
relatable to us today. It also hints at the past when war and uprisings were
prevalent and historic. The past is also brought back in that, as I mentioned
earlier, democracy and equality are concepts that are neither visible nor
practiced in society. This lack of the concept of human dignity is reminiscent
of a previous age where dictatorship was widely practiced, and the subjugation
of other peoples was power.
Panem with its 13 stratified Districts are an example of
failing science, technology, and society. It is obvious from a political point
of view why it is a failing society: Panem’s government constantly fears the
possibility of an uprising from the districts that it sets up the annual games
to subdue them and strike fear into their hearts. For the most part, this
works, and Panem’s people live either miserably or blindly, depending on what
end of the political spectrum they are in. However, when it comes to science,
technology, and society collectively, we see failure in that only the upper
class Districts experience the benefits of science and technology. The “haves”
can enjoy the pleasure of hi-tech clothing, housing, food, and medicine, while
the “have nots” sew their clothes, construct their houses, hunt their food, and
grow or find their medicine in their backyards as if they were living in a
totally different society. A society in which there is extremely advanced
science and technology that is only benefited from by a small population is a
failing one.
All in all, here is what I have to say about Catching Fire:
It was an excellent movie that does not only entertain but encourages us to
reflect on the state of our world and our communities.
Nicole Catrina P. Santos
2012-63269
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