CRITICISM TOWARDS REPRESSIVE CAPITALIST IDEOLOGIES AND CULTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY OF THE U.S. IN COLLINS’ THE HUNGER GAMES: A MARXIST ANALYSIS

Abstract

This research aims to analyze (1) how Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes repressive capitalist ideologies in the 21st century of the U.S., and (2) to identify the prominent capitalist culture in the 21st century of the U.S. that is criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games. To answer these objectives, this research applied qualitative research method and employed Karl Marx’s theory of ideology discussed by Tyson and Eagleton in their books. The findings of this research show that there are two important points. First, Collins’ The Hunger Games criticizes the repressive capitalist ideologies through the revelation of (1) the degrading natures of rugged individualism and (2) self-reliance as a facade. The degrading natures of rugged individualism are (1) the acceptance to ignorance as a common virtue and (2) the notion of self against other. Meanwhile, self-reliance is revealed to be (1) heavily relied on socioeconomic conditions as its determining elements and (2) prolonging the status quo by prompting ego gratification to its adherents. Hence, those ideologies contain repressive agendas to sustain the relations of dominance and exploitation in the classist society. Second, the prominent culture of capitalism criticized in Collins’ The Hunger Games is commodification, which dehumanizes the main character in the book.

Keywords: ideology, capitalism, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, individualism, self-reliance, commodification