The American Dream promises that hard work leads to success—but what if the game is rigged from the start? In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins exposes this illusion, showing a world where fake fairness hides real oppression. Now with Sunrise on the Reaping, which visits Haymitch’s game, we’ll get an even deeper investigation on how The Capitol’s degree of control which was used to mask injustice and rewrite history by turning oppression into entertainment. The Capitol’s elite (the 1%) claim anyone can win the Games with skill and courage, but the truth is different. Tributes from rich districts get training and sponsors, while those from poor districts struggle to survive even before the Games begin. This mirrors real-world systems where privilege shapes opportunity, yet the powerful pretend the playing field is fair. The Capitol also uses propaganda to sell the Games as entertainment and hope, keeping the districts under control. Just like the American Dream hides deep inequality behind stories of hard work and luck, The Hunger Games shows how fake fairness is not just a lie; it’s a way to maintain power. Through its critique of rigged competition, extreme wealth gaps, and manipulative media, the series asks: Who benefits when we believe the system is fair?
The myth of mobility
The American Dream teaches that success comes from hard work and determination, but The Hunger Games exposes this as an illusion, showing how those born into poverty face the nearly impossible odds of moving up in society. In Panem, the Capitol keeps the districts in poverty while hoarding wealth and resources, ensuring that no matter how hard the people in the districts work, they can never truly escape oppression. The playing field is never level with the tributes from the wealthy districts (The Career districts) who receive training, better food, and powerful sponsors, in stark comparison to the poorer districts. Districts such as 10, 11, and 12, have the most demanding lifestyles and constantly face extreme hardships. Those from poorer districts struggle just to survive, which forces the children eligible for the games to take out the tesserae. The concept of tesserae, where impoverished families can receive extra rations in exchange for additional entries into the reaping, mirrors the harsh realities of the American Dream. Just like working-class individuals who take on multiple jobs or debt to get ahead, those who accept tesserae are forced to gamble with their lives, proving that survival—not success—is often the only option for the poor. This reflects real-world inequalities, where privilege and systemic barriers shape opportunities, yet those in power insist that anyone can succeed if they just work hard enough.
The Hunger Games are presented as a chance for glory, much like how modern society frames success stories where individuals supposedly rise from nothing to achieve wealth and fame. Yet, like the American Dream, this promise is misleading. The Games are not a fair competition; they are a means of control that forces the oppressed to fight for a sliver of opportunity while the elite remains untouchable. Effie Trinket’s infamous line, “May the odds be ever in your favor,” perfectly captures this illusion of fairness. The phrase suggests that every tribute has an equal shot at victory, but in reality, the odds are always stacked in favor of those with privilege— just as in the real world, where wealth and connections determine success far more than talent or effort.
Victors like Katniss and Peeta may gain wealth and status, but they are never truly free; instead, they are manipulated by the Capitol, expected to play a role in maintaining the illusion of opportunity. Their success does not dismantle the system—it reinforces it, proving that even those who “win” remain trapped in a structure designed to keep power in the hands of the elite. Just as the American Dream can be used to justify economic inequality by blaming individuals for their struggles rather than the system itself, The Hunger Games shows how fake fairness is weaponized to maintain control, ensuring that true freedom is always out of reach for those born into disadvantage. The Capitol’s version of opportunity is nothing more than a rigged lottery—one that allows a select few to rise, not to inspire hope, but to keep the masses from realizing that the game was never fair to begin with.
The districts work, The capitol Profits
In The Hunger Games, the Capitol represents the extreme wealth and privilege of the elite, living in luxury while remaining oblivious to the suffering of the districts. The stark contrast between the Capitol’s extravagance with their lavish feasts, high fashion, and advanced technology compared to the districts’ poverty mirrors real-world wealth inequality, particularly in the U.S., as the wealthiest accumulate immense resources while lower-income communities struggle to meet their basic needs. The Capitol thrives off the exploitation of the districts. The Games themselves serve as both entertainment and distraction, keeping Capitol citizens entertained while ensuring they never question the system that upholds their privilege. This reflects how wealth inequality, in reality, is often justified or ignored, with the rich viewing poverty as an unfortunate but natural consequence rather than a deliberate outcome of systemic imbalance.
Meanwhile, the districts are the backbone of Panem’s economy, each one producing goods and resources that benefit the Capitol while receiving little in return. District 12 is forced to mine coal under brutal conditions, similar to real-world industries where workers are underpaid, overworked, and trapped in cycles of poverty. This is evident in industries such as agriculture, fast food, and warehouse labor. These jobs are concentrated in poorer regions, where people have fewer opportunities for advancement and are often subjected to dangerous working conditions and low pay. Warehouse workers for major corporations such as Amazon have reported grueling shifts with little job security, while fast food employees often earn wages too low to escape poverty despite working full-time. Just as economic mobility is limited in societies with extreme inequality, the districts in The Hunger Games are kept powerless, with any hope of change crushed by the Capitol’s control. If the game is rigged from the start, is the promise of success ever real?
Freedom is your obedience
In The Hunger Games, the Capitol uses the Games as a form of propaganda to distract its citizens from the reality of systemic oppression. By presenting the Games as a thrilling competition, the Capitol turns the brutal violence and exploitation of the districts into mere entertainment for the privileged elite. Citizens of the Capitol, consumed by the spectacle, remain blind to the suffering of the districts and the corrupt system that sustains their wealth and luxury. This manipulation mirrors how media in modern society can distract from important social issues by focusing on sensationalized stories, celebrity culture, or viral content. Rather than questioning the systems of inequality that perpetuate poverty and injustice, people are kept passive and uninformed, often lulled into believing that everything is fair and that anyone can succeed. Just as the Capitol uses the Games to placate its citizens, media outlets and entertainment often sells the idea that success is within anyone’s reach, even though the system is rigged, and opportunities are far from equal.
President Snow understands that hope is a powerful tool for maintaining control, which is why the Capitol carefully manufactures the narrative surrounding the Games. The love story between Katniss and Peeta is orchestrated to pacify the districts, making them believe that, despite overwhelming odds, they too might have a chance at victory and a better life. By creating this illusion of hope, the Capitol prevents real resistance and change from taking root. Snow himself admits, “A little hope is effective; a lot of hope is dangerous,” acknowledging that too much hope can inspire rebellion. This false hope is carefully cultivated to keep the districts subdued and to maintain the Capitol’s power. In real life, similar tactics are used to calm the population; by promoting narratives of individual success and merit, while distracting from the structural issues that perpetuate inequality. Even after Katniss becomes a symbol of resistance and the rebellion topples the Capitol, she is left deeply scarred, showing that the psychological damage caused by years of propaganda and manipulation cannot easily be undone. This reflects the lasting impact of propaganda in real life, where false narratives can leave deep emotional and social scars that persist even after a system of oppression is challenged.
The Hunger Games serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of a society that pretends to offer equal opportunity while reinforcing deep inequality. The Capitol’s manipulation of the Games as a spectacle reflects how modern society masks systemic issues behind the illusion of the American Dream, convincing people that success is within reach despite the odds being stacked against them. Just as the districts are exploited while kept in poverty, the working class in America faces similar struggles, trapped by a system that favors the elite. Collins’ story urges us to question the fairness of a system that benefits the powerful while convincing everyone else that the game is fair.