Divergent vs Hunger Games - Media Journal #5

“Divergent” by Veronica Roth and “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins both share a core of being popular, dystopian novels. Appearing in the “Young Adult” or “Teen” sections of most bookstores or libraries, it is indeed of the teenage demographic that these novels draw readers. Similarly, both books contain and emphasize particular concepts although they exhibit varying symbolism and society portrayals. Written in completely two different styles with two absolutely different worlds and narratives, both stories hold a context within media today and play a role in how society is viewed.
“Divergent” and “Hunger Games” are both dystopias with tragic, crumbled society’s affecting the youth of the world in which they live with it’s drastic consequences. Portraying similar themes and concepts such as youth rebellion where they try to salvage crippled society. Containing strong female roles with Katniss and Tris, short of Beatrice, both are drawn to be independent and still manage to display growth throughout the series. Ironically, both novels are actually trilogies as well. Thus, there are similarities but there are also numerous differences.
While both are dystopia, the rules and dynamics of each society are drastically different. For example, in “Hunger Games” the people are separated by districts that are run by the capital and children from each district are name-drawn to compete in a life-or-death arena which is shown on live tv across the nation, essentially forced to kill one another; whereas, in “Divergent”, people are separated into factions that contribute to the runnings of society and once the youth reach a particular age, are tested for which faction their personality falls within but may essentially choose what faction they desire to be in. Thus, both Tris and Katniss are the “chosen” ones, but Tris is given the label of being “divergent” therefore containing all bits of each faction within her and a detriment to society but Katniss, famously volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games as the representative of District 12, rather than her sister who was initially chosen.  Finally, the plot and relationship dynamics among characters is ranging throughout both novels, for example, Katniss experiences a love-triangle while Tris is merely in a singular relationship. Therefore, the novels result in giving two distinct and varying messages.
Hunger Games symbolism toward today’s society is geared toward emphasizing the power and growth of the capital in the novel as a reflection of our own capital within the nation and yet the districts, similar to individual people, allow all the issues the Capital causes to occur. However, Divergent represents the lack of individualism society promotes almost to the point of forcing everyone into particular boxes or shutting them up otherwise. Both novels are written as interpretive and dystopian society novels, similar to George Orwell’s “1984” or William Golding's “The Lord of the Flies”.  Written to intrigue readers to question roles and rules within society today, otherwise it may result as one of the two novels and reaching out to the primarily “young adult” demographic to encourage change; the youth are the future of the world after all.

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