Have you thought that our government is hiding something, watching you, or plotting something against you? This may not happen in the United States; however, in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, it is standard. From ‘Peacekeepers’ guarding the ‘Districts’, to secrets never told, this book is about government superiority and its people rebelling against the poor treatment. Although, both societies are similar in many ways, the differences go much deeper. For example, censorship and punishment are huge problems affecting the commoners in The Hunger Games.

Censorship is a major problem in The Hunger Games (Panem) as the Capitol hid reality and even an entire district. From a secret 13th District, to people mysteriously disappearing, censorship is everywhere. The US may censor news, but only for good, and not to control the thinking of the whole country. Just as people in Panem have horrible unspeakable things done to them, the people of the U.S. have punishments such as jail or fines. Similarities are common in the form punishment, but there are a lot of differences. The Districts are congested with Peacekeepers that will kill people to maintain order and to prevent outbreaks in the Districts; they will even maim people. The U.S. has a very important item that Panem doesn’t: freedom.
What is freedom? Freedom is being able to: have privacy; speak your opinion openly and not be punished for it; and write an essay without someone blacking it out or changing before it gets to someone else. Not only are the people of Panem forced to be good and well-behaved, they have to watch their loved ones die. In Panem there is a tradition that every District must submit an adolescent male and female tribute to fight each other to the death. U.S. traditions are happier than that, like the Thanksgiving Day Parade and high school football games. Other traditions are merrily common acts or phrases used for generations.

Rebellion against the government is important in Panem because it generates hope among commoners, and was referred to in America 40 years ago as “sticking it to the man”. In our country there is no need to physically rebel because Americans have the right to rebel verbally with freedom of speech. As U.S. citizens, our freedom of speech is protected. People who live in Panem that are not protected will get beaten and killed. The government is protected yet the everyday person is not and treated cruelly. You could be looking death straight in the face and the government will not warn you because it is easier to finish the job. As you can see, U.S. and Panem are very different although there are similarities.
Both governments are similar in that both governments thing they are better than the average citizen and that as government they should receive special treatment. This leads me to the question; could we veer down that same road?