The Oppressive Governments of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale
The first six chapters of The Hunger Games reveal a dystopian society that somewhat resembles the oppressive government of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. While the two governments clearly differ in their approach and their policies, both restrict their citizens and ultimately create an unhappy living style. While Offred is faced with combating a society that wholly dictates her behavior, forcing her to become an object only valued for reproduction, Katniss must overcome a society in which she is starved and is forced to fight to the death against other teens.
In both situations, the protagonist is neither able to speak ill of the oppressive government that controls them nor is she able to flee. Attempted escape is met with cruel punishment: Moira has her feet beaten with a cattle prod so she is unable to walk, and the redhead Katniss meets has had her tongue cut out.
Additionally, both governments mostly choose the occupations of their citizens. In the case of The Handmaid's Tale, Offred and her peers are forced to become objects of reproduction, while others are forced to become nurses, and in the case of The Hunger Games, although each citizen is not forced to have one certain occupation, the districts are divided based on occupation (in Katniss' case, District 12 is the coal mining district). Katniss and her fellow District 12 citizens also have their lives largely dictated by their need for food. In a starving district, Katniss, as well as Gale, is forced to provide for their family through whatever means necessary, including taking tesserae, which increases their chance of being selected as a tribute to be placed into the Hunger Games, which, in itself, demonstrates the oppressive government of Panem as it symbolizes the governments' complete control of the other districts. Though the governments of The Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games differ, both rule oppressively, creating a dystopian society for their citizens.
I agree, Zach, that both governments are oppressive and cruel, although the Capitol is perhaps more obvious in its cruelty than Gilead, as Gilead tries to justify its existence even to those who are being oppressed, whereas the Capitol is more focused on itself than the willing submission of its Districts. While both governments are self-serving, perhaps the efforts at persuasion are more effective in Gilead because ultimately the government will receive more support from its people.
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