District 13

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second book (and film) in the Hunger Games trilogy. The film is classified as a science fiction film by most movie sources and I would have to agree with this classification. The film contains scenes of scientifically implausible feats. For one, it’s implausible for the central island where the Quarter Quell takes place to be able to spin the way the gamemakers did. The force field that envelopes the entire arena is also scientifically implausible because of its massive size and because the force field would have to be constantly active which, with force field technology still in its infancy in the military for example, is just not plausible. The fog depicted in the movie that causes blisters is actually used as chemical warfare agents today and also naturally occurring in nature-- so this is scientifically plausible. However, the instant relief the tributes experience just from contact with water is what’s scientifically fictional in that scene.  In the film, the water just magically dissolved the blisters. In reality though, it takes a lot more than just water to heal blisters-- and definitely not as quickly as shown in the movie.

The film is a commentary on present society in my opinion. However, the points the film makes can also be applied to our society in the past and in the future. The film depicts the large gap between the rich and the poor, a scenario common in third-world countries like ours. The Capitol satirizes the shallowness and superficiality of today’s people, with physical looks and social status becoming the priority for many today. The film also criticizes society’s recent obsession with reality TV. The tributes in the film are victimized largely for entertainment of the viewers. Though it’s an exaggeration, many of the reality TV stars of today suffer when the cameras aren’t rolling-- for our entertainment.

Science. technology and society fail in the country of Panem because of how concentrated science and technology are in the Capitol and yet so restricted in the other districts. District 12 is depicted as having no electricity at all except for the electric fence bordering the district. Here, science and technology is being abused by the those in power to control and detain those less powerful. They are also the tools used to conduct the Hunger Games, with the gamemasters “playing” with the tributes to their hearts’ content. Science and technology here are being used to hinder society’s, rather than stimulate and foster development.