Transcendentalism and the Hunger Games Essay Example

her out the most in her life.

Henry David Thoreau was a major leader of the nonnatural motion who wrote many essays and books exposing his beliefs and sentiments. One of Thoreau’s most well-known nonnatural qualities is his hate of the authorities. which he writes about in “Civil Disobedience” . Thoreau presents his belief that the authorities is worthless by stating. “Government is best which governs non at all” ( Thoreau 212 ) . Katniss Everdeen portions in Thoreau’s beliefs and has a strong hatred towards the authorities in which she lives under.

The authorities she lives under. led by the Capitol. is a totalitarian authorities. They are really barbarous and they attempt to command every facet of the people’s lives. Katniss says. “Taking the childs from our territories. coercing them to kill one another while we watch–this is the Capitol’s manner of reminding us how wholly we are at their mercy” ( Collins 17 ) . This shows merely how controlling and intimidating the authorities of her society is. Katniss expresses her hatred for the Capitol when she says. “It’s the Capitol I hate. for making this to all of us” ( Collins 166 ) . Katniss hates the authorities and how they operate. merely as Thoreau and other transcendentalists do.

Another major transcendental value that Thoreau stresses and follows is simpleness. He discusses simpleness several times in Walden. stating “Simplicity. simpleness. simpleness! I say. allow your personal businesss be as two or three. and non a hundred or a thousand ; alternatively of a million count half a twelve. and maintain your histories on your thumbnail” ( Thoreau 196 ) . Thoreau believed that you need

to populate merely in order to exceed. Katniss demonstrates simpleness by populating her life with minimum resources. She besides looks down upon the munificent life style of those who live in the Capitol. Populating merely benefits Katniss because it makes her recognize and appreciate the things that truly matter in her life. particularly her household. Besides. Katniss’ life style of life merely is a major factor in her personality and strongly represents non-conformity and individuality.

Two nonnatural values that go manus in manus are non-conformity and individuality. Transcendentalists believe in being one’s ain individual and non caring about what anyone else thinks or does. Thoreau says. “If a adult male does non maintain gait with his comrades. possibly it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears. nevertheless measured or far away” ( Thoreau 204 ) . Thoreau is promoting each single individual to be his or her ain single ego. and non follow in the footfalls of anyone else. Transcendentalists besides think that people should non make something or believe in something merely because the remainder of society does.

Katniss displays non-conformity and individuality because when she arrives in the Capitol and throughout the book she stays true to who she is and does non allow the people of the Capitol or the other testimonials get to her. During the clip in which she is in the sphere Katniss ne'er changes the ground she wants to win the hungriness games. for the benefit of her household. This is unlike most of the other testimonials. who merely want to win for the rubric of master. Katniss’ life manner of

non-conformity and individuality benefits her because throughout the hungriness games she ne'er loses path of who she is. and in the terminal this resulted in her winning the hungriness games and lasting.

The last nonnatural value that Katniss possesses is autonomy. The transcendentalists believed that being autonomous and making work for oneself will convey felicity to one’s life. In The Hunger Games Katniss is highly autonomous. At her place in District 12 Katniss Hunts her ain nutrient for herself and her household. Katniss was particularly forced to go autonomous when her male parent died in the mines. her family’s chief beginning of income was gone. Katniss says. “I took over as caput of the household.

There was no choice” ( Collins 23 ) . Besides. in the hungriness games Katniss is entirely for most of the competition and therefore is reliant on herself for lasting in the wilderness. Katniss lives her life swearing no 1 and making everything for herself. which is all she has of all time known. If Katniss was non autonomous. she would non hold been able to last the hungriness games because she would non cognize how to run nutrient or support herself against menaces. Bing autonomous benefits Katniss because she can fend for herself and she is non dependent on anyone else for anything.

The Hunger Games is a premier of illustration of transcendental philosophy in modern pop-culture. Katniss Everdeen possesses many nonnatural qualities. which have a positive consequence on her life and finally consequence in her endurance of the hungriness games. The Hunger Games displays many nonnatural values and shows that populating a nonnatural life is positive and will better one’s quality

of life.