Catching Fire: Igniting the Flames from Within

            The film is Science Fiction because it showed possible and/or imagined future scientific and technological advances. We can see throughout the film how advanced the machinery was compared to the present technology which we have now, from the mode of transportation which they use to the equipment they showed during the 75^th Hunger games. One of which is the simulation room used by the tributes to train and the whole arena itself wherein everything was brought alive through the use of computers and machines. You wouldn’t have been able to imagine the use of technology to build sceneries, animals, insects, etc. through encoding them in computers yet still be able to have physical structures when prompted to appear in the dome.

            First and foremost, the film is a commentary on future human society since it showed, as I’ve mentioned earlier, possible and/or imagine future scientific and technological advances. It wouldn’t have been categorized as Science Fiction if it were based on past and present human society. Although, I can say that even though the film is a commentary on the future human society, this setting wouldn’t have been possible if not for the history of the movie.

            We all know that the Hunger Games began when the people started to rebel against the Capitol, which is the form of government in the movie. What happened in the past lead to a series of unfortunate events which brought the Hunger Games to life, which is happening in the present as the 75^th Hunger Games commences. I can only say that the 3 are connected in a way that what happened in the past is a result of what was happening in the present, but it also shows what can happen in the future based on their actions. Although not all forms of advanced technology can be seen throughout the districts, I can still say that it is a commentary on future human society simply because the movie showed how developed their technology is compared to our present technology.

Science, technology and society both fail and succeed in the world of the 13 districts. It succeeds because of how advanced technology has become and this would have been impossible if not for the brilliant minds of the inventors, scientist or whoever, who thought of these newfound technology. It would only show how incredible the human mind is since they were able to come up with these ideas and discoveries. It would have succeeded even more if these were used for the benefit of the society.

When we define society, the word “unity” comes in mind. Whether they are from different districts, they are still governed by one body of power which is the Capitol. But instead of using their advanced technology to help other citizens, they used their technological advances instead to suppress the masses. As a society, it is the job of the people to help each other regardless of their social classes. Instead, they use this hierarchy to benefit from the lower class by making them work and starve to death, and only by winning the games can they taste, at least half or even less, the luxuries of the upper-class.