Just How Bad Can Living Under a Totalitarian Government Be Essay

Does the government control everything? Maybe not as much in Canada, however in other societies like Nazi Germany and even in Panem from the book â€Å"The Hunger Games† written by â€Å"Suzanne Collins†, they definitely do. This could also be known as a totalitarian government. These places take to extreme the punishment, violence and unfairness. Although, the government in the Hunger Games is set in a futuristic theme it is still alike to that of Nazi Germany. However, no one has any power to vote in a totalitarian government and they have to obey cretin guidelines and rules such as behaviors, restrictions, education, and lifestyles. If even one of these guidelines were broken you would face severe discipline. â€Å"When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts. † Free speech, we learn, is not a given in Panem. Katniss censors herself because of the fear her mother has of the government. Notice how she has to hide her thoughts and her emotions in District 12 to avoid being a problem to the Capitol. This is very close to the people that lived in Nazi Germany at the time. I’m sure that both Panem’s and Nazi Germany’s people would have to endure life threaten consequences if there government heard of any faulty accusations about them. The Hunger Games is a gladiator type sport, which is punishment for the uprising against the Capitol that happened long ago in the novel â€Å"The Hunger Games†. Why are the Hunger Games so effective, do you think, this is to keep the districts from rebelling again, because just like Nazi Germany, Hitler made sure that no one would stand up against him? He would either through them in jail, put them in a concentration camp, or even kill them on the spot. A great example from this time is when, â€Å"Hitler made all students attend the â€Å"Hitler Youth† Organization until 6:00 pm. Any parents that tried to prevent their kids from attending would no doubt be thrown in jail,† said a grade 10 student living in Germany at the time. â€Å"All I can think is how unjust the whole thing is, the Hunger Games. Why am I hopping around like some trained dog trying to please people I hate? The longer the interview goes on, the more my fury seems to rise to the surface, until I’m literally spitting out answers at him. † As we can see here Katniss (The main character) is being asked questions that she has to lie about to keep herself and her family alive. So Katniss has to hide what she knows: that the Hunger Games are unjust and terrible. Just like many of Germany’s people they could not speak against Hitler or the Nazis in the fear of being hurt or killed, everyone had to keep these dark times to themselves. No doubt this meant that the German Newspaper did not write any opinions against the government. Even on the radios all the advertisements were focused on supporting Hitler and his regime. What’s an Avox? † I ask stupidly. â€Å"Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so she can’t speak,† says Haymitch. She’s probably a traitor of some sort. Not likely you’d know her. † As we see again people that would have rebelled or spoken against their government would face consequences. Hitler moreover would do the same to a traitor or throw them in jail. Surely when Nazis controlled Germany, anyone if not everyone wanted to die as themselves not a product of Hitler. Another excellent quote from Peeta that supports this point, just before Katniss and Peeta enter The Hunger Games, â€Å"I don’t know how to say it exactly. Only†¦I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense? † he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? â€Å"I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not. † Just like Nazi Germany no one wanted to change to fit Hitler’s label, what the people wanted to do was try to live a normal life. However in The Hunger Games the people had to kill each other to survive, which brings out another useful quote from â€Å"The Hunger Games†, â€Å"No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to†¦to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games,† says Peeta. Like Peeta, the people in Nazi Germany wanted to make a stand against Hitler and the Nazi army but most could not due to the intimidating threats of the Nazi army. Not to forget how did Germany’s people that were not in war have to do instead of serving full time in the military service? They had to build weapons, tanks, guns, planes, and even create deathly rockets; even kids had to help out. Just like Panem and other districts, they had to gather resources from their area to give to the Capitol, this to affected the learning of Panem. Furthermore the kids in Germany not only helped with resources and build weapons; they also trained in what would be there future, warfare. Certainly this made Hitler look outstandingly powerful. We can find out that in The Hunger Games that the Capitol has enough power to make kids do what they want them to do, another example from the novel, â€Å"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. â€Å"Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen. † Katniss is talking about the punishment of the rebellion it was The Hunger Games and the destruction of district 13. To Hitler, succeeding in the role of leading the people in a totalitarian government he suspects absolutely no failures. Threatens to family, life, and friends would require the person to put out there best work efforts to not fail their leader. Yet again we can see another quote from â€Å"The Hunger Games†, â€Å"We both know they have to have a victor. Yes, they have to have a victor. Without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers’ faces. They’d have failed the Capitol. Might possibly even be executed, slowly and painfully while the cameras broadcast it to every screen in the country. If Peeta and I were both to die, or they thought we were†¦ My fingers fumble with the pouch on my belt, freeing it. Peeta sees it and his hand clamps on my wrist. â€Å"No, I won’t let you. † â€Å"Trust me,† I whisper.  He holds my gaze for a long moment then lets me go. † The Gamemakers are supposed to have at least winner to survive. Katniss figures out how finally to defeat the Gamemakers. To put the blame on the Gamemakers both Katniss and Peeta decide to commit suicide – or at least act like they are committing suicide. At these actions the Gamemakers were forced to declare both of them the winners. The made a fool of the Gamakers because it really showed that they did not have complete control over them. The Capitol is very disappointed in seeing this happen as it also makes them look weak. Furthermore Hitler was not the only person that took the power of leadership, there were many others. People who even date back to the late 1700’s controlled their own government without any say from the people. Leaders like Simon Bolivar in Spain during 1783 – 1830, Joseph Stalin with Stalinism, Corneliu Codreanu a Romania leader which helped Hitler’s government take place, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini the leader of Italy who took sides with Hitler in World War II, Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera leader of the â€Å"Spanish Phalanx† just before the time of World War II, and the list can go on and on, because this world is not perfect. In conclusion, we can see that any government like that of Hitler’s or Stalinism are cruel. These types governments are supposed to help out there people but, in the end it causes pain to the people, their families, friends, and even their country and community. People do not get what they deserve in these places such as freedom of speech, religion, and so much more. In the end we are very fortunate to live in a democratic society.