Grant 1

Kevon Grant
Professor Lawson
English 113 B
Hunger games
20 APRIL, 2015
Word Count: 1493

Surveillance
Perhaps I am watching you now
Surveillance is a powerful tool used to gain social control. Therefore, it is a common tool
used in totalitarian forms of governments. As a result, whenever it is mentioned, its only
associated with totalitarian governments. But is totalitarian governments the only form of
government to use surveillance to monitor ones activates rigorously? Frankly the answer is no,
surveillance has an association with all forms of governments, whether its democratic or that
from totalitarianism. Well, whats the big deal having surveillance monitor portions of our lives
to establish social control? Surveillance isnt just used to monitor portions of our lives, it
extends even further.
For decades, it has been used by governments or individuals in control to manipulate,
invade ones privacy and place execrating fear into individuals. These results , as to how
surveillance is being used excessively to the point where it invades privacy and places fear into
individuals have been brought to light and societys attention before. Yet, despite the problems
it generates, individuals turn blind eyed and ignore that not only is surveillance used by all form
of government or power in control. But they are used in a variety of ways to help those in control

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maintain it. They only pay attention when the government usage of surveillance affects them
directly. Such as, when Edward Snowden revealed that the government, in particular NSA uses
the practice of surveillance to help tap millions of cell phone conversations daily. The usage of
surveillance, shouldnt come as a surprise to people because it has been brought to attention
before in dystopian novels like George Orwell 1984. In Orwell novel, 1984 the issue of
surveillance is very similar to that of the hunger game series written by Suzanne Collins. In
1984, Winston works as a propaganda officer to alter historical events of the past to make them
in favor of government officials. While in the hunger games, the capitol and later the rebels
carefully edits there broadcast images to appear in their favor. Surveillance, includes all the
capabilities to be a wonderful device that help revolutionize millions of lives. However, the way
in which it is used in todays society and portrayed in Orwells 1984 and Collins hunger game
series shows that the excessive use of surveillance is damaging to ones privacy and well-being
considering that they live their daily lives in complete fear .
From the moment Katniss is delivered into the Hunger Games arena, a tract of forest,
she never even bothers to look around for the cameras; she knows theyre embedded
everywhere. It has probably been difficult for the cameras to get a good shot of me, she thinks
as she climbs down from a tree. I know they must be tracking me now though. The minute I hit
the ground, Im guaranteed a close-up.(Kelley Wezner) InThe Hunger Games, surveillance is
surroundings ;from the capitols arena to the districts. Along with trackers, surveillance is used in
the arena to track the whereabouts of every tributes and to televise the death of each. Yet, images
televised from the arena isnt always shown as they appear in the game itself. They are edited
and put together similar to 1984, in order to alter footage and show it from their own
perspectives, while controlling what the people see. This year, for the first time, they tell a love

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story. Peeta and I won, but a disproportionate amount of time is spent on us, right from the
beginning. When they show rues death, the spearing and my failed rescue attempt, my arrow
through the boy from districts 1s throat, rue drawing her last breath in my arms and the song. I
do notice they omit the part where I cover her in flowers.
Outside the capitol and into the districts surveillance is use in a familiar way. Its used to
monitor the districts and manipulate them at the same time. In the second book of Collins hunger
game series Catching Fire. One day, when Katniss went to the woods to go hunting. She meets
bonnie and twill; who run away from district 8 and is heading for district 13. District 13 has been
shown to the people of the districts as being destroyed for years by the capitol. However, twill
says theyve been using the same for as long as anyone in district eight can remember. You
know how they always show the justice building? Ive seen it a thousand times. If you look
carefully, youll see it. In the far right hand side it shows a glimpse of a mocking jay and its the
same one every time. Later in the hunger game books, Mockingjay to be precise. District 13
still exist; and continues reports claiming that district 13 is destroyed are indeed false. Another
way, in which the capitol continues to manipulate people from the districts is by having separate
reporters to report the news, as it is to the people in charge. An example of this was when Katniss
went to visit Madge at her house. When she stuck her head in Madges dad, whos the mayor
study room. Katniss soon noticed that he wasnt there, but his television was on and it displayed
UPDATE ON DISTRICT 8 and a news reporter who she has never seen gave a different story
to the mayor than the one which was later shown in the districts.
In addition, the way in which the capitol uses surveillances in the hunger games; invades
its citizens privacy. Katniss and her family; shy away from discussing topics relating to the
capitol in their home or in the middle of nowhere, in fear someone might overhear them or

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videos them. When I was younger I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out
about district 12, about the people who rule out 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. (Suzanne Collins,The Hunger Games,6).Such usage of surveillance where it invades
ones privacy causes people to act differently. Which Katniss does; when she was threatened by
the president of the capitol snow and when she saw the Avox girl she witness gets captured by
a hovercraft in the woods. Working in the capitol for the capitol as an Avox unable to speak.
Despite, Katniss encountering these situations she cannot say much to anyone; because she
knows theres a high percent chance that shes under surveillance. If she says something about it
to some there is no guarantee that they are not being watched so they have to assume they are
being watched at all times. This is similar to Jeremy Benthams article. Panopticon 1791 is a
prison in which a centrally located, unseen guard observes all the cells simultaneously, while
prisoners are uncertain whether they are being watch. This inquiry in gaze creates a sentiment of
invisible omniscience, causing prisoners to modify their behavior as if they are always being
watch and eventually internalize that surveillance.
Lastly, in the hunger games they use the art of Surveillance to instill fear in people. Fear
makes people feel threatened. Therefore, The people who have the effrontery to rule us, who
call themselves our government, understand this basic fact of human nature. They exploit it, and
they cultivate it. (Higgs) In the hunger games the capitol use surveillance to create fear by
forcing people to watch the hunger games, where tributes kill each other. Also, not only are
they ordered to watch the hunger game; but they are threatened with increased levels of violence
and even death if they dont act in a manner the capitol sees as right. For instance, when Katniss

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return home from the woods. She gets an unexpected visit from President Snow, who signifies to
her that she has to follow the capitol rules; by continuing the love agreement with Peeta. If she
objects to do so Snow threatened to hurt gale, who he knows Katniss is close to; based from the
footage he obtain of Katniss kissing gale in the woods.
The hunger games series and 1984in contrast to todays society its about whats
happening, right this minute.(westerfield). We are living in the age of surveillance. And it has
revolutionized millions of lives in the United States. Where more than ninety-five percent of
households own a television set and sixty-eight-percent have access to cable. Our government
has used new technology to create thermal scanners and GPS transponders along with
Surveillance its self. To provide an astonishing ability to map a persons entire life.
In conclusion, is this the society we want to live in? One that represents dystopian novels
like Orwells 1984 and Collins Hunger Game book series. Where we have no privacy, feed
continues lies and worse of all, bully to lie our lives in fear!

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Works cited
Bender, John. Imagining the Penitentiary: Fiction and the Architecture of Mind in Eigh-teenthCentury England. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1 987. Print.Bentham, Jeremy.
The Panopticon Writings. 1791. Ed. Miran Bozovic. London: Verso, 1995.Print.
Bennett, Thomas D. C. "Privacy, Free Speech And Ruthlessness: The Australian Law Reform
Commission's Report, Serious Invasions Of Privacy In The Digital Era." Journal Of
Media Law 6.2 (2014): 193-205. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Apr. 2015
"Fear: The Foundation of Every Government's Power by Robert Higgs." The Independent
Institute. 17 May 2005. Web. 13 Apr. 2015
Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison.1975. Trans. Alan Sheridan.
New York: Vintage, 1995. Print.
.Kelley, Michael. "The NSA Is Gathering 5 Billion Records On Global Cellphone Locations
Every Day." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
Of Bread, Blood, and the Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy.
Jefferson:
Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire.2009. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
_____. The Hunger Games.2008. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
_____. Mocking jay.New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.