1. The Omnipresent and The Omnipotent – Surveillance and Power
- Author
-
Aiswarya R Nair and Anjely Aravindan
- Subjects
Power (social and political) ,Media studies ,Sociology ,The Hunger Games - Abstract
The objective of this paper is to trace the derivation of power through imperious surveillance upon the citizens of Panem and the consequent denial of citizen rights. The paper also analyses the nature of people’s fear of being watched and how the overbearing surveillance system in action can violate individual privacy. The act of being continuously watched or monitored and the knowledge of being under the control of power, a 'watchful eye', can create a huge impact upon the people under surveillance. In the modern world, people are being watched continuously and closely and are tracked through economic activities and electronic media. The paper aims to prove that surveillance in any form is a constraining force limiting people from being themselves. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins portray a dystopian post-apocalyptic land of Panem where the Capitol uses surveillance and the people’s fear of being watched as tools to assert their power over the citizens. After years of being watched and controlled, the people of Panem have forgotten basic citizen birthrights and the beauty of freedom in their lives. These people lose their real identity in this cage where they are devoid of any individual preferences. If the citizens are not completely aware of the value of privacy which is an inherent human right and much required for individual growth and development, the possibilities of losing the contemporary world to such a dystopian reality are high.
- Published
- 2021