Mocking Jay Part 1 Response

            Last Friday, my class and I saw the showing of “Mocking Jay Part 1”, the third movie of the Hunger Game Series. The story mainly revolves around Katniss as a symbol of uprising against the dictatorship-like capitol. Many times throughout the movie Katniss creates riots and fuels uprising. She stays obscured within the underground quells of District 13, a district that was believed to be destroyed many years prior. Through her illusive ways, Katniss manages to provoke the rest of the Panem districts without getting killed or captured. Recurring themes appear many times in the movie, and many of which relate to present day life. Through dissecting Katniss and her actions, I’ve found that “Mocking Jay Part 1” holds a message beyond a fictional story.

           Something that appeared many times within the movie is the theme of always questioning authority and making sure the law is actually, in a sense, lawful. For example, before Katniss rallied the other Districts to rise up against the capitol, Panem was a country with unfair rights and unfair consequences. Rulers held total power while those who weren’t rulers held no power. Katniss saw something wrong with this, and trusted her instinct to further rebel. She took an act upon herself in which she noticed the authority was obtaining too much power and she did something about it. I find this present in everyday life, with more riots and rebellions against government by the day. For example, during the recent Eric Garner case, many people have taken action in protecting justice and equal rights. Officer Pantaleo’s not being indicted has sparked many individual’s anger and fueled their motivation to make sure our system of leadership is fair. In their opinion, the law should not just be enforced on citizens, it should be enforced upon the government leaders and protectors too. Their action of noticing a problem against high authority and doing something about it is very similar to Katniss’s, which is why I believe “Mocking Jay Part 1” holds themes present in the real world.
          Secondly, within the story a theme I noticed is the theme of change requiring time. For example, Katniss doesn’t just rebel against the capitol and grant the districts with freedom and justice right away. Instead, each step she takes is put into a chronological order in which she gets closer to reaching her goal. It takes three books for Katniss to finally get her say within the capitol and defeat their strict ruler, President Snow. This theme is present today and in our history. For example, women’s right to vote weren’t fully acknowledged until 1919. Prior to that date, it took more than half a century of activism and hard work for women to finally hold elective office and vote within the U.S. The woman’s suffrage movement was a long lasting trail to women’s political rights, riddled with challenges and hardships. However, women persevered and got authority within Congress. The change took a substantial period of time, more than 50 years, however, they persisted and reached their goal. This is very similar to Katniss and her rebellion against the Capitol. Progress takes time, and this is shown as a theme within “The Hunger Games” and in real life.

           In conclusion, in “Mocking Jay Part 1” there are many underlying themes. These themes not only add to the story, but relate to present day life. I have learned that authority should be questioned (responsibly) and that in terms of change, slow and steady wins the race. From this movie, I’ve realized how similar a fiction movie with regular motives and contexts can be to the world we live in today.