Key Concepts
Below is a list of some of the most important terms, definitions, and concepts used in this project.
Designed landscape: a specific type of cultural landscape that has been consciously and intentionally modified by people - in the case of the Hunger Games, the gamemakers like Seneca Crane and Plutarch Heavansbee.
Orwellian dystopia: a society characterized by total control via propaganda, surveillance, disinformation, and denial of truth. Inspired by George Orwell's 1984.
Panopticon: the concept of a prison (explained here) that's also a broader metaphor for the fear of constant surveillance, and how this makes people "perform" or act how they believe they are expected to.
Performing not-performing: a concept, coined in an article by Dubrofsky and Ryalls, describing how it is impossible for a person NOT to act or "perform" when they know they are in front of a camera. They argue that Katniss's forced performances subtly uphold notions of femininity and the "white savior" complex, such as Rue's death being used to center Katniss's heroism.
Propaganda: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person (from Merriam-Webster)
Rhetoric: the intentional use of language--whether writing or speaking--to inform, persuade, or influence an audience. Propaganda is a powerful form of rhetoric commonly seen in The Hunger Games.
Society: a large group of people living together in a somewhat organized way that interact with each other. In The Hunger Games, the dominant society is Panem.
Soundscape: in barest terms, the totality of an acoustic environment perceived by people. This includes everything from sound to culturally significant music. While the Capitol mostly focuses on visual media, the rebels make particular use of Panem's soundscape by employing a culturally significant song, "The Hanging Tree," and augmenting its lyrics to be hopeful and encouraging people to fight for them.
Visual media: a kind of communication that utilizes images, graphics, and videos to convey a message or tell a story. Almost all of the Capitol's propaganda is in the form of visual media because everything they want to be seen is broadcasted as mandatory TV viewing.