The Masses – Most people in the Hunger Games universe participate at the level of the masses. They come out into the political landscape when they have to. Perhaps if there is an election of some sort, they might vote. But for the most part, the masses are uneducated and uninterested. This does not mean that they are stupid or don’t pay attention to some things. A person who belongs to this group most likely has a steady job, is educated in their field of employment, reads, and produces like any good citizen should. They just do it because that’s what their life is, not because they have any greater interest in political matters. Citizens of the Hunger Games universe are productive as much as they can be. They go to school as children and then to work in a job to provide for their families. The goods that they produce go to the Capitol. For the most part, if they are safe, these citizens won’t participate. They may not always be happy with the government’s decisions but they don’t see that they have the power or understanding about government to really make a change. And to be frank, they don’t care. However, don’t underestimate this group. When an issue or person hits upon something that they see as a crucial wrong, they will become active.
Let’s take for example, Katniss’ mother. She endured the death of her spouse, deep depression, poverty, and suffering. She has a great amount of knowledge and power as a healer. But she doesn’t want to talk about the politics of the Capitol because it’s dangerous. She is too caught up in the everyday struggles of living to think about the wrongs being done outside of her own family. She is by far “uneducated” but when the Founders used that term they may have meant more like “unthinking”. She is consumed by her own life and does not have time to pursue the complicated world of politics and dissect each and every decision by the President.
As a different type of member of the masses, Gale is just the sort of person who is dangerous. He has enough information and opinions about what he considers right and wrong to understand the political establishment. But he may not be fully educated enough to question the motives of the politicians who surround him. He goes along with President Coin when she recruits him for her army. He goes along with Plutarch when he needs Gale to pressure Katniss into doing propos. These politicians are seemingly upstanding and go along with his own sense of what is wrong in his political unvierse. But they use his motivations to right the system against him, creating an unquestioning and violent soldier for the new government of Panem.
The Attentives – There are attentives in the Hunger Games universe. These are people who are just as their name suggests, attentive to the going-ons of government. They are educated and interested in what government is doing. They follow the actions of government and often question the outcomes of them. Through their questioning, attentives can bring issues into the forefront that may have gone unnoticed by the masses. They can expose the wrongdoings of government as well as the successes. Cinna is very aware of the ability to impact the government. He may not be directly in a government related job but he’s interested in it and was for awhile before Katniss came along. Because of the thought that he puts into his clothing, I would guess that he’s been studying the government for awhile, getting frustrated with the decision making of those in power. He’s very intelligent and pays attention. He’s in an influential job and has the education to know what’s happening. But Cinna probably didn’t expect to influence the government so much at first. He was just using his talents and knowledge to save Katniss. In tyrannical governments, these numbers dwindle. Because of their vast knowledge and observant nature, attentives see things and question. Different from the masses, not only do they question or apply their knowledge, they have position enough to be listened to by either the masses or those decision makers and heeded. Right now it’s estimated that about 10% (I’ve heard as high as 20%) of Americans fall into this category.
The Elites – These are the decision makers – those in power to make changes in the government. The Game Makers are these types of people. They can influence the arena. Haymitch is one of these people even though he’s been in denial about it for a long time. In a tyrannical government such as President Snow’s, there is a need to get rid of any elites who do not agree with the current government. So for Haymitch, while he may be in the position to influence and change events, since he hasn’t always seen eye to eye with President Snow or the Game Creators, his status has been downgraded. Take for example, Senaca Crane who was the Head Gamemaker. His decisions cost President Snow some security inside of the districts when they didn’t believe that Katniss’ ‘trick with the berries’ was just about love. Head Gamemaker Plutarch is a very good example of an elite. He uses his elite status to design a Hunger Games where he can actually start a revolution. So his status works at first for President Snow who wants a Quarter Quell that will triumph over every previous Hunger Games. Then, his status transfers to District 13 where he becomes a decision maker in the propaganda war against the Capitol. Plutarch is a natural elite. He uses his connections and knowledge to propel himself to power with both governments. He is always part of the decision making team and rarely allows himself to be without knowledge. But remember, no one is electing him President. He doesn’t see himself in that role within the government. Not every elite is actually in a political position. Some of them are behind those who are. They are the driving forces who get the politician where they want to go.
Who is Katniss?
Katniss, during the three books, moves from being part of the masses. In the first book, she's just trying to survive. In the second, she's part of the attentives, taking in every abuse in the districts as she travels through on her tour. She begins to question the presence of the Peacemakers and the riots that happen just when they arrive. In the last book, through her propos and then her involvement on the ground during the rebellion, she becomes an elite but the cost is great to her. At the end, she actually does not retreat, determined to use her knowledge to prevent another costly war in her society through the scrapbooks, which might retire her to an entirely new level, Historian.
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