Abstract:

Like other socializing agents, movies and other media outlets “exert significant influence on the self-perceived identity of many young people” (Cushner, McClelland, & Safford, 2019, p. 85). Thus, it is important to illuminate some of the messages that can be perceived when reading The Hunger Games (2008) and The Giver (1993). How do these messages from books impact the perceptions, imagination, and self-reflective nature of their readers? As readers, we can suspend or briefly replace our reality with conjured images described in books. Perhaps this is why reading such fiction can help in creating a learning environment that embraces cultural connections, diversity, and student engagement. Gollnick and Chinn (2017) underscore this notion in that they add, classrooms of this sort create a developing vision for an equitable society rooted in promoting social justice.

The Hunger Games (2008) and The Giver (1993) explore the nature of society and the human condition when the very fiber of what society should be is destroyed by a few who feel differently. Members living in Districts 10 through 12 in The Hunger Games (2008) are forced to submit to government will by starvation, while members of the community in The Giver (1993) are controlled by lack of choice and diversity, known as sameness. Whether it is to live by government control or reluctantly embrace sameness, it is all oppression. Oppression is the underlying enemy that encapsulates both main characters in these two novels. Readers can identify with the –isms of oppression. Thus, they identify with characters and their desire to make changes. Given this, there are some underlying messages communicated by both books to readers.

The multicultural perspective of these two novels in regards to supporting a culturally inclusive classroom will be highlighted. In order to create a community of student learners who are constantly engaged in activities and dialogues that promote self-worth and validation, educators should tap into the diversity of each student because each student is individually unique (Tiedt & Tiedt, 2010).

Thus, the purpose of this paper is to briefly explore the identities of the two main characters from the Hunger Games (2008), Katniss Everdeen, and The Giver (1993), Jonas, in terms of the potential messages these characters send to their readers with regards to roles, identities, social class, and social justice and other tenets of multicultural education. Further, a connection to creating inclusive classrooms will be discussed in hopes of identifying ways to increase student engagement by embracing the cultural and social identities they bring to the classroom.

References:
[1] Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games. New York: Scholastic Press.
[2] Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford, P. (2019). Human diversity in education: An intercultural approach, (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
[3] Gollnick, D., & Chinn, P. (2017). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
[4] Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
[5] Tiedt, P., & Tiedt, I. (2010). Multicultural teaching: A handbook of activities, information, and Resources. (8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Keywords:

Cultural and social identities, Dystopian novels and multicultural teaching.