Twilight is out and The Hunger Games is in. Recently, there has been a shift in young adult literature from a focus on paranormal romance novels to dystopia novels. Although you are still likely to see numerous paranormal romances on the shelves of the young adult section of Barnes and Noble, dystopian novels that depict an apocalyptic version of the world we live in are becoming more and more common and popular among teenagers. The recent slate of theatrical adaptions of these young adult dystopian novels and their relative success is a testament to the rising popularity of these novels among teenagers. The theatrical adaption of The Hunger Games made $408 million at the box office and the novels sold 23.5 million copies in the US alone, spending over 160 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list (IMDB, 2014; Schutte, 2010).

The new genre of young adult dystopian novels provides an interesting opportunity for scholars to analyze core American values and beliefs. Most of these novels depict a failing government or characters with politically active minds who rebel against their government in order to get justice for the people. While on the surface these novels may seem pure entertainment, scholars such as Melissa Ames have realized that they actually convey deeper meanings after further analysis. Ames (2013) argues that dystopian novels actually reflect the fear-based nature of the American people following the 9/11 tragedy (p. 4).

Other scholars have gone further to claim that young adult dystopian novels may actually endorse certain political ideologies in teenagers. For instance, Michelle Abate claims that children’s literature (aimed at pre-teens) conveys overwhelmingly conservative ideologies to children. Although Abate (2011) makes compelling arguments for how children’s literature conveys a conservative ideology, the novels Abate analyzes in her novel are overtly conservative with titles such as Help Mom! There’s Liberals Under My Bed!, and most of the novels she analyzes do not enjoy as wide of an audience as young adult dystopia novels today (p. 16). I would like to expand on Abate’s observation in this article by analyzing more “mainstream” and widely read young adult dystopian novels that are aimed at an older teenage audience who is more likely to be affected by the ideologies conveyed by these novels and take political action.

Young adults have often been considered the least politically active demographic group in America. A 2007 Pew Research Survey found that on a questionnaire of twelve highly publicized political events, those 18-29 years old only answered 5.5 questions correctly. Moreover, a recent survey of 3,000 college students found that “20% claimed they would sell their next vote for an iPod and half said that for one million dollars they would give up their right to vote forever” (Ames, 2013, p. 4). These results show that young adults are becoming disillusioned with the political process and do not view voting or other forms of political behavior as important. This disillusionment is a problem because voting and political engagement are the cornerstones of America’s democratic process, and if citizens do not vote or are not knowledgeable on political events, America’s democracy may crumble. Fortunately, the recent popularity of young adult dystopian novels that portray characters with high levels of political engagement and activity could prove a turning point in the apathetic nature of teenagers. These novels may convey certain traits and political ideologies that motivate previously apathetic teenagers to become more politically engaged citizens by raising awareness about political issues.

I will begin by examining the existing conversation on young adult dystopian novels and how scholarly analysis of them has changed over time. Then, I will provide a concrete definition for “liberal” and “conservative” adopted from Farmer’s book American Political Ideologies, as I will be borrowing and using the terms heavily throughout the remainder of the article. Using the novels The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The 5th Wave, I will argue that young adult dystopian novels convey a liberal political ideology to teenagers. Following this analysis, I will elaborate on the principles of general self-efficacy as defined by Condon and Holleque and explain how young adult novels encourage teenagers to develop a higher general self-efficacy, possibly promoting higher levels of political activity (especially within the Democratic Party) in teenagers. Throughout the paper, I will argue that through the characters’ rejection of conservative governments, these young adult dystopia novels convey liberal political ideologies to teenagers.

Young adult dystopian novels have been around for decades. From A Wrinkle in Time to The Giver to The Hunger Games, these novels have taken teenagers to catastrophic worlds that are eerily close to the world we live in today. Although in all dystopian novels, the underlying theme of an entirely possible apocalyptic world is evident, the ways in which scholars have analyzed these novels have changed greatly over time.

Three scholars who have done extensive research on young adult dystopian novels are Celeste Lempke, Melissia Ames, and Stephen Wolk. Each provides their own unique perspective on the effects young adult literature has on teenagers. Celeste Lempke, a graduate student at University of Nebraska, comments that the main focus of scholars when analyzing these novels in the past has been on the topoi or setting of the novel. As a result of the increased focus of authors on character development, Lempke (2012) concludes that scholars must change the ways they analyze young adult novels and take into account the shifting focus from setting to character development (p. 7). On the other hand, Melissa Ames, a Professor at Eastern Illinois University, argues that young adult dystopia novels reflect the fear-based nature of post-9/11 America using the setting and governmental structure of the novel as opposed to using characters. After 9/11, the government increased government surveillance though the Patriot Act, leaving many citizens with the concern that the government is intruding in their personal lives. Ames (2013) believes that young adult dystopian novels reflect these increased fears of government surveillance and totalitarianism in ways that are appealing to young adults. The popularity of these novels, in Ames’s opinion, is a testament to how teenagers are becoming ever more involved and interested in politics (p. 4). Combining Lempke and Ames’s approach, Steven Wolk, Professor at Northeastern Illinois University argues that young adult novels can teach teenagers important principles of social responsibility such as multiculturism, self-identity, and skepticism of the government through both characters and setting. Wolk (2009) believes young adult novels are instrumental agents of education since they teach principles of social responsibility to teenagers and make them better-informed citizens (p. 665).

While extensive research has been done on the social and political messages conveyed to teenagers through young adult novels, little research has been done that attributes a specific political ideology to popular young adult novels aimed at teenagers or argues that young adult novels can increase political behavior in teenagers. In this paper, I will expand past research on young adult dystopian novels in two ways. First, using Farmer’s text as a model, I will establish concrete definitions of “liberal” and “conservative” in order to analyze three popular young adult dystopian novels for instances where a certain political ideology is reflected. Then, using Condon and Holleque’s principles of general self-efficacy, I will present the future implications of my research that young adult novels may increase levels of political engagement in teenagers and cause them to identify more heavily with the Democratic party.

 

In his book American Political Ideologies, Brian Farmer, a Professor of Social Sciences at Amarillo College, explains the political beliefs of each major political ideology present in contemporary American society. Farmer uses anecdotes from major intellectual leaders of each ideology as well as historical trends of the major groups associated with each ideology in order to structure his definition of each ideological group. For example, when determining the major beliefs of conservatives, Farmer looks at the history of the Republican Party and its stance on major issues. For the purposes of this research paper, I will focus on the two most prevalent political ideologies in American society: contemporary liberalism and conservatism. I will also focus on their social rather than fiscal dimensions since teenagers are more likely to be concerned with social issues. In a report issued by Reason Foundation, a public policy think tank, the authors demonstrate how Millennials are becoming increasingly concerned with social rather than fiscal issues. For example, in the report, fiscal issues such as taxes are not ranked in Millennial’s top concerns while issues such as equal rights and civil liberties were ranked among Millennial’s top concerns (Reason Foundation, 2014, p. 78). Therefore, I will focus on social rather than fiscal concerns in my analysis, as these issues are more salient among teenagers.

Contemporary liberalism as defined by Farmer has three major principles: a focus on government regulation of markets, increased personal liberties and decreased government surveillance, and a view that every person is intrinsically equal and should be treated as such (Farmer, 2006, p. 99-124).

Conservatism as defined by Farmer also has three main principles: the belief that the government should only be involved in the surveillance and security of the country, resistance to social change, and a skepticism towards alleviating inequality as this process only perpetuates laziness (Farmer, 2006, p. 38-63).

I will borrow Farmer’s definitions of “liberal” and “conservative” as a lens through which to analyze three young adult dystopia novels for ideological messages.

 

Using Famer’s definition of “liberal” and “conservative,” I will analyze three contemporary young adult dystopia novels for instances where the characters or events in the novel seem to endorse a specific political ideology. I will specifically focus on the governmental or societal structure of the country within the novels and the protagonists’ reactions to these societal structures. If the characters’ reactions to the governmental or societal structure reflect Farmer’s principles of liberalism, I will conclude that the novel advocates a liberal ideology while if they adhere to his principles of conservatism, I will determine that the novel advocates a conservative ideology. The novels I will be analyzing are The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I chose to analyze these novels since they each are considered popular young adult dystopia novels (each spent weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List) and because they are all from different times in the 21st Century (2008, 2010, and 2013, respectively), which controls for the fact that political events in one year could have made these novels more liberal or conservative. A brief summary of each novel ensues.

The Hunger Games follows a teenage girl, Katniss Everdeen, who competes in an event called the Hunger Games where two members from each of the twelve districts are chosen to fight to the death for glory and as a reminder to the districts to not rebel against the Capital. While competing in the Games, Katniss begins to view the Capital for what it really is: a totalitarian, militaristic regime that oppresses the masses for the gain of a few wealthy people.

Divergent follows Beatrice Prior, a teenage girl who lives in a society where every citizen is forced to choose a faction or group of people to live with when they turn sixteen. Tris is categorized as a Divergent, or a person who does not fit in one single faction but has an aptitude for all of the five factions. After joining a faction and trying to hide her divergence, Tris realizes that divergence is more dangerous than she ever knew, as those within the factions want to exterminate divergence in order to execute a plot to overthrow the government.

The 5th Wave depicts a post-apocalyptic world where aliens have taken out most of the human population in four waves of attacks. The novel follows Cassie Sullivan as she tries to find her missing younger brother before the 5th Wave comes upon them. Along the way, Cassie realizes that the military and those protecting the few remaining citizens may not be as trustworthy as they once seemed.

 

The Hunger Games is one example of a contemporary young adult dystopian novel that advocates a liberal political ideology. By focusing on the societal structure of the country Panem and Katniss’s reactions to this societal structure, one is able to decipher underlying political messages in the novel The Hunger Games. Specifically, The Hunger Games has an underlying liberal ideology since it advocates increased personal liberties and decreased governmental surveillance and a view that every person is intrinsically equal and should be treated as such.

To start, The Hunger Games advocates increased personal liberties and decreased surveillance through Katniss’s reaction to the phenomenon of the Hunger Games. From early on in the novel, Katniss views the Hunger Games as an agent for President Snow’s totalitarian control over the districts. While watching the annual message that is played before the choosing ceremony, Katniss remarks, “taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another- this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy” (Collins, 2008, p. 18). The Capitol exerts complete control over the citizens, forcing them to take part in the Hunger Games as punishment for a past rebellion. The citizens of the districts have no civil liberties since they have no choice in participating in the games. Even the very young such as Katniss’s 12- year-old sister are not exempt from the Games, as Katniss acknowledges before the choosing ceremony: “I protect Prim in every way I can, but I’m powerless against the reaping” (Collins, 2008, p. 15). By demonstrating how the citizens have no control over their participation in the Hunger Games and the ruthless motives behind the Games, Collins shows the dangers of decreased civil liberties. With decreased civil liberties comes oppression from the government and an authoritarian, totalitarian regime that has control over your every action.

Furthermore, the novel The Hunger Games also exhibits another of Farmer’s traits of a liberal ideology: a view that everyone is intrinsically equal and should be treated as such. There is devastating income disparity between the districts and the Capitol. When describing her District, District 12, Katniss states, starvation’s not an uncommon fate in District 12. Who hasn’t seen the victims? Older people who can’t work. Children from a family with too many to feed. Those injured in the mines. And one day, you come upon them sitting motionless against a wall or lying in the Meadow, you hear the wails from a house, and the Peacekeepers are called in to retrieve the body (Collins, 2008, p. 28).

Contrast this depiction of District 12 with the depiction of the Capitol: [T]he cameras haven’t lied about its grandeur. If anything, they have not quite captured the extravagance of the glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues that tower into the air, the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal (Collins, 2008, p. 59).

District 12 is depicted as a bleak place riddled with the bodies of starving children, while the Capitol is depicted as a colorful place where the citizens live in excess, never in want of anything. This contrast of images reveals the dangers of a society that does not treat all citizens equally. While residents of the Capitol do not need to participate in the Hunger Games and receive all of their needs from the districts, members of the districts must participate in the Games and create all of the goods that go to the Capitol while none of it comes back to them. Residents of the districts often even have to enter their names into the Hunger Games multiple times in order to receive more food and feed their starving families. Through this depiction of the results of treating different members of the population in different ways, Collins reinforces the liberal idea that the government should treat all citizens equally so that they do not live in poverty and starvation as they live under the conservative government of the Capitol.

Divergent

The novel Divergent, by Veronica Roth, is another example of a young adult dystopian novel that advocates a liberal ideology. Tris’s reaction to the societal structure of Chicago in the novel aligns with liberal beliefs in increased personal liberties and decreased surveillance and the belief that every citizen is intrinsically equal.

To begin with, Tris’s reaction to the societal structure of her country reveals the dangers of decreased personal liberties and increased government surveillance. Tris’s city is organized into factions, each of which embodies a certain trait that is essential to the survival of their society. A government leader describes the structure of the city before the Choosing ceremony, which is when 16 year olds decide which faction they want to belong to:

[D]ecades ago our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality—of humankind’s inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world’s disarray (Roth, 2011, p. 42).

The attempt to eradicate “destructive” emotions from people’s minds and fit them into one faction that endorses a specific emotion is an extreme deprivation of liberty on the government’s part, which is a conservative belief since conservatives believe that liberty should be deprived in order to ensure the safety of the public. On her aptitude test, which determines what faction a person fits into, Tris is declared as Divergent, which means that she fits into more than one faction. However, the government forces her to pick one faction to fit into and hide her divergence from the rest of the world. The motto “faction before blood” is a guiding principle in Tris’s society (Roth, 2011, p. 43). By forcing Tris to fit in with one faction, the government stifles Tris’s individuality and causes her many future problems when she feels like she does not fit into any faction. Through Tris’s response to the faction system, Roth advocates a liberal ideology since she describes the problems associated with depriving civil liberties and forcing a person to fit into a preconceived societal structure.

Future Implications for the Political Process

Conclusion

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References

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Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Condon, M., & Holleque, M. (2013). Entering politics: General self-efficacy and voting behavior among young people. Political Psychology, 34(2), 167-181. doi: 10.1111/pops.12019

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Roth, V. (2011). Divergent. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

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Wolk, S. (2009). Reading for a better world: Teaching for social responsibility with young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(8), 664-673. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.52.8.2

Yancey, R. (2013). The 5th Wave. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile.